THE TONGUE. 341 



How is it that the hands of hard-working people get insen- 

 sible 1 



What do we distinguish by the sense of touch ? 



Which of our senses gives us the most accurate impres- 

 sions ? 



LESSON XV. 



THE TONGUE THE NOSE THE EAR. 



THE tongue is the principal agent in tasting, 

 It is quite full of vessels and nerves; so much so. 

 that it possesses a greater portion of vital energy 

 than any other part of the body, and its muscles 

 retain their motion for some time after death. It 

 can be moved about freely in all directions, and 

 made broad, narrow, or slightly hollow, at plea- 

 sure. 



If you pass the finger over the surface of your 

 tongue, you find that it is rough. This is owing 

 to a multitude of little points, called papillae; 

 these are very sensitive, and erect themselves 

 when we are tasting. It is in these papillae that 

 the nerves end, and it is in them that the sense of 

 taste immediately resides. 



The flavour of what we eat is very various. 

 Some things are agreeable, others disagreeable; 

 but taste, like the other senses, soon reconciles 

 itself to almost any thing, however unpleasant it 

 may be at first. The gustatory, or tasting nerve, 

 is fitted to convey different flavours to the brain; 

 X 



