531 



CHAP. XXIII. 



TASTE. 



* W E perceive tastes by the tongue, and in some degree," says 

 Blumenbach, in conformity with the common opinion, " by the 

 other neighbouring internal cutaneous parts of the mouth, espe- 

 cially by the soft palate, the fauces, the interior of the cheeks, 

 and lips ; by them, however, we taste only what is acrid and very 

 bitter" :" and Dr. Vimont says that, on touching the lips, inside of 

 the cheeks, and the palate, with a very concentrated solution of 

 common salt, with strong vinegar, and pure alcohol, their respec- 

 tive tastes were not experienced, while he instantly had the taste 

 of each when brought in contact with the upper surface of the 

 tongue. b 



The most careful and extensive experiments have been made 

 by M. M. Guyot and Admyrauld c , and they declare the lips, 

 the internal surface of the cheeks, the hard palate, and the pha- 

 rynx, to be utterly destitute of taste ; the soft palate to be also 

 destitute, except at one spot, commencing about a line below its 

 union with the hard palate, descending to within three or four 

 lines of the base of the uvula, and extending indefinitely on each 

 side till lost insensibly ; and the tongue to be destitute at its lower 

 part and all its dorsal surface. So that the only seats of taste 

 are the small space in the soft palate, that portion of the base 

 of the tongue behind a curved line drawn with its concavity for- 

 wards and passing through the blind foramen, and the whole of the 

 circumference of the organ, on the upper part of which the sense 

 extends a little farther towards the middle of the organ, espe- 

 cially near the apex, than on the lower ; and the portion at the 



a " Grew, Anatomy of Plants, p. 284. sq. 



Petr. Luchtmans, De Saporibus et Gustu. L.B. 1758. 4to. p. 58. sqq. 

 J. Gottl. Leidenfrost, De sensu qui infaucibus est, ab eo qui in lingua exercetur, 

 diverse Duisb. 1771. 4 to." 



b Trnite de Phren. vol. ii. p. 138. sq. 



Mtmoire sur le Siege du Gout, chez VHomme, Paris, 1 830. 



N N 3 



