OF NATURAL HISTORY. 16^ 



highly grateful to another. I knew a gentleman who was in the 

 daily habit of lighting and putting out candles, that he might enjoy 

 the pleafure of their fmell. Few men, I fuppofe, would envy him. 



OF TASTING. 



THE tongue and palate are the great inftruments of this fenfa- 

 tion. With much wifdom and propriety the organ of tafte is fitu- 

 ated in fuch a manner as enables it to be a guardian to the alimen- 

 tary canal, and to affift the organ of fmell in diflinguifhing falutary 

 from noxious food. The tongue, like the other inftruments of fen- 

 fation, is amply fupplied with nerves. The terminations of thefe 

 nerves appear on the furface of the tongue in the form of papillae, 

 or minute nipples, which are always ereded on the application of 

 fapid or ftimulating fubftances. This elevation and extenfion of the 

 papillae, by bringing larger portions of the nerves into contadt with 

 the fubftances applied to the tongue, give additional ftrength to the 

 fenfation, and enable us to judge with greater accuracy concerning 

 their nature and qualities. Befide the nervous papillae, the tongue 

 is perpetually moiftened with faliva, a liquor which, though infipid 

 itfelf, is one great caufe of all taftes. The faliva of animals is a very 

 powerful folvent. Every fubftance applied to the tongue is partially 

 diflblved by the faliva before the fenfation of tafte is excited. When 

 the tongue is rendered dry by difeafe, or any other caufe, the fenfe 

 of tafte is either vitiated or totally annihilated^ 



In fome men, the fenfe of tafte is fo blunr, that they cannot di- 

 ftinguifh with any degree of accuracy the different fpecies of that 

 fenfation. In others, whether from Nature or from habit, this 

 fenfe is fo acute, that they can perceive the niceft diftindions in the 

 favour of folids and of liquids,. 



The 



