174 THE PHILOSOPHY 



attributes of the objeds themfelves ; and, in the progrefs of time, a 

 new and artificial language would be gradually formed. While this 

 operation is going on in one corner of a country, twenty fimilar af- 

 fociations and compads may be forming, or already formed, in dif- 

 ferent nations, or in different diftrids of the fame nation, all of 

 which would give birth to feparate artificial languages. 



OF TOUCH. 



THE fenfations of fmelling, tailing, hearing, and feeing, are 

 conveyed to us by partial organs, which are all confined to the head. 

 But the fenfe of touching, or of feeling, is not only common to thefe 

 organs, but extends over almoft every part of the body, whether ex- 

 ternal or internal. Though every fenfation may be comprehended 

 under the general appellation oi feeling, yet what is called the fenfe 

 of touch is properly reftrifted to the different fenfations excited by 

 bodies applied to the fkin, and particularly to the tips of the fingers. 



With regard to fenfation in general, it is worthy of remark, that 

 the eyes, the ears, the noftrlls, the tongue and palate, the palms of 

 the hands, efpecially towards the points of the fingers, are more 

 amply fupplied with nerves than any other external parts of the 

 body. The terminations of the nerves on the furface of the fkin 

 are foft and pulpy, and form minute protuberances refembling the 

 nap of freeze-cloth, though greatly inferior in magnitude. Thefe 

 protuberances have received the denomination of nervous papillae. 

 They might be called animal feelers ; for they are obvioufly the im- 

 inediate inflruments of fenfation. If an objedt be prefented to the 

 eye, or any other organ of fenfation, certain feelings are excited, 

 which are either agreeable or difagreeable, according to the real or 

 imaginary qualities v;hich we confider as belonging to that object. 



The 



