PROCEEDINGS 



OF 



THE ROYAL SOCIETY. 



1849. No. 73. 



March 1,1849. 



GEORGE RENNIE, Esq., Treasurer, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



A paper was read, entitled " Minute Examination of the Organ of 

 Taste in Man." By Augustus Waller, M.D. Communicated by 

 Richard Owen, Esq., F.R.S. 



The author commences by describing his mode of observation, 

 which differs from that followed by previous observers. It consists 

 in removing from the living tongue one of the papillae, and imme- 

 diately subjecting it to examination. He then proceeds to describe, 

 — 1st, the epithelium ; 2nd, the fungiform papillae ; 3rd, the conical 

 papillae; and 4th, the inferior surface with its mucous glands, &c. 



1. The epithelium is of two kinds ; the flat plates with a central 

 nucleus, which are mostly found clothing the stem and other regions 

 of the fungiform papillae ; and the globular cells which compose 

 most of the external parts of the processes of the conical papillae. 



2. The fungiform papillae are found to consist of numerous small 

 cones seated on a common stem. These secondary cones, already 

 described by Albinus^ are completely hidden by a common invest- 

 ment of epithelium which fills up the irregular spaces between them. 

 Each of these cones contains capillary vessels, which, at the apex of 

 the cone, either form a simple loop or a complex coil which is covered 

 only by epithelian scales of the most attenuated nature. The author 

 states that in these capillary vessels the motion of the blood may be 

 observed for several seconds after the removal from the living body, 

 and may be excited for a long time by the application of a slight 

 degree of pressure. By these means he has been enabled to watch 

 the passage of the red and white globules contained in the blood, 

 and to detect in the human papillae all the various phenomena in the 

 transparent membranes of the lower animals. By allowing the blood 

 to coagulate in the vessels, beautiful examples of injected papillae 

 may be obtained. The congestion of the vessels is much increased 

 by compressing the point of the tongue before the removal of the 



