Miscellaneous Subjects XXXIV. Vol. TV. No. 10. 



MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS ON THE TONGUE. 



The Tongue deferves all our attention, as well 

 from the circumftance of its being the feat of a 

 particular fenfe, the tafte, as from its being a 

 principal infirument of fpeech, linee many let- 

 ters cannot, without its aihfiance, be pronounc'd. 

 It is compoied of a variety of muscular fibres 

 croihng each other, whence is deriv'd the eafe 

 with which it fo quickly turns on all fides. 

 Befides thefe, a number of tender ramifications 

 of nerves, which terminate on the furface in a 

 kind of highly irritable warts, run into the Ton- 

 gue, and thro' their means we are fenfible of 

 tafte. Thefe are of three kinds : 

 1) roje-leav'dj 



z) of the fhape of a ßax - comb v 

 3) mushroom -Jhayd. 



We will now examine them fingly both of 

 their natural fize, and magnified, as they ap- 

 pear in a boil'd calfs* tongue , as they are thus 

 more remarkable. 



Fig. l. A finali, boil'd Calfs -tongue of 

 the natural lize with its different fkins 

 and warts, or papillary membranes. 



We here fee the different fkins of the ton- 

 gue lying one over the other, with the mem- 

 branes, or extremities of the nerves, a and b 

 fhew the upper fkin > at a are feen the rofe- 

 leav'd extremities of the nerves, or papillary 

 membranes, as they are call'd ; at b the flaxcomb- 

 fhap'd; c exhibits the fécond fkin lying under 

 this ruft ; d the third fkin ; e the fourth and fi- 

 neri fkin; at f are feen the mushroom • fhap'd 

 extremities of the nerves. 



In Fig. 2, 3 and 4 we fee thefe three diffe- 

 rent fhap'd extremities of the nerves feparately. 



Fig, 2. The rofe-leav'd Extremities, 

 or papillary membranes. 



At A we fee one of thefe extremities of 

 the natural lize, as they are feen in Fig. 1 upon 

 the tongue- At B it appears confiderably ma» 

 gnified. The name of rofe - leavd is deriv'd 

 from their fomewhat refembling a five -leav'd rofe. 



Fig. 3. The flaxcomb form'd Extre- 

 mities, or papillary membranes. 



At A is feen a fmall piece of the tongue 

 cut thro% with the extremities of the nerves 

 which appear upon it, in the fhape of a flax- 

 comb. At jB we fee them ftill more plain, as 

 they appear thro* the magnifying glass. Their 

 lengthen'd channels b penetrate the flesh of the, 

 tongue, receive at c feveral fmall veins, which 

 arife at d out of the lower flesh of the tongue., 



Fig. 4- The mushroom fhap'd Extre- 

 mities, or papillary membranes. 



Here appear at A in their natural fize, and 

 at jB magnified , the mushroom fhap'd papillary 

 membranes, taken notice of at f Fig. 1. The 

 little warts, or papillary membranes noted at 

 ana are plac'd like fmall buttons on the upper 

 coat of the tongue. At b is the branch of the 

 nerve, which is otherwife enclos'd in the flesh 

 of the tongue, uncover'd , the ramifications of 

 which proceed reflectively to the jSngie papil- 

 lary membranes. 



