G. LEO HAGENKURGER 
778 
Hearing, as we know, is accomplished by the air waves ordi¬ 
narily striking at the tympanum and especially by electrical and 
thermal ethers which go far beyond the tympanum into the 
interior portion of the ear sent forward by vibratory motion in 
connection with gases, liquids, sounding boards until the cochlea 
is reached, the presiding genius and its impressions are conveyed 
to the auditory nerve and then to the sensorium. 
The wonderful scales of the cochlea, consisting of about 
3,5°° outer and 5> 200 inner rods of Corti (not according to my 
finding them in the dissecting room,—I quote this from Flint), 
constitute 8,000 cords of constantly increasing lengths, so that 
every grade of musical tone can have an answering element 
that shall communicate to human consciousness an exact per¬ 
ception of pitch. 
The fact that sounds can be communicated to an ear which 
is under water, or telephoned 100 miles, shows that sound does 
not simply consist of air waves, but of a finer and swifter etherial 
fluid, although the air is a necessary assistant in the process and 
can modify its waves as well as its musical tones. 
The sense of smell deals with gases, and yet we find on these 
gases are bourne the minute particles of various substances such 
as emanations from flowers, ammonia, aromatic plants, diseased 
tissues, etc. I he particles flying in the nasal passages find their 
peculiar chemical affinities in the mucous membrane of epitherial 
cells, where they are attracted, and the impression is carried on 
to the olfactory N, which has three roots side by side, the mid¬ 
dle one being reddish gray, the outside one being bluish white. 
i he sense of taste is generally supposed to be perceived by 
the pappillse of the tongue—different varieties on the upper side. 
I>y experiments, however, you can prove to yourself that fruits 
or edibles can give but a feeble taste unless they are converted 
into a fluid at first, or semi-fluid at least, and then pressed between 
the tongue and the roof of the mouth. For example, take a 
cherry or grape and break the skin so that the juicy pulp comes 
against the tongue, while the unbroken part comes against the 
paiate and the peculiar taste ot the fruit is entirely wanting ; and 
