CHAP. V.Of the Taste[a].
Of the Taste[a].
In this, as in the last Sense, we have anApparatusabundantly sufficient to the Sense; Nerves curiously divaricated about the Tongue[b], and Mouth, to receive the Impressions of every Gusto; and these Nerves guarded with a firm and proper Tegument to defend them from Harms; but withal, so perforated in the papillary Eminences, as to give a free Admission to Tastes.
But I shall say no more of this Sense; only a Word or two of its Consent with the Smell, and the Situation of them both: Their Situation is in the most convenient Place imaginable, for the Discharge of their Offices; at the first Entrance[c], in the Way to the grand Receptacle of our Food and Nourishment; to survey what is to be admitted therein; to judge between what is wholsome, and fit for Nourishment, and what is unsavoury and pernicious. And for this End, the all-wise Creator seems to have establish’d a great Consent between the Eye, the Nose, and Tongue, by ordering the Branches of the same Nerves[d], to each of those three Parts; as also indeed to divers other Parts of the Body, which I may have occasion to mention in a more proper Place[e]. By whichMeans, there is all the Guard that can be, against pernicious Food; forasmuch as before it is taken into the Stomach, it is to undergo the Trial of three of the Senses; the Scrutiny of the Eye, the strict Surveyor of its outward Appearance; and the Probation of the Smell and Taste, the two severest Judges of its natural Constitution and Composition.
FOOTNOTES:[a]τὰ δὲ εἴδη τῶν χυλῶν, &c.Saporum genera,——dulcis, pinguis, austerus, acerbus, acris, salsus, amarus, acidus.Theophr. de Caus. Plant. l. 6. c. 1. What may the Cause of the difference of Tastes, he saith is hard to assign, πότερον γὰρ τοῖς πάθεσι, &c.Utrum affectionibus Sensuum——an figuris, quibus singuli constant, ut Democritus censet.id. ib. Δημόκριτος δὲ, &c.Democritus——dulcem esse saporem qui rotundus: acerbum qui figurâ magnâ; asperum qui multis angulis,&c.id. ib. &c. But of the Diversities and Causes of Tastes, see Dr.Grew,Lect.6. and Dr.Willis de Anim. Brut.c. 12.[b]Intellectus Saporum est cæteris in primâ linguâ: Homini, & in palato.Plin. l. 11. c. 37.The Opinions of Anatomists concerning the Organ ofTaste, are various.Bauhin,T. Bartholin,Bartholette,Vestinge,Deusinge, &c. place it in the laxer, fleshy Parts of the Tongue. Our famousWharton, in the Gland at the Root of the Tongue:Laurentiusin the thin Tunick covering the Tongue; but the LearnedMalpighiwith great Probability concludes, because the outward Cover of the Tongue is perforated, under which lie papillary Parts, (of which Mr.Cowper, hath very good Cuts in hisAnat. Tab. 13.) that in these the Taste lieth.Malpighi’s Words are,Quare cùm dictis meatibus insignibus occurrant papillaria corpora, probabilius est in his ultimo, ex subintranti sapido humore titillationem, & mordicationem quandam fieri, quæ Gustum efficiat.Malpig. Op. Tom. 2. De Linguâ, pag. 18.Præcipuum ac ferè solum Gustatûs organon est Lingua; cui aliquatenus subobscure tamen Palatum, & superior Gulæ pars consentiunt: in omnibus verò fibræ nervosæ immediata sensionis instrumenta sunt. Quare observare est, Linguam præ aliâ quâvis parte insigniter fibrosam esse, etiam texturâ valdè porosâ constare, in eum nempe finem, ut particulæ rei sapidæ copiosiùs ac penitiùs intra Sensorii meatus admittantur——Nervi autem qui fibris Linguæ densissimè intertextis famulantur, ac saporum impressiones τῷ πρώτῳ αἰσθητηρίῳ communicant, sunt——Nervi è paribus tum quinto, tum nono; & ubique cum densâ propaginum serie per totam ejus compagem distributi.Willis ibid.[c]Gustatus, qui sentire eorum quibus vescimur genera debet, habitat in eâ parte Oris, quâ esculentis & poculentis iter natura patefecit.Cicer. de Nat. Deor. l. 2. c. 56.Vid.quoque supr.Note (b), Chap. 4.[d]Multa hujus[quinti paris]Nervi propagines Masticationis operi destinantur; ideoque quoniam alimenta ingerenda non modo Gustus, ast etiam Olfactûs & Visûs examen subire debent, ab eodem Nervo, cujus rami ad Palatum & Fauces missi, Manducationis negotium peragunt, propagines aliæ, velut exploratrites, ad Nares & Oculos feruntur, nempe ut isthæc aliorum sensuum organa, etiam ad objecta Gustûs melius dignoscenda probationum auxiliis quibusdam instruantur.Willis Nerv. Descrip. & Usus.cap. 22.[e]SeeBook V. chap. 8.
[a]τὰ δὲ εἴδη τῶν χυλῶν, &c.Saporum genera,——dulcis, pinguis, austerus, acerbus, acris, salsus, amarus, acidus.Theophr. de Caus. Plant. l. 6. c. 1. What may the Cause of the difference of Tastes, he saith is hard to assign, πότερον γὰρ τοῖς πάθεσι, &c.Utrum affectionibus Sensuum——an figuris, quibus singuli constant, ut Democritus censet.id. ib. Δημόκριτος δὲ, &c.Democritus——dulcem esse saporem qui rotundus: acerbum qui figurâ magnâ; asperum qui multis angulis,&c.id. ib. &c. But of the Diversities and Causes of Tastes, see Dr.Grew,Lect.6. and Dr.Willis de Anim. Brut.c. 12.
[a]τὰ δὲ εἴδη τῶν χυλῶν, &c.Saporum genera,——dulcis, pinguis, austerus, acerbus, acris, salsus, amarus, acidus.Theophr. de Caus. Plant. l. 6. c. 1. What may the Cause of the difference of Tastes, he saith is hard to assign, πότερον γὰρ τοῖς πάθεσι, &c.Utrum affectionibus Sensuum——an figuris, quibus singuli constant, ut Democritus censet.id. ib. Δημόκριτος δὲ, &c.Democritus——dulcem esse saporem qui rotundus: acerbum qui figurâ magnâ; asperum qui multis angulis,&c.id. ib. &c. But of the Diversities and Causes of Tastes, see Dr.Grew,Lect.6. and Dr.Willis de Anim. Brut.c. 12.
[b]Intellectus Saporum est cæteris in primâ linguâ: Homini, & in palato.Plin. l. 11. c. 37.The Opinions of Anatomists concerning the Organ ofTaste, are various.Bauhin,T. Bartholin,Bartholette,Vestinge,Deusinge, &c. place it in the laxer, fleshy Parts of the Tongue. Our famousWharton, in the Gland at the Root of the Tongue:Laurentiusin the thin Tunick covering the Tongue; but the LearnedMalpighiwith great Probability concludes, because the outward Cover of the Tongue is perforated, under which lie papillary Parts, (of which Mr.Cowper, hath very good Cuts in hisAnat. Tab. 13.) that in these the Taste lieth.Malpighi’s Words are,Quare cùm dictis meatibus insignibus occurrant papillaria corpora, probabilius est in his ultimo, ex subintranti sapido humore titillationem, & mordicationem quandam fieri, quæ Gustum efficiat.Malpig. Op. Tom. 2. De Linguâ, pag. 18.Præcipuum ac ferè solum Gustatûs organon est Lingua; cui aliquatenus subobscure tamen Palatum, & superior Gulæ pars consentiunt: in omnibus verò fibræ nervosæ immediata sensionis instrumenta sunt. Quare observare est, Linguam præ aliâ quâvis parte insigniter fibrosam esse, etiam texturâ valdè porosâ constare, in eum nempe finem, ut particulæ rei sapidæ copiosiùs ac penitiùs intra Sensorii meatus admittantur——Nervi autem qui fibris Linguæ densissimè intertextis famulantur, ac saporum impressiones τῷ πρώτῳ αἰσθητηρίῳ communicant, sunt——Nervi è paribus tum quinto, tum nono; & ubique cum densâ propaginum serie per totam ejus compagem distributi.Willis ibid.
[b]Intellectus Saporum est cæteris in primâ linguâ: Homini, & in palato.Plin. l. 11. c. 37.
The Opinions of Anatomists concerning the Organ ofTaste, are various.Bauhin,T. Bartholin,Bartholette,Vestinge,Deusinge, &c. place it in the laxer, fleshy Parts of the Tongue. Our famousWharton, in the Gland at the Root of the Tongue:Laurentiusin the thin Tunick covering the Tongue; but the LearnedMalpighiwith great Probability concludes, because the outward Cover of the Tongue is perforated, under which lie papillary Parts, (of which Mr.Cowper, hath very good Cuts in hisAnat. Tab. 13.) that in these the Taste lieth.Malpighi’s Words are,Quare cùm dictis meatibus insignibus occurrant papillaria corpora, probabilius est in his ultimo, ex subintranti sapido humore titillationem, & mordicationem quandam fieri, quæ Gustum efficiat.Malpig. Op. Tom. 2. De Linguâ, pag. 18.
Præcipuum ac ferè solum Gustatûs organon est Lingua; cui aliquatenus subobscure tamen Palatum, & superior Gulæ pars consentiunt: in omnibus verò fibræ nervosæ immediata sensionis instrumenta sunt. Quare observare est, Linguam præ aliâ quâvis parte insigniter fibrosam esse, etiam texturâ valdè porosâ constare, in eum nempe finem, ut particulæ rei sapidæ copiosiùs ac penitiùs intra Sensorii meatus admittantur——Nervi autem qui fibris Linguæ densissimè intertextis famulantur, ac saporum impressiones τῷ πρώτῳ αἰσθητηρίῳ communicant, sunt——Nervi è paribus tum quinto, tum nono; & ubique cum densâ propaginum serie per totam ejus compagem distributi.Willis ibid.
[c]Gustatus, qui sentire eorum quibus vescimur genera debet, habitat in eâ parte Oris, quâ esculentis & poculentis iter natura patefecit.Cicer. de Nat. Deor. l. 2. c. 56.Vid.quoque supr.Note (b), Chap. 4.
[c]Gustatus, qui sentire eorum quibus vescimur genera debet, habitat in eâ parte Oris, quâ esculentis & poculentis iter natura patefecit.Cicer. de Nat. Deor. l. 2. c. 56.Vid.quoque supr.Note (b), Chap. 4.
[d]Multa hujus[quinti paris]Nervi propagines Masticationis operi destinantur; ideoque quoniam alimenta ingerenda non modo Gustus, ast etiam Olfactûs & Visûs examen subire debent, ab eodem Nervo, cujus rami ad Palatum & Fauces missi, Manducationis negotium peragunt, propagines aliæ, velut exploratrites, ad Nares & Oculos feruntur, nempe ut isthæc aliorum sensuum organa, etiam ad objecta Gustûs melius dignoscenda probationum auxiliis quibusdam instruantur.Willis Nerv. Descrip. & Usus.cap. 22.
[d]Multa hujus[quinti paris]Nervi propagines Masticationis operi destinantur; ideoque quoniam alimenta ingerenda non modo Gustus, ast etiam Olfactûs & Visûs examen subire debent, ab eodem Nervo, cujus rami ad Palatum & Fauces missi, Manducationis negotium peragunt, propagines aliæ, velut exploratrites, ad Nares & Oculos feruntur, nempe ut isthæc aliorum sensuum organa, etiam ad objecta Gustûs melius dignoscenda probationum auxiliis quibusdam instruantur.Willis Nerv. Descrip. & Usus.cap. 22.
[e]SeeBook V. chap. 8.
[e]SeeBook V. chap. 8.