The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1879-07-23
VII.

HCNOLIONO UT LIE Ii u MdN oODI.
| VII
win now turn to the sense of taste and
give brief description of the apparatus that
performs this function Taste is principally
located in the mucous membrane of the
tongue, ON its upper surface. The base, tip,
and edges of the tongue seem to possess the
most acute sensibility to savors. The tongue
is tlattened, leaflike, muscular organ, stu
ated in the floor of the mouth, attached to the
Inside surface of the lower jaw in front, and
extends back to little bone called the hyoid
bone, where it is attached posteriorly. 1t is
well supplied with muscles, by which it can
move about in every direction. Its upper sur
face is beset with vascular and nervous papille.
The papill@ or minute eminences, give to the
| tongue its roughness. There is no one special
and distinct nerve of taste but this sense re-
sides in portions of two different nerves.
nerves which also supply general sensibility to
the mouth and surrounding parts.
Our knowledge of odors is obtained through
the instrument of smell or olfaction, the
nose. This is comparatively of simple struc-
ture. The bones forming the inner cavity of
posed Of very thin plates covered with soft
membrane, over which the branches of the
nerve of SMELL the olfactory nerves. are expos
ed. The fume proceeding from bodies, and
which imparts their peculiar odor, must pass
in stream or current through the nose before
the odor is perceptible. If the air is perfect
| ly still, and no current allowed in the nose by
suspcnding tho breathing through that organ,
the strongest odors will not make any impress
sion.
What infinite wisdom and superior design,
of Him who doeth all things to perfection, is
manifested in the arrangement and location OF
the organs of special sense The organ of
sight occupying the most prominent part of
the body, in order to command a commanding
view of surrounding objects the organ OF
hearing occupying position Of the body
equally as prominent, for the purpose Of safe
ty, and for collecting the vibrations of sound
coming from every direction, horizontally or
vertically, up or down the organ of taste
| situated at the entrance of the alimeiitary
canal, that, in taking in the various articles of
food, we may enjoy and relish their favors;
also that we may discard all obnoxious sub
staiiccs that may accidentally come In contact
| with the organ, which, if otherwise, taken in-
to the stomach would be injurious. The or
gan of smell occupying such a position as to
receive all affiuva in its rising tendency, being
placed above the mouth, that we may enjoy
| tho MI pt q nd avoitohlo nd IF 10
food, and to protect us from taking in any
substance disagreeable or obnoxious-as de-
noted by the odor.
The sense of touch is seated principally in
the skin or integument which may be class
ed as an organ Of general sensibility, because
it resides in all parts of the body, and because
by its aid we obtain information with regard
of external objects.
The skin not only serves as the principal
seat of the sense of touch, but serves also as
a covering for the protection Of the deeper
tissues or elements of the body 1T is also an
important excretory Cor discharging) and abb
sorbing organ,
will now give SYNOPSIS of the structure
of the skin according to my most careful dis
sections. 1t consists Of two layers the cults
vera, or true skin, and the epdermis, or cuti-
Gle. The cuticle which consists of fiattened
cells, forms protective covering over every
part of the true skin and when cast off, as
1t frequently is, in large Pieces, after scarlet
fever, we find on its Under surface an exact
cast of the upper surface of the true skim
vessels, aid so it is devoid of sensibility and
does not bleed when injured. 1t varies great
ly in different individuals and on different
parts of the body as to its thickness. Com
pare the hand of the laborer with the hand
that is never engaged in any manual labor
and you will see difference in the cuticie ;ol
compare the skin of the ill-clotled child with
one that is well-clothcd and you will find that
nature has done her best to make up for the
mothers neglect, by causing great increase
of the cuticle over those parts most exposed
to the weather. 1t in some cases becomes SO
thick and hard that it cracks and exposes the
true skin underneath.
\ The true skin is essentially a nervous and
vascular tissnes 1t is divided into two layers
the retcuIaf and papillary. The papillary II
the upper layer, and is divided, as its name
implies, into papille, which are small emf
nences, composed chiefly Of blood Vessels ant
nerves are SO closely packed and SO numerous
that you cannot prick the true skin withou
causing pain and letting blood
The verticular layer Of the true skin con
tains in its meshes hair follieles, glands ant