Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-17
The Tip Of the Tongue.


When we want to assure ourselves by means
of taste, about any unknown object-say a
lump Of some white stuff, which may be crystal
or glass or alum or boraX or quartz or rock
sat-we put the tip of the tongue against It
gingerly. II it begins to burn us we draw it
away more or less rapidly. with an accompani-
ment in language strictly dependent upon our
personal habits and manners. The test we thus
occasionally apply even in the civilized adult
state. to unknown bodies is one that is being
applied every day and all day long by children
and savages. Unsophistlcated humanity is con-
stantly putting everything it sees UP to its
mouth In a frank spirit Of experimental INQUIRY
as TO its gustatory properties. In civilized life
we lind everything ready labeled and assorted
Tor US; we comparatively seldom require to roll
the contents OF suspicious bottle lin very
small quantties) doubtfully upon the tongue in
order to discover whether it is pale sherry or
Chill vinegar, Dublin stout or mushroom ketch-
up. But IN tile savage state. from which, geo.
logically and biologically speaking, we have
only just emerged, bottles and labels do not
exist. Primitive man, therefore, in his sweet
simplicity, has only two modes open before him
for deciding whether the things he finds are or
are not strictly edible The first thing he does
Is to sniff at them, and smell being as Mr. Her.
bert spencer has well put it, an anticipatory
taste, generally gives him some idea of what
the thing Is likely to prove. The second thing
he does is to pop it into his mouth. and proceed
practically to examine its further characteristics
Strictly speaking. with the tip of the tonoue
one can't really taste at all. If Won mt a small
drop Of honey or of oil of bitter almonds on that
part of the mouth you will find mo doubt tn
your surprise) that it produces 20 effect of any
sort; you only taste it when it begins slowly to
diffuse ltselfand reaches the true tasting region
In the middle distance. But if you put little
cayenne or mustard on the same part Won will
find that it bites you immediately-the exneri-
ment should be tried sparingly-
while If you put it lower down
IN the mouth you swallow it almost without
noticing the pungency of the stmulant. The
reason Is that the tip OF the tongue is supplied
only with nerves, which are really nerves
OF touch, not nerves Of taste proper;
they belong to totally different main
branch, and they go to different center in the
brain, together with the very similar threads
which supply the nerves Ofsmell for mustard
and pepper. That is why the smell and taste or
these pungent substances are SO much alike. as
everybody must nave noticed; good sniff at a
mustard pot producing almost the same irri-
tating effect as an tncautious moutnful. Asa
rule. we don't accurately distinguish, it is true.
between these different rigions of taste In the
mouth In ordinary life; but that is because we
usually roll our food about instinctiyely with
out paving much attention to the particular
part affected by it. Indeed when one is
trying deliberate experiments In the
subject. in order to test the varying sepsI-
tiveness of the different parts to diff
ferent subtances, it is necessary to keep the
tongue quite dry in order to isolate the thing
you are experimenting with and prevent its
spreading to all parts Of the mouth together.
In actual practice this result is obtained in
rather ludicrous manner-by blowing upon the
tongue between each experiment with a pair of
bellows. To such undignifed expedent does
the pursuit of science lead the ardent modern
psychologist. Those domestic rivals of DR..
ha uonfo v1-ho bold -,
enthusiastic investigator alternately driving his
tongue In this ridiculous fashion as If he were
backsmith's fire. and then squeezing out a
single drop Of essence Of pepper, vinegar, or
beet tea from glass syringe upon the dry sur
race, not unnaturally arrive at the conclusion
that master has gone stark mad, and that in
their private opinion, it's the microscope and
the skeleton as has done It,