Note b — BOOK IV.
Reading edition
Intellectus Saporum est cæteris in primâ linguâ: Homini, & in palato. Plin. l. 11. c. 37.
The Opinions of Anatomists concerning the Organ of Taste, are various. Bauhin, T. Bartholin, Bartholette, Vestinge, Deusinge, &c. place it in the laxer, fleshy Parts of the Tongue. Our famous Wharton, in the Gland at the Root of the Tongue: Laurentius in the thin Tunick covering the Tongue; but the Learned Malpighi with 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 his Anat. 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.