Loss of taste, like that of smell, may arise from various causes; when the mouth is parched up by fever or intense thirst, the sense of taste is greatly impaired, or even altogether suspended; but this condition may be regarded as temporary. A few instances have come under our own observation, in which, though the senses of smell and taste were not obliterated, they were extremely obtuse, insomuch that the most nauseous medicines or offensive odours created no feeling of repugnance or disgust, and the most delicate viands, or the fragrance of sweetest flowers, no pleasurable sensation. In idiots, this loss of taste and smell is far from being uncommon; but it is not to such that we here allude, nor is it to those who have suffered from repeated partial strokes of paralysis or apoplexy, but to persons of sane mind and sound health. In such cases, the deficiency is either in the sensitive and conducting power of the nerves, or in some a loss of tone in the portion of the brain to which they immediately lead--at all events, a barrier is interposed between organic structure and the mind. As far as the operations of intellect are concerned, the loss of smell or of taste is of secondary consideration; these senses administer to our animal enjoyments rather than to the spiritual part of our being; nevertheless, mind and body are so united that the breath of early flowers, the incense of the fields, the balmy breeze, the taste of wholesome food, or of the refreshing draught, call forth the feelings of the mind, awaken gratitude, and lead us to offer up our thanks to Him who is the Giver of every good. With respect to the sense of touch, we have few additional observations to make; this sense is trained to its highest perfection in those who are born blind, and who from early childhood have acquired the habit of supplying by its exercise their visual deficiency, as far as one sense can compensate for the loss of another. In the educated blind, the faculty of distinguishing minute differences in impression, and of receiving from a given surface of sentient integument the largest number of separate sensations of contact, appears most remarkably developed; in the blind, too, the exploring movements of touch are performed with the most skill and delicacy. To so high a pitch, indeed, is the sense of touch elevated, that many have been led to believe that the blind are even capable of appreciating colour; it may be, we admit, that they are able to detect by touch certain differences of texture, which depend on the chemical processes of dyeing, or on certain modes of preparation connected with the impartation of colour to the surface of objects, and thus discriminating or analyzing, may be taught to associate the name of blue with one sensation, of red with another, and so on--more than this is impossible.