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Show Constant Smoking Deadens the Sense Taste Smokers never are likely to become be-come culinary connoisseurs. They probably make less fussy husbands, so far as cooking is concerned. They seldom are candy eaters. They can't distinguish fine distinctions distinc-tions in taste. In time, it is likely, one, thing tastes just about like another. an-other. That is one of the sacrifices sacri-fices demanded by nicotine, according accord-ing to the findings of Dr. J. Edward Rauth and James J. Sinnott, Catholic Catho-lic university psychologists. In some way the fumes of tobacco deaden the sensitivity of the so-called so-called taste buds in the mouth and on the tongue. The effect takes place so rapidly and disappears almost al-most as rapidly when smoking is stopped. The experiment was made on six students who swore off smoking for Lent. The ability to taste was measured by placing on the tongue accurately determined solutions of salt and of sugar in distilled water. wa-ter. After a point was reached at which the subject could taste nothing noth-ing the solution was progressively strengthened until taste was reported. report-ed. Within a few days after they stopped smoking they could taste half as strong a solution as when they were using tobacco. Durng the former period candy might have been rather tasteless. Much of its sweetness would have been wasted on them. The effect with salt was not so striking, but at least 50 per cent stronger solution was needed to arouse the sense of taste in the smokers as in the non-smokers. The threshold of taste, says Dr. Rauth, rises very rapidly when a person starts to smoke. Several of the subjects were not able to keep their good resolutions and smoked a few cigarettes. The effect ef-fect was apparent almost immediately immedi-ately as their taste sensitivity fell. By much the same technique, Dr. Rauth hopes to determine whether the sensory acuteness rises with age up to the time of adolescence. This claim has been made by psychologists, psycholo-gists, but with little experimental basis. It may be. Dr. Rauth holds, that the sensitivity itself does not increase, but that there is a notable not-able increase in the individual's as sociations, so that a sense impres sion has more meaning and hence seems to be more acute. Children sometimes can be taught to like foods which are repulsive to adults, but this is probably because the dis like is due to the associations rather than to the taste itself. In other words, one must learn to taste. |