ABSTRACT
Touch is hardly deserving of its characterization as a “minor sense.” Mechanical stimulation of the skin produces a rich and complex variety of tactile sensations and perceptions. Consider, for example, how smooth a glass surface feels to the fingertip when it is rubbed across it, how rough sandpaper feels, how soft the fur of the family pet feels, and how the mechanical vibrations from nearby machinery feel. The sense of touch can also be used to process complex information, as the use of Braille by a visually impaired individual so amply attests. The sense of touch also combines with other senses whose receptors lie in the skin to produce more complex perceptions. For example, the perception of the wetness of a liquid results from tactile and thermal receptors acting in combination (Bentley, 1900).
