itie 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE TONGUfi, 



XV. 



Ohfcrvaliom on the StruBure of the Tongue ; illuftrated by Cafis 

 in xihich a Portion of that Organ has been removed by LigU' 

 ture. By Everard Home, Efq. F. R. S.* 



Introdufllon. 



Importance of 

 a fate means of 

 removing part 

 of the tongue. 



Its ftrudurc 



fuppofed to be 

 Tcrj delicate. 



P 



HYSIOLOGICAL inquiries have ever been confidered 

 as deferving the attention of this learned Society ; and, 

 whenever medical praditioners, in the treatment of difeafes, 

 have met with any circumftance, which threw light upon the 

 natural firuciure or a6tions of any of the organs of the human 

 body, or thofe of other animals, their communications have 

 met with a favourable reception. 



The following obfervations derive their real importance 

 from offering a fafe and effedual means of removing a portion 

 of the tongue, when that organ has taken on a difeafed a6tion, 

 the cure of which is not within the reach of medicine; and, 

 as the tongue, like many other glandular firu6lures, is liable 

 to be atfeded by cancer, it becomes of no fmall importance 

 that the fad (hould be generally known. In a phyfiological 

 view, they tend to fliow, that the internal ftructure of the 

 totigue is not of that delicate and fenfible nature which, from 

 its being the organ of tafte, we fliould be led to imagine. 



The tongue is made up of fafciculi of mufcular fibres, with 

 an intermediate fubftance met with in no other part of the 

 body, and a vaft number of fmall glands; it has large nerves 

 palling through it; and the tip poflelTes great fenfibility, 

 fitting it for the purpofe of tafte. 



Whether the fenfe of tafte is confined entirely to the point 

 of the tongue, and the other parts are made up of mufcles 

 fitted for giving it motion ; or whether the whole tongue is 

 to be confidered as the organ, and the foft matter which per- 

 vades its fubftance, and fills the inteiftices between the tiufci- 

 ciili of mufcular fibres, is to be confidered as connected with 

 ienfaUon, has not, I believe, been afcertained. 



The tongue, throughout its fubftance, has always beeiv 

 confidered by phyfiologifts as a very delicate organ ; and it 

 was believed, that any injury committed upon it would not 



♦ Philof. Tranfaa. 1803, p. 205. 

 4 



onlv 



