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the Structure of the Tongue, &c. 
to supply the tip, which forms the organ of taste, are very 
readily deprived of their natural action; this probably arises 
from their being softer in texture than nerves in general, and, 
in that respect, resembling those belonging to the other organs 
of sense. 
There was another circumstance in this case which very 
particularly struck my attention, viz. that a bruise upon the 
nerves of the tongue, sufficient to deprive them of the power of 
communicating sensation, was productive of no inflammation 
or irritation in the nervous trunk, so as to induce spasms, 
which too commonly occur from injuries to the nerves belong- 
ing to voluntary muscles. I am therefore led to believe, that 
the nerves supplying an organ of sense, are not so liable to 
such effects as those which belong to the other parts of 
the body. 
The small degree of mischief which was produced, and the 
readiness with which the nerves had their communication com- 
pletely cut off, were to me new facts, and encouraged me, in 
the following case of fungous excrescence from the tongue, 
which bled so profusely as at times to endanger the patient's fife, 
and never allowed him to arrive at a state of tolerable health, 
to attempt removing the part by ligature. 
John Weymouth, eight years of age, was admitted into St. 
George’s hospital, on the 24th of December, 1800, on account 
of a fungous excrescence on the right side of the anterior part 
of the tongue, which extended nearly from the outer edge to 
the middle line at the tip. It appeared, from the account of his 
relations, that the origin of this fungus existed at his birth, and 
had been increasing ever since. He had been a year and a half 
under the care of the late Mr. Cruikshank, who had removed 
