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the Structure of the Tongue, &c. 
(which was almost completely separated,) by means of a pair 
of scissors, and pass another ligature through the groove to the 
opposite side, and tie it over the part not completely deadened. 
This gave great pain for a few hours, which was relieved by the 
use of tincture of opium. On the 8th day, the patient had less 
pain than on any preceding day, and less salivation ; and, on the 
9th, the whole slough came away. On the 13th, the tongue had 
so much recovered itself, that there did not appear any loss of 
substance whatever, only a fissure of half an inch in depth, in 
the anterior part of it ; and, as that now seemed to be exactly in 
the centre, there was not the smallest deformity. 
The preceding cases, in the view which it is intended to 
take in the present Paper, are to be considered as so many 
experiments, by which the structure of the tongue is in some 
respects ascertained: they enable us to draw the following 
conclusions. 
The internal structure of the tongue is less irritable than 
almost any other organized part of the body; therefore, the 
peculiar substance which is interposed between the fasciculi of 
its muscular fibres, is not in any respect connected with the 
nerves which pass through its substance to the organ of taste, 
but is merely a soft medium, to admit of great facility of action 
in its different parts. 
The nerves of the tongue appear to be more readily com- 
pressed, and deprived of their power of communicating sensa- 
tion, than nerves in general; and any injury done to them 
is not productive of diseased action in the trunk of the injured 
nerve. 
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