PATHOLOGY. 179 
and apparently well-authenticated inftances of the fpeech 
remaining p'erfeft after a total lofs of'tongue and of 
uvula. We (hall cite two of the mod remarkable. 
The firil is of a woman who was a native of Monfaray, 
in the territory of Elvas, in Portugal. The cafe was 
attefted by Wilcox biffiop of Rochefter, then chaplain to 
the Engliflt faftory at Liffion, in a letter dated from that 
city, Sept. 3, 1707 ; and was laid before the Royal So¬ 
ciety in London. The following is an ext raft from the 
letter: “The Conde d’Ericeyra, a nobleman of letters, 
and curious in natural knowledge, brought from the 
frontiers of this country a woman without a tongue, who 
yet (peaks very well; (he is feventeen years of age, but 
in ftature exceeds not one of (even or eight. I was with 
her at the conde’s houfe, and made her pronounce every 
letterof the alphabet, which (hecan do diftinftly. She hath 
not the lead bit of a tongue, nor any thing like it ; but 
the teeth on both (ides of her under-jaw turn very much 
inward, and almod meet. She finds the greateft want of 
a tongue in eating; for, as others when they eat move 
their meat about with their tongue, (lie is forced to ufe 
Jier finger. She pretends to didinguiih tades very well, 
b,ut I believe doth it imperfeftly. Her voice, though 
very diftinfl, is a little hollow, and like that of old peo¬ 
ple who have loft half their teeth.” 
The other cafe was that of a girl born in Portugal alfo, 
(in 1718,) without ,a tongue. M. de Juffieu, of the 
French Academy, faw her at Lilbon when (he was about 
fifteen years of age. He examined her very attentively. 
In the place of the tongue was a (mail flefliy fubftance, 
which he found was able to contraft and dilate itfelf, of 
courfe it had all the mufcles of the tongue. The places 
where the tongue (hould be, remained plump and full, 
as if the tongue had been in being. He examined after¬ 
wards how (he performed the feveral fundlions of the 
tongue. Firft as to fpeech : (he pronounced (everal 
words fo diftinftly, that, had he not known (he wanted 
the tongue, he could not difcover by her fpeech that (he 
wanted it. She, however, pronounced the letters C, F, 
G, L, N, K, S, T, X, Z, with more difficulty than the 
other confonants. When (he pronounces them, (he in¬ 
clines her head forward, drawing back the chin as it were 
to the larynx, in order to raife it in a line with her teeth. 
The fecond funftion of the tongue, the tafte, Are had as 
exquiiite as any body. She told M. de Juffieu, that (he 
found an agreeable tafte in thofe dry fweetmeats he had 
given her. Maftication (lie performed with difficulty : 
the above fleffiy fubftance was not long enough to ga¬ 
ther and keep the food under the teeth : (be was here 
obliged to ufe the maxilla inferior, which through habit 
flie could either approach or remove from under the fu- 
perior, as (lie wanted to bring the morfel (lie would grind 
under the upper jaw. She fometimes ufed her finger for 
the fame purpofe. Deglutition muft needs be difficult to 
her. The tongue naturally forms itfelf into a kind of a 
hollow, (bmewhat like a fpoon, by which means it ga¬ 
thers every atom in the mouth, and protrudes them into 
the pharynx; but here nature and ufe from her infancy 
have in fome meafure fupplied this want of a tongue. 
The mufcles attached to the above flefhy fubftance raife 
themfelves up, forming at the fame time a kind of rima, 
which, in fome fort afting the part of a tongue, protrudes 
the aliments into the pharynx, (he obferving to incline 
her head forward, which facilitates their defcent. Thofe, 
together with the labial mufcles, help her by their con- 
traftion to fpit out what is in her mouth. 
M. Roland, furgeon at Saumur, has a cafe pretty near¬ 
ly the fame. A boy, nine years old, loft his tongue by a 
mortification that enfued an ulcer he had after the fmall 
pox. There was this difference, the root of the boy’s 
tongue was bifurcated, and pretty apparent, whereas the 
root of the above girl’s was round and fmall. This boy 
alfo could fpeak, and perform the other functions of the 
tongue, like the girl. 
Vot,. XIX. No. 1396. 
2. Aphonia atonica : fpeechleffnefs from atony of the 
vocal organs. Here alfo we have two varieties. 
a. Oblsefa; from lefion of the nerves of the tongue; 
as in paralyfis. 
Q. Pathematica; from hidden and overwhelming ter¬ 
ror or other violent paffion. Commonly temporary, 
fometimes permanent. 
3. Aphonia furdorum. Dumbnefs from deafnefs, con¬ 
genital or produced during infancy. 
Genus V. Dyfphonia , [from bad, and (pavri, voice.] 
Sound of the voice imperfeft or depraved. This is the 
Aphonia of Cullen and Suuvages. There are three fpe- 
cies and many varieties. 
1. Dyfphonia fufurrans: the voice weak, whifpering, 
and fcarcely audible. The varieties are— 
«. Oblaefa ; from lefion of the nerves of the larynx, 
p. Pathematica ; from fuddeiriand overwhelming ter¬ 
ror, or other violent emotiorf of the mind: occafionally 
permanent. 
y. Comprefforia; from permanent compreffion of the 
trachea. 
Catarrhalis ; from neglefted catarrh, 
s. Enervis; from fimple debility of the larynx without 
any obvious caufe. Dr. Good “ has at this time a cafe 
under his care produced in this manner, in which the pa¬ 
tient, about forty years old, and otherwife in good health, 
has never fpoken, except in a whifper, for the laft fix 
years.” 
2. Dyfphonia puberum, change of voice. The voice 
diffonant and untrue to itfelf, irregularly alternating 
from harffi to (brill; confined to the age of puberty. 
This, we think, can hardly be considered as a difeafe. 
Sauvages and Cullen call it Paraphonia puberum. 
3. Dyfphonia immodulata : the voice permanently de¬ 
praved or inharmonious. The varieties are— 
a. Rauca; naturally or habitually hoarfe, hard), or 
rough. 
( 3 . Nafalis; fent with a cracked and grating found 
through the noftrils. Produced by habit, a deflation, or 
nafal obftruftion. 
y. Clangens ; Ihrill and Squalling, 
j. Sibilans; with a whizzing or hiding found, 
s. Stertens; with a fnorting, fnoring, guttural, or fter- 
torous, found. Ufually from relaxation of the glottis or 
velum palati. 
Palatina; hoarfe, obfcure, indiftinft; with a fiffure 
or otiier deleft in the palate. This defeft is moftly con¬ 
genital ; hut occafionally a Sequel of lues and fome other 
diforders. 
Genus VI. Pfellifmus, [Gr. to Hammer.] Articulation 
imperfeft or depraved. There are two Species. 
1. Pfellifmus bambalia, ftammering. The flow of' the 
articulation difturbed by irregular intermiffions or 
Snatches. Dr. Good makes two varieties. 
a. Hasfitans, or hefitation : involuntary and tremu¬ 
lous retardation in articulating particular Syllables. 
( 3 . Titubans, or fluttering: involuntary and tremu¬ 
lous reduplication of fome Syllables, alternating with a 
tremulous hurry of thofe that follow. 
Thefe two varieties of ftammering are thus well de¬ 
scribed by Shakefpeare : “ I would thou couldft Hammer, 
that thou mighteft pour out of thy mouth, as wine comes 
out of a narrow-mouthed bottle, either too much at 
once or none at all.” 
2. Pfellifmus blsefitas. The enunciation vitious. Here 
we have no fewer than Seven varieties. 
a. Ringens; with a vibration or redoubling of the 
letter R. 
Lallans ; the letter L unduly liquid, or fubftituted 
for R. As when delufive is pronounced dek'ufive, as 
though the l poflefled the power of the fpanifti ll, or the 
Italian gl ; or as when parable is pronounced pa/ab!e. 
3 A Alcibiades 
