Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-11
Speaking Kithonf a l,ouene

manchester eT1tdTdtdE, JtttE S5.
The British Medical Journal reports a
case, interesting to more than profes-
sional circles, which was recently under
the care of Mr. Walter Whitehead at the
Manchester Royal Infrmary. The sub
ject was cabinetmaker of forty, who in
consequence of cancerous disease had his
tongue excised5 by the method devised
by Mr.. Whitehead and usually known
by his name The patient appears to
have been within measurable distance
of death FROM suffoeation, starvation
and exhaustion consequent upon severe
and continuous pain The removal of
the tongue secured certain amount of
rest and diminished the pain. Trache-
otomy was then performed, so as to
lessen the disturbance caused by respira-
ton and to avert the danger from suffo-
cation. Means were also found of feed.
ing the patient; indeed, the man has
gained nearly a stone in weight
Further, we are told that 'nOtwithstand-
ing the loss of his tongue, the obstruc-
ton in the pharynx and the opening in
the trachea, the patient can articulate
with remarkable distinctness. and can
make all his wishes known without the
cumstance will recall to some of our
readers the controversy as to the reality
Of the occurrence usually known as the
miracle of the African Confessors.
Ecclesiastical historians inform us that
when by order of Huneric some of the
orthodox inhabitants of Tipasa who re-
fused to adopt Arianism had their
tongues publicly cut out by the roots, to
the establishment of all they continued
to enjoy the power of speech. As Cardi-
nal Newman has pointed out, the evi.
dence was unusually satisfactory
"Out OF the seven writers ad-
duced, six are contemporaries;
three, if not four, are eye-wit-
nesses of the miracle; one reports from
an eyewitness, and one testifes to per-
manent record at the burial place of the
subjects of it. All seven were living or
had been staying at one or other of the
two places which are mentioned as their
abode One is Pope, a second Catho-
lie Bishop, third Bishop of a Schls.
NAUTICAL party, fourth an Emperor, a
fifth a soldier. a politician, and sus-
pected infidel; a sixth a statesman and
courtier; a seventh rhetorlcian and phi
lOsopher. There can be little surprise
that this consensus of evidence should
have given pause even to Gibbon. With
one exception, no physical explanation
of the matter was adduced until the Hon.
Edward Twisleton published his work
to prove 1.-THE tongue not essential to
speech. Accepting fully the sub
stantial accuracy of the narratives
that now remain of the event
at Tipasa, he gave a number of
examples Of persons who have retained
the power Of articulation notwithstand-
ing the loss of their tongue. One was
the case of Pierre Durand, a French bow
living at Saumur in 1880. Another was
that Of patient of Tulpius, a physician
whom many will remember as the pro
lessor in Rembrandts famous picture of
the Lesson in Anatomy" A third was
a Portuguese girl who was seen at Lisbon
early in the eighteenth century by DR..
Joseph Wilcocks and N Antoine de
Jussien. 1t was this case that led the
Rev. Conyers Middleton to anticipate
the explanation of the African miracle
afterwards developed at greater length
and with weightier evidence by
Mr.. Twisleton. In 1742 the
Royal Society caused a careful ex-
animation to be made of the case of
Margaret Cutting, of Wickham Market.
who had completely lost her tongue by
cancer, and yet continued to pronounce
''letters and syllaoles very articulately. 4"
Sir John Malcolm mentions that the
voice of Zal Khan, whose tongue had
been cut close to the root by order of
Aga MahOmed Khan, though indistinct
and thick, was Ineligible to persons
accustomed to converse with him, The
Emir Faris, although his tongue had
been mutilated, continued to speak, and
his ability in that respect is testified by
Mr.. Richard Wood, who was then in the
public service in the Lebanon Sir John
McNeill met several persons in Persia
who had undergone this barbarous pun.
ishment, but retained their power
of speech, and DR.. Wolff had one
such person for his teacher in
Msndaye. Several Persian cases are
attested by DR.. J. r. Dickson. Another
English case is that of Mr. Robert Rawl
ings, whose tongue was removed for can.
Ger in 1861, and who could pronounce
most letters, but was unable to sound
either the initial or final or d. Some
what similar was the experience of a
Manchester patient who in 1866 was un-
der the care of Professor Syme. Six
patients of Sir James Paget could talk
quickly and intelligibly after the healing
of their wounds. To the long list adj
duced by Mr.. Twisleton we may now
add the case of the Manchester cabinet
maker, who owes his escape from pain
full and horrible death to the benefcent
skill and knowledge of modern medical
science.