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Death Of The Tongueless Woman

Death Of The Tongueless Woman image
Parent Issue
Day
18
Month
August
Year
1876
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Mrs. Mary O. Burnham, whose misfortuue of losing her tongue attracted so rnuch attention two years ago. died in Eootstown, Friday, july 28, 1876. Mra. Burnham had been affücted for about twenty years with a bronchial or throat difficulty. Her tongue became paralyzed, and she gradually lost the use of this meraber. During this time her hcalth was generally good. On Tuesday, Jannary 25, 1874, she had a spell of bleeding of the tongue and throat in the forenoon. While at dinner, boing, to all appearances, choked with a piece of meat, with an elïort to oxpel it her tongue feil out of her mouth. A council of physicians was held, at which it was disclosed that under lier tongue there was a cáncer, which, enlarging, had destroyed that member, as above stated. Soon af ter this decisión a new theory was developed, some of tbeso medical men denying that there was a canoroid condition of the tongue and throat. They asserted that the tongue had been destroyed by catarrh, which had severed the nervous connection of the tongue and throat, paralyring the tonguo, wbich was followed by the natural decay of the connections of the tongue. The basis of this theory was the sound coudition of the tongue and the apparent healing of the throat and mouth. Mrs. Burnham feit no unusual pain at the time. Strange as it may seem, Mrs. Burnham, while her tonguo was paralyzed, so cultivated a control of the other organs of speech, that after her tongue was lost she was able to make herself understood by those accustomed to hear her. The singular loss of the tongue produced considerable astonishment at the time, and occasioned not a little comment. The death of Mrs. Burnham was occasioned by the same disease that destroyed her tongue. After the loss of her tongue the same disease attacked other organs, consuming vital parts; produeing eventually a stroke of paralysis, after which she was unable to swallow, and literally starved to death. Mrs. Burnham was able, after the loss of her tongue, to perform her household duties as usual up to this spring, when she commenced to fail. She was confined to her bed for almost twelve weeks prior to her death. - Ravenna (O.) Democrat.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus