Abstract
AN article by Mr. Moseley, in NATURE (vol. xvi. p. 475), reminds me of an experiment I made some years ago in Florida. In collecting corals on the reefs, I had of course become familiar with the disagreeable, though not very painful, effects of contact of the hands with Millepora. But the vulgar names of Pepper-coral or Sea ginger induced me to try the effect on the tongue, to find out how far the taste resembled those condiments. I accordingly broke off a fresh piece and applied it to the tongue. Instantly a most severe pain shot, not only through that organ, but also through the jaws and teeth. The whole course of the dental nerves and their ramifications into every single tooth could be distinctly and painfully felt. I can compare the sensation to nothing better than to the application of the poles of a pretty strong galvanic battery. The pain remained severe for about half an hour, then became duller, leaving a sensation still perceptible five or six hours later. The whole impression was much too violent to allow the distinction of any particular taste.
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POURTALES, L. Effects of Urticating Organs of Millepora on the Tongue. Nature 17, 27 (1877). https://doi.org/10.1038/017027c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/017027c0
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