Note on Securing the Lingual Artery in Excising the Tongue through the Mouth

There can be little doubt that securing the lingual artery is the main difficulty in excision of the tongue, and that the risks both at, and after the operation, are greatly reduced when bleeding into the mouth during its performance can be kept at a minimum. It would not be difficult to show that most, if not all, of the past as well as the present methods of excising the tongue have turned very much upon this difficulty. While many surgeons now adopt a preliminary ligature of the lingual artery through the neck, there are still a large number who for various reasons do not think this procedure generally advisable. On the other hand, for those whose experience is limited, the operation through the mouth without preliminary ligature is a matter of considerable anxiety. By a slight modification, however, of the existing method of excising the tongue through the mouth with scissors, I find that the artery