INNERVATION OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS 571 



Riemann 1 states that after the destruction of the cord of -a cat 

 from the third dorsal vertebra downwards the animal gave birth to 

 a kitten two days subsequently, shortly before its death. 



Rein 2 describes experiments upon rabbits in which he severed the 

 uterus from all nervous connection with the cerebrospinal system, and 

 found afterwards that the mechanism of labour was not destroyed. 



Furthermore, Oser and Schlesinger, 3 as a result of experimental 

 evidence, state that parturition can occur in animals after the 

 severance of the sympathetic nerves which pass to the uterus, but it 

 is difficult to understand how this operation could have been made 

 complete without interfering with the blood-supply to that organ. 



More recently, Goltz and Ewald 4 have described an experiment 

 in which they completely exsected the spinal cord of a bitch from the 

 mid-dorsal region downwards, and found that after the operation 

 the animal experienced normal " heat," became pregnant, and in due 

 course produced a litter of pups. Kruiger and Offergeld 5 have also 

 shown that parturition is possible after destruction of the cord. Goltz 

 had already shown 6 that parturition could occur after the transection 

 of the spinal cord in the dorsal region, and consequently after all 

 connection with the higher centres had been cut off (see p. 514). 



The last-mentioned fact is also demonstrated in the various cases 

 in which parturition has proceeded normally in women suffering from 

 paraplegia from the level of the mid-dorsal part of the spinal cord 

 downwards. Routh 7 has recorded several such cases, and in all of 

 them labour set in and proceeded regularly (or almost regularly), but 

 without sensation. In Routh's own patient the injury was in the 

 dorsal region of the cord, which was completely disorganised at the 

 seat of the fracture of the spine, as the post-mortem evidence showed. 

 In the lumbo-sacral region, however, there were a large number of 

 cells which were normal in appearance, so that it could not be 

 contended that the centre for parturition had been destroyed. Routh 

 also refers to Brachet's case, 8 which he states is the only one recorded 



1 Riemann, " Einige Bemerkungen iiber die Innervation der Gebarmutter, " 

 Arch. f. Gynai:, vol. ii., 1871. 



2 Rein, " Beitrag zur Lehre von der Innervation des Uterus," PjlHger's 

 Archiv, vol. xxiii. 



3 Oser and Schlesinger, " Experimentelle Untersuchungen tiber Uterus- 

 bewegungen," Strieker's Med. Jahrbiicher, 1872. 



4 Goltz and Ewald, "Der Hund mit verkiirztem Riickenmark," Pfliiger's 

 Archiv, vol. Ixiii., 1896. 



5 Kruiger and Offergeld, "Der Vorgang von Zeugung, Schwangerschaft, 

 Geburt, und Wochenbett an der ausgeschalteten Gebarmutter," Arch. f. Gi/tnilc., 

 vol. Ixxxiii., 1908. 



6 Goltz, " Ueber den Einfluss des Nervensystems auf die Vorgange wahrend 

 der Schwangerschaft und des Gebarakts," Pfluger's Archie, vol. ix., 1874. 



7 Routh, "Parturition during Paraplegia," Trans. Obstet. Soc. Lon<l. % vol. 

 xxxix., 1898. 



8 Brachet, Recherches, 2nd Edition, Paris, 1837. 



