538 THE PHYSIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 



could have been made complete without interfering with the 

 blood supply to that organ. 



More recently, Goltz and Ewald l have described an experi- 

 ment 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 2 have also shown that parturition is 

 possible after destruction of the cord. Goltz had already 

 shown 3 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 pp. 

 490-491.) 



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 4 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, 5 which he states is the only one re- 

 corded in which the spinal lesion was apparently in the lumbar 

 region of the cord. In this case the uterus failed to make the 

 normal contractions, and the child was eventually extracted 

 with forceps. The placenta also had to be removed by hand. 



1 Goltz and Ewald, " Der Hund rait verkiirztem Riickenmark," Pjliiger's 

 Archiv, vol. Ixiii., 1896. 



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

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

 Qyniik., vol. Ixxxiii., 1908. 



3 Goltz, " Ueber den Einfluss des Nervensystems auf die Vorgange 

 wahrend der Schwangerschaft und des Gebarakts," Pfluyer'a Archiv, vol. ix,, 

 1874. 



4 Routh, "Parturition during Paraplegia," Trans. Obatet. Soc., Lond., 

 vol. xxxix., 1898. 



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



