THE CEREBELLUM, AND ITS FUNCTIONS. 683 



other cases of disease or injury involving extensive destruction of the sub- 

 stance of the organ, there has been a complete abatement of sexual desire. 

 The proportion of recorded cases of disease of the Cerebellum, however, in 

 which any affection of the genital organs has been noticed, is extremely 

 small ; for out of 178 cases which have been collected by Burdach, 1 only 

 10, or scarcely more than 1 in 18, presented any symptoms that tended to 

 indicate a functional relation between the Cerebellum and the Genital 

 organs. The same physiologist affirms that similar affections present them- 

 selves when the Cerebrum is the seat of the lesion ; and there seems a strong 

 probability that it is solely to the connection of these organs with the Spinal 

 Cord, that such affections of the genital apparatus are due. For erection of 

 the penis has been noticed in a far larger proportion of cases in which the 

 Spinal Cord itself has been the seat of the lesion ; thus in 15 cases in which the 

 cervical portion of the Cord was affected, erection of the penis was observed 

 in 8 ; and in 13 cases of lesion of the dorso-lumbar portion of the Cord 

 erection of the penis took place in 3. 2 It is well known that erection of the 

 penis and emissio semiuis are not infrequent phenomena of death by hang- 

 ing ; and this fact accords fully as well with the idea that the affection of 

 the sexual organs is consequent upon lesion of the Cranio-Spinal axis, as 

 with the doctrine that it is due to disordered functions of the Cerebellum. 

 It has been suggested by Serres, 3 who collected seven cases in which excite- 

 ment of the genital organs was coincident with apoplexy of the median lobe 

 of the Cerebellum, that while the lateral lobes or hemispheres may be con- 

 nected with the locomotive function, the median lobe may be the organ of 

 the sexual instinct. Several cases have been recorded, in which some such 

 relation appeared to be indicated ; and the Author has been made acquainted 

 with at least six 4 in which an extraordinary salacity developed itself at an 

 advanced period of life, whilst, concurrently with this, or following upon it, 

 there was that kind of unsteadiness of gait which may be held to indicate 

 chrouic disease of the Cerebellum. In one of these cases of which the history 

 and post-mortem appearances have been carefully recorded by Mr. Dunn, 5 

 there was strong evidence that the excitement of the sexual propensity was 

 coincident with the irritative stage of incipient disease in the central lobe of 

 the Cerebellum, and that the abatement of the propensity was in like man- 

 ner coincident with the subsequent destruction of its substance ; whilst the 

 advance of the disease into the lateral lobes was marked by impairment of 

 the power of co-ordination of movement. But with regard to all such cases, 

 and others that may be ranked in the same category, 6 the objection of 

 Petrequin 7 holds good, that when disease or injury affects the median lobe 



1 Vim Baue uncl Leben cles Gehirns (Leipzig, 1819-26), Bd iii 



2 See the Traite des Maladies de hi Moelle Epiniere of M. Ollivier (d'Angers), 

 3eme edit., torn, iii, 316. 



3 Anatomic Comparee du Cerveau, torn, ii, pp. 601, 717. 



4 Four such cases came under the notice of his friend, the late Dr. Simpson of 

 York. 



5 Medico-Chirurgical Transactions, vol. xxxii. 



6 Thus a case has been communicated to the Author by Mr. Turley, of Worcester, 

 in which the sexual desire, which had been always strong through life, but which 

 had been controlled within the limits of decency, manifested itself, during a period 

 of some months preceding death, in a most extraordinary degree; on post-mortem 

 examination, a tumor was found on the Pons Varolii. And he has been informed of 

 another case by Dr. Evanson (formerly of Dublin), in which a young officer, on the 

 eve of marriage, having received a blow on the occiput by a fall from his horse, be- 

 came impotent, without any other disorder of his bodily or mental powers; and in 

 the distress consequent upon this discovery, committed suicide on the morning fixed 

 for his wedding. 



7 Sur quelques points de la Physiologie du Cervelet et de la Moelle Epiniere, in 

 Gaz. Medicale, 1836, torn, iv, p. 546. 



