of the Eighth Pair of Merves. 599 



and different opinions relative to the use and influence of the 

 par vagum in the animal oeconomy ; and, however varied the 

 explanations may appear, they all tend to confirm one indispu- 

 table fact ; that the eighth pair of nerves occupies so important 

 a communication between the viscera, which it supplies, and 

 the brain, that by dividing these nerves a very material de- 

 rangement of the functions of life ensues, altogether sufficient 

 to put a stop to their existence. 



But, since the object of this inquiry is principally to ascer- 

 tain the influence of the par vagum over digestion, and to 

 settle (if possible) the point in dispute relative to the galvanic 

 power with respect to the functions of the lungs and the 

 stomach, it will now be necessary to advert to the experiments 

 of Dr. Wilson Philip, who has pursued a physiological course, 

 somewhat similar to that of Le Gallois, but has indeed gone 

 far beyond him in speculative points in his theory of the 

 analogy between the nervous influence and galvanism. It is 

 needless to follow this author through all the minutiae of his ex- 

 periments, their end and object being to this effect, that, accorrf- 

 ing to his invariable experience^ after having divided the eighth 

 pair of nerves on both sides of the neck of an animal, the 

 process of digestion ceases to be carried on ; and consequently, 

 any food at the time in the stomach remains unaltered after the 

 division of the nerves. It is also unequivocally stated that the 

 respiration soon becomes disturbed, and continues unceasingly 

 so till the animaVs death. These facts being proved to his entire 

 satisfaction, the author next asserts it to be also his invariable 

 experience^ that, by forming a proper galvanic circle, including 

 the abdomen and chest, he succeeds in supplying the functions 

 of digestion and respiration with the galvanic power, so as to 

 effect the restoration of these functions ; and accordingly, he says, 

 the animal will continue to digest his food ^ and to breathe freely ^ 

 while the galvanic trough is kept in play; but that on its being 

 stopped^ digestion ceases again, and respiration becomes disturbed, 

 and either may be restored at pleasure, till the animalisat length 

 killed by galvanism always occurring in a few hours. To the 



X2 



