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Historical Notices in regard to the distinction of Nerves and 

 Nervous Filaments into Motive and Sensitive ; and in regard 

 to the peculiarity of function, and absolute isolation, of the 

 ultimate Nervous Filaments. By Sir William Hamilton, 

 Bart. 



TO PROFESSOR JAMESON. 



My Dear Sir, — As I see that public interest is again turned towards 

 Sir Charles Bell's great discovery regarding the functions of the nervous 

 system, I send you a note, belonging to a forthcoming philosophical 

 work, and containing a summary of what I have noticed touching the 

 history of physiological discovery in this relation. If you think it of 

 any value, you are welcome to make whatever use of it for your Journal 

 you may think fit. 



I remain, my Dear Sir, with great regard, ever truly yours, 



W. Hamilton. 

 Edinburgh, May 31. 1843. 



The important discovery of Sir Charles Bell, that the spinal nerves 

 are the organs of motion through their anterior roots, of sensation 

 through their posterior; and the recognition by recent physiologists, 

 that each ultimate nervous filament is distinct in function, and runs 

 isolated from its origin to its termination ; — these are only the last of a 

 long series of previous observations to the same effect, — observations, in 

 regard to which (as may be inferred from the recent discussions touch- 

 ing the history of these results) the medical world is, in a great measure, 

 uninformed. At the same time, as these are the physiological facts 

 with which psychology is principally interested ; as a contribution to- 

 wards this doctrine and its history, I shall throw together a few notices, 

 which have, for the most part, fallen in my way when engaged in re- 

 searches for a different purpose. 



1. The cases of paralysis without narcosis (stupor), and of narcosis 

 without paralysis — for the ancient propriety of these terms ought to be 

 observed — that is, the cases in which either motion or sensibility, exclu- 

 sively, is lost, were too remarkable not to attract attention even from 

 the earliest periods ; and at the same time, too peremptory not to ne- 

 cessitate the conclusion, that the several phsenomena are, either the 

 functions of different organs, or, if of the same, at least regulated by 

 difierent conditions. Between these alternatives all opinions on the 

 subject are divided ; and the former was the first, as it has been the 

 last, to be adopted. 



No sooner had the nervous system been recognised as the ultimate 

 organ of the animal and vital functions, and the intracranial medulla or 

 encephalos {encephahn is a modern misnomer) ascertained to be its 



