54 



there is a branch from the sciatic also. In the foramen is a gan- 

 glion which he has minutely described, as well as the relations 

 which it bears to the nervous twigs. Its object seems to be to 

 collect the nerves, coming in from several sources, previous to their 

 final distribution, which takes place in a manner similar to the vas- 

 cular distribution on the medullary and periostal surfaces. 



8. Of Muscle — New Muscle. — Dr. Bruke* describes the gray ring 

 around the anterior part of the choroid, on its outer surface, (orbicu- 

 laris ciliaris,) as muscular, and names it "spammuskel der choroidea." 



9. Involuntary movements of Muscles of Animal Life. — M. Del- 

 rout has very curiously discussed this subject, dividing the move- 

 ments into two classes: 1st. Where their execution is invariable, 

 identical and independent of circumstances or education, as yawning, 

 sneezing, vomiting, expectoration, &c, all of which are performed 

 exactly alike by everybody. 2d. Where they are less regular, and 

 may be acquired by slow, continued practice of the will. They may 

 not always be performed alike, as in shrinking, and the instinctive 

 movements of gesture, &c. Each of these classes has several varie- 

 ties, founded upon the structure of the muscles themselves; the kind 

 of motion which their action is intended to produce; the functions 

 of the organs to which they are attached, and the degree of import- 

 ance of the movements themselves. 



10. Excitability of Muscles. — Dr. HarlessJ has given the result 

 of his experiments on the Muscular Excitability, using ether to de- 

 stroy the nervous influence. The galvanic current applied to the 

 brain or nervous trunks of a rabbit, killed by cutting the carotids, 

 while under the influence of the ether, produced no action ; but strong 

 contraction took place when the muscle itself was touched. Here it 

 is suggested that the muscle may have retained the nervous influence 

 it had before the use of the vapour; but it shows that the nerves were 

 deprived of their conducting power. This, Dr. Harless suggests, 

 may be due to the action of the ether on the fat which forms one of 

 the chief constituents of nerve. Dr. Dowler shows that muscles will 

 contract under irritation of a blow, sharply given, as late as ten 

 hours after death. 



* Jahresbericht der gesammten Medicin, 1846. 



t Archives Generates de Med., Sept. and Oct. 1847. J Muller's Archiv. 



