88 



Sth. The rheumatic diathesis is more strongly marked when the 

 pericardium than when the endocardium is affected. (Retrospective 

 Address.) 



74. With a few remarks on the pathological conditions of the 

 brain and nerves in reference to one or two interesting forms of dis- 

 ease must close what the Committee can say on this branch of their 

 duty. 



M. Toulmouche* shows, from observation, that disease of the cere- 

 bellum is not always accompanied by excitation of the generative 

 faculty. Also that the muscular movements are not always deranged. 

 His opinions are sustained by two observations of Prestel and Taylor. 

 M. Toulmouche thinks that disease of the cerebellum is manifested by 

 pain in the occipital region, continual giddiness, hemiplegia of the 

 opposite side not implicating the tongue, diminution of the sensibility 

 of the skin, and integrity of the intellectual functions. 



75. A case of paralysis of the seventh pair of nerves is reported 

 in the Archives Generates, 1845. There was paralysis of the right 

 side of the face without loss of sensation: the sense of taste was im- 

 perfect in that half of the tongue. Ordinary sensation was perfect. 

 The author remarking on the fact that the taste was only impaired, not 

 destroyed, and that it improved or became worse as the paralysis 

 increased or diminished, accounts for the whole set of phenomena 

 by attributing the loss of taste to " a motor paralysis of the con- 

 tractile elements of the papillae, which rendered them unable so to 

 apply themselves to sapid substances as that they should produce 

 their ordinary effect upon the gustatory nerve;" differing from Lon- 

 get, who attributes it to dryness of the tongue, and from Berard, 

 who ascribes it to paralysis of the Vidian branch of the chorda 

 tympani. 



70. Intercostal Neuritis and Neuralgia. — M. Beau thus describes 

 this affection. The intercostal nerves, from the articulations to the 

 angles of the ribs, are in contact with the pleura; after that they 

 pass outwards between the muscular layers. Now, in pleuritis, this 

 posterior portion of the nerve being in contact with the inflamed 

 membrane, participates in the inflammation. This is manifest by 

 comparing it with those in uninflamed parts. Both the neurilemma 

 and nervous substance arc inflamed. This accounts for the pain in 



• Gazette Med., 1845. 



