Preface to the Section on Neurophysiology 



As the Editor-in-Chief has pointed out, tlie decision 

 of the American Physiological Society to sponsor a 

 Handbook of Physiology continues an historic series of 

 efforts to collect and systematize knowledge in more 

 readily available forms. Although sharing many of 

 the features of its predecessors, the present Handbook 

 of Physiology is likely to be less formidable than most 

 of them. Its goal, like that of chariot racing, has been 

 to secure a balanced perch astride the rushing progress 

 of investigative advance. It attempts to survey the 

 status of physiology just past the mid-mark of the 

 twentieth century. In the case of each topic, the com- 

 pilative accumulation of analytic data is either intro- 

 duced or concluded by synthesizing comments of an 

 'elder statesman' still active in the field. Thus a bal- 

 ance is sought between the presentation of specific 

 information and conceptualization appropriate to it. 



Appropriately also, the Handbook begins with con- 

 sideration of the nervous system by which the activities 

 of other portions of the body are coordinated and 

 controlled. The nervous system remains the last organ 

 of the body still formidably to resist investigative 

 attack; many fundamental concepts of its function lie 

 waiting in the future. Views proposing a spiritual 

 basis for neural function have obtained since classical 

 antiquity. Only in the past century have materialistic 

 outlooks been effectively introduced, first with respect 

 to the nerve impulse, then in refle.x function and, most 

 recently, in Russian views applying concepts of reflex 

 physiolos^y to an understanding of higher activities 

 of the brain. In this latter area, however, subjective 

 experience and the mind still receive major attention 



in the West from the disciplines of psychology and 

 psychiatry, a testimony to continuing dualistic points 

 of view regarding function of the neural organ. In 

 contemporary studies of physiological psychology the 

 gap between brain and mind seems most rapidly to 

 be closing; prominent representation of this field is 

 probably the most novel feature of the table of con- 

 tents of the present Neurophysiology Section. 



More than customarily, appreciation should be 

 expressed to the contributing authors of this Hand- 

 hook. Each has been willing to add to the many energy- 

 draining burdens of a busy career the difficult task 

 of surveying a field of investigative specialty both for 

 the benefit of associates and for the general welfare 

 of physiological science. The remarkably fine series 

 of articles testifies to the generosity and skill of each 

 contributor. It is to be hoped that reader appreciation 

 may compensate these authors. 



Special gratitude should be expressed also for the 

 efforts of the Executive Editor, Victor Hall. His back- 

 ground of editorial experience with the Annual Review 

 of Physiology enabled the manifold labors of this 

 'sweet-blooded' man to be performed so deftly as 

 perhaps to escape the attention of the general reader. 



Hopefully, all who use this Handbook will wish as 

 I do to thank, if only silently, the contributing authors 

 and the Executive Editor for their generous efforts 

 and to applaud them for such a fine accomplishment. 



H. w. M A G o u N 

 Section Editor 



