CONSIDERATIONS ON THE HISTOLOGICAL BASES OF 

 NEUROPHYSIOLOGY^ 



C. ESTABLE 



It might have been appropriate to begin this study with a critical 

 evaluation of the three general conceptions of the structure of the nervous 

 system held by different authors: (i) that of radical neuronism, (2) that of 

 absolute reticularism, (3) that of neuronism modified by the assumption of 

 anastomosis between tlie interstitial cells, this being accepted by the 

 founder of the neuronal doctrine. 



The remarkable summary made by Cajal in his last monograph, 

 'Neuronismo o reticularismo' (Cajal, 1933) and published in German under 

 the title of Die Ni'iiroiislclirc, in 1935, did not convince such supporters of 

 the reticular theory as Boeke, Brauer, Stoer Jr. and others (Boecke, 1949; 

 Bauer, 1953; Stoer, 1957). 



Even Bielschowsky, who regards Cajal with reverence and calls him 

 Dcr i^rossc Altiiicistcr, fnids that the basis of the neuronal doctrine and the 

 criticism of the reticular theory made by the great ncurohistologist are 

 unconvincing (Bielchowsky, 1955). Gagel calls the said doctrine arrogant 

 (stolzes Gabiiudc) but recognizes that, despite all the objections to neuron- 

 ism, Cajal's law of axifugal conduction remains unshaken and intact. 



In a report submitted to the International Neurological Congress in 

 Brussels (Estable, 1957), we compared and studied the three conceptions 

 and concluded that the doctrine best adapted to the facts revealed by the 

 electron microscope and by experimental neurohistology is that of 

 neuronism, but without the restriction of interstitial cells, for it is shown 

 that those perceived in anastomosis with the aid of and within the field of 

 the optical microscope are connective neuronoid cells and not actual 

 neurones. 



It is unnecessary to reconsider here problems we regard as already 

 solved. It is our thesis that the neuronal cioctrine is correct, as /('//ij as it 

 remains open to the possibilities of iiitenieiiroiial iiifiueiices that (^o beyond the 

 laws of iusulated conduction and dynamic pohvization. 



Microscopic and submicroscopic observations prove that the nervous 

 tissue is devoid of intercellular spaces through which a fluid internal 



' Supported in part by grants t'roin the Rocketcllcr Foundation (58122) and tlic U.S.A.F. 

 Office of Scientific Research (Contract AF4y (638) (585)). 



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