168 



TOPOGRAPHICAL ANATOMY OF THE 



'mediate groove (sulcus intermedius dorsalis) subdivides tlie dorsal 

 funiculus into a medial fasciculus'^ gracilis of Goll and a lateral 

 fasciculus cuneatus of Burdach. Coil's fasciculus is much the 

 narrower. 



Sections across the spinal cord (sectiones medullas spinalis) should 

 be made in different regions. In these the bilateral character of the 

 structure is confirmed. The ventral median fissure cuts into the cord 

 to near the middle of its dorso-ventral diamater, and a dorsal median 

 septum (septum medianum dorsale) continues the dorsal median groove 

 into the interior. Each half contains grey and white matter; the 

 former more deeply placed and in the form of a curved or comma- 



Nucleus dorsalis, 



Substantia gelatinosa. • 



Apex columnas dorsalis < ' 



Columna dorsalis 



Cervix columnse 

 dorsalis. 



Formatio reticularis. 

 Columna lateralis."' 



Columna ventralis 



Canalis centralis 



Sulcus medianus dorsalis. 

 ,' Sulcus intermedius dorsalis. 



/ Funiculus dorsalis. 



^Sulcus lateralis dorsalis. 



- Commissura dorsalis. 



■n \-Funiculus lateralis. 



Commissura ventralis 

 grisea. 



Commissura ventralis alba. 



! Funiculus ventralis. 



Fissura mediana ventralis. 



Fig. 77. — Diagram of a transverse section of the spinal cord. 



shaped mass (in section). The grey matter of one side of the cord is 

 connected with that of the other by the dorsal and ventral grey 

 commissures (commissura dorsalis grisea : commissura ventralis 

 grisea), between which is the central canal (canalis centralis) of 

 the cord surrounded by the central grey matter. 



The exact shape of the sectional area of the grey matter varies 

 considerably in different regions, but in the main it may be indicated 

 by saying that it resembles the capital letter H, the cross-bar of the 

 letter being represented by the grey commissures ; and the study of 

 a series of sections shows that each half of the cord contains a dorsal 

 and a ventral column of grey matter, of wliich the ventral is the 

 larger and thicker, and is separated from the surface of the cord by a 

 considerable layer of white matter. The dorsal column approaches 

 the surface very nearly, and terminates in sections in a pointed apex, 

 which is covered by a particular kind of grey matter, the substantia 

 ^ Fasciculus (dim. of fascis) [L.], a little bundle. 



