AUTHORS’ ABSTRACT OF THIS PAPER ISSUED 
BY THE BIBLIOGRAPHIC SERVICE, MAY l1 
ON THE NUMBER OF NERVE CELLS IN THE GANGLION 
CHRVICALE SUPERIUS AND OF NERVE FIBERS IN 
THE CEPHALIC END OF THE TRUNCUS SYMPATHI- 
CUS IN THE CAT AND ON THE NUMERICAL RELA- 
TIONS OF PREGANGLIONIC AND POSTGANGLIONIC 
NEURONES 
P. R. BILLINGSLEY AND S. W. RANSON 
From the Anatomical Laboratory of the Northwestern University Medical School! 
It is well known that the preganglionic fibers of the white rami 
divide and terminate in connection with a number of sympathetic 
ganglion cells. But no attempt has as yet been made to secure 
data with regard to the number of nerve cells which may be 
activated by one preganglionic nerve fiber. 
The drawing made by Huber (’99) of the preganglionic fibers: 
in the frog shows one fiber with seven branches, four of which 
end in pericellular baskets. This would indicate that in the 
frog one preganglionic fiber might be associated with at least, 
seven postganglionic neurones. 
Langley (03) has given us data regarding the number of 
ganglia which may receive nerve fibers from a given white ramus 
and the number which may receive branches from a given pregan- 
glionic fiber. 
It must be noted that in the sympathetic system the preganglionic 
fibres of any given spinal-nerve have a more extensive connection with 
the peripheral ganglia than any single fibre in it has. As an example 
I may quote the probable arrangement of the pilomotor fibres of the 
first lumbar nerve. The nerve sends fibres to five ganglia, the separate 
fibres usually send branches to three ganglia only. 
Gaskell (’86) has called attention in a forceful manner to the 
great increase in the number of fibers leaving the sympathetic 
ganglia by way of the gray rami and other branches of distribu- 
1 Contribution No. 55, February 15, 1918. 
359 
