Literary Notices. xi 



enth nerve and are doubtless derived from the geniculate ganglion. 

 The nerve of Jacobson at the same age is seen to be an outgrowth of 

 the petrous ganglion of the ninth nerve and is not yet connected with 

 the trigeminal. In all of these points the rat embryos agree exactly. 

 The author adds, "The fact that these connecting nerves are not 

 branches of the trigeminal, but of the facial and glossopharyngeal, 

 renders it improbable that through them taste impressions are trans- 

 mitted to the fifth nerve, and so to the brain." "Embryologically, the 

 nerve supply of the organs of taste appears to be derived from the 

 facial and glossopharyngeal nerves alone, since the Imgual admittedly 

 in itself contains no taste fibers." This result, though contradicted 

 by considerable clinical experience, ^ yet conforms with recent com- 

 parative work, especially that of Strong in Amphibia and the writer 

 in fishes, where it has been shown that all organs of taste are supplied 

 by the fasciculus communis component of the VII and IX-f X nerves, 

 the fifth taking no part in their innervation. 



c. J. H. 



Degenerative Chauges In the Braiu of the Non-insane. ^ 



The paper before us raises an interesting question. It must, of 

 course, be admitted that in the brain cells are constantly wearing out 

 and being replaced by others. It might be expected that suitable his- 

 tological methods would reveal in the average brain such degenerat- 

 ing cells along with such as are normally functional. This a very cas- 

 ual study of the brain will substantiate. The author has undertaken 

 to investigate the nature of such degenerative changes in the non- 

 insane, employing only the freezing method of Bevan Lewis. While 

 hardly the most desirable method for such a study it was selected for 

 practical reasons. 



In comparing a series of fifty brains of non-insane with an equal 

 number of asylum patients he reports no greater frequency of patho- 



1 Compare especially Adolph Schmidt. Ein Fall vollstandiger isolirter 

 Trigeminuslahmung nebst Bemerkungen iiber den Verlauf der Geschmacksfas- 

 ern der Chorda tympani und ilber trophische Storungen. Dtafh. Z. f. Nerven- 

 heilk., VI, 5-6, 1895, PP- 438-457- 



The case here cited conclusively proves that sensations of taste are trans- 

 mitted from the anterior two thirds of the tongue by means of the chorda tym- 

 pani. The clinical evidence presented to prove that these chorda fibers enter 

 the brain through the fifth nerve instead of the seventh seems to us by no 

 means so conclusive. 



* Hutchinson, Robert. Edinb, Hospt. Rep., Vol. IV. 



