xiv Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



In the " Tagesfragen" which introduces the second number Pro- 

 fessor Ziehen says that it must be admitted that the psychology of the 

 psychiatry of today is several decades, often a good hundred years 

 behind the development of psychology itself. For this modern psy- 

 chology, he claims, is in large measure answerable. This is a surpris- 

 ing accusation, but a moment's reflection convinces one that it is not 

 altogether unjust. We have an " experimental psychology," a psy- 

 chology of measurement, which is accomplishing all that could in 

 reason be asked of it; but where is the "physiological psychology," 

 of which we heard so much a decade or two ago ? To be sure, to 

 cite Professor Ziehen's example, "Wundt in his Physiological Psy- 

 chology devotes nearly 300 pages to the anatomy and physiology of 

 the brain ; but — to say nothing of numerous errors — this anatomico- 

 physiological section is an alien in the book." "So it happens," he 

 continues, "that in the psychiatry of today two one-sided tendencies 

 dominate ; the one is based upon brain anatomy and physiology and 

 concerns itself at heart very little with modern psychology, the other 

 pursues the latter and writes text-books of psychiatry in which a 

 relation to brain anatomy and physiology is arrogantly repudiated." 

 Then follows a plea for the application of the methods of a true 

 physiological psychology in clinical work which will commend itself 

 to all. And surely such counsel can come from no one with more 

 weight than from Professor Ziehen. 



c. J. H. 



Effect of Section of the ninth Nerve upon Taste Buds. 



Authors are divided regarding the question whether taste buds 

 degenerate after the section of their nerves, and the matter has been 

 re-investigated.^ The papillse foliatse of the rabbit were found after 

 section of the ninth nerve to show alterations within 30 hours. The 

 cells of the bud did not disappear ; they simply returned to the con- 

 dition of the normal non-sensory epithelium, so that at the sixteenth 

 day there was only a slight depression to mark the position of the 

 former papilla. 



Dr. Meyer calls attention to the fact that Szymonowicz has re- 

 cently shown- that the Merkel tactile papillae are of epithelial origin 

 and are developed directly under the influence of the out-growing 

 nerve. The same is probably also true of taste buds and now we see 



1 Dr. Semi Meyer. Durchschneidungsversuche am Nervus Glosso-phar- 

 yngeus. Dissertation, Berlin, 1896; Arch, f. mik. Anat., XLVIII, i, 1896. 

 ">■ Arch.f. mik. Anat., XLV, p. 624. 



