Hakdesty, Medulla Spinalis of the Elephant. 129 



For this reason it was impossible to get the encephalon, as 

 highly as it would have been prized. Furthermore the available 

 time in which to collect the material was so limited that it was 

 even impossible to obtain all of the medulla spinalis. Dr. 

 Bristol succeeded, however, in securing a portion of the cen- 

 tral nerve axis extending from the calamus scriptorius (severed 

 within the foramen magnum) to the Vlllth thoracic segment. 

 Thus the specimen comprised the major portion of the med- 

 ulla oblongata, the pars cervicalis and eight segments of the pars 

 thoracalis. 



The specimen was divided transversely into pieces 2 to 4 

 cm. in length and placed in ten per cent, formalin. This fluid 

 was changed twelve hours later and again several times subse- 

 quently. Later Dr. Bristol forwarded the material to Dr. H. H. 

 Donaldson, Professor of Neurology in The University of 

 Chicago. 



At that time the author enjoyed the privilege of being a 

 Fellow and later an Assistant in the department of Neurology at 

 Chicago, and through the kindness of Dr. Donaldson was 

 allowed to undertake a description of the material. Most of 

 the work necessary for this discription was done in the Neuro- 

 logical Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Donaldson. 



The elephant was a young male, about twenty-one years 

 of age and of the species indicjis. He had been treacherous 

 for two or three years, but at this time. occurred his first rutting 

 period and he became positively dangerous. He was estimated to 

 weigh about eight thousand pounds and was in excellent vigor 

 at the time of his execution. 



Owing to the absence of disease and to the fact that the 

 rapid disembowelling and removal of the vast musculature had 

 practically obviated the injurious efTects of post-mortem tem- 

 perature, it can be assumed with considerable certainty that the 

 tissue obtained was in a normal condition. 



The specimen placed at the author's disposal included the 

 caudal end of the medulla oblongata, beginning at the inferior 

 extremity of the ventriculus quartus, and a portion of the med- 

 ulla spinalis terminating in the Vlllth thoracic segment. Its 



