QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF THE PURKINJE CELLS 



251 



TABLE 7 



Number of Purkinje cells per EUA in the tuber vermis, compared with the 



average for area 4 



SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 



The main purpose of this paper was to show the numerical 

 differences in Purkinje cells in normal, subnormal, and senescent 

 cerebella. 



From the data submitted it is evident that in cases of extreme 

 mental defect due to agenesis or to the early action of toxins 

 during intra-uterine life, there is an evident deficiency in the 

 number of these cells. 



Similar reductions in the number of cells due to various causes 

 are found in senescence (and paresis). 



In the subnormal cerebella the evidence indicates that the 

 norinal number of cells has never been present in a developed 

 form. In the senescent (and paretic) cases, however, the small 

 number is due to disintegration. 



The anterior lobe of the cerebellum shows the greatest de- 

 ficiency in cells in both the subnormal and* senescent cerebella. 



The biventral lobe shows the greatest variation in both types 

 of cases. In some cerebella it shows the greatest loss of cells 

 and in others the least loss. 



The differences between the two hemispheres in respect of 

 cell number average less in subnormal cerebella than in normal 

 ones. This probably has a relation to the differences in the 

 degree of unilateral dexterity found in normal and subnormal 

 individuals, i.e., normal people are usually more distinctly right 

 (or left) handed than are the subnormal, who tend to be more 

 ambidexterous. 



