234 Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



(from xoiXia, a cavity) for the sake of distinguishing them from 

 the derivatives of zTj^.r^ a tumor. I now frankly acknowledge 

 the non-necessity of the diphthong even for the discrimination 

 of enccplialoccle, the normal cavity of the brain, from the same 

 word signifying an abnormal protrusion of the organ.' 



§70. In August, 1884 ('84, a, 114) I proposed to replace 

 the common polyonym axis cetrbro-spinalis, and even Owen's 

 vivcleiicepJialon, by the brief mononym neuron, warranted by neit- 

 ralis, neiireyitcrica, etc. and correlated with enteroji {canalis ali- 

 nientarid) and axon {axis soinatica ). The term was used by 

 Minot ('92, 606); Stowell ('85); Waters ('91,362) and others. 

 Its abandonment by me in favor of neia^axis ('89, a) was due 

 to two later observations : {a) the prior use of neiiraxis^ in the 

 same sense : {F) the prior application of neuron to a part of an 

 invertebrate eye. I have since been led to believe that I was 

 unduly influenced by these considerations. Unfortunately the 

 matter is now complicated by {a) the application of 7ieiiron to 

 the entire nerve-cell including its processes, and [b) the designa- 

 tion of the "axis-cylinder process" by netiraxon, easily con- 

 founded with neuraxis.^ I have already declared ('93,100, 

 '95, c '45) my lack of personal feeling in the matter, but the 

 more I think of it the greater appear to me the advantages of 

 neuron. In view of the practical efficiency of "contextual ex- 

 plicitness" (§26), its "invertebrate" use may be ignored, and 

 where there could be any doubt as to whether neuron referred 

 to the entire nervous axis or only to one of its histologic con- 

 stituents macroncuron and viicroneiiron might be employed. 

 Cases not strictly analogous, and yet worthy of note in this con- 

 nection are the general use of body and belly for parts of a mus- 



^Those who are interested in vicissitudes of opinion may think I ought to 

 admit that for a certain intermediate period the e alone was used in the paron- 

 yms of coelia ; '84, a. 



'In the "Dictionnaire de Medicin" of Robin and Littre occurs n^vraxe, the 

 Galloparonym of a potential antecedent, neuraxis ; but neither the propounder 

 nor the first adopter is named. 



'For some history and discussion of these and kindred terms see the papers 

 of Fish ("94) and Baker ('95). 



