104 Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



several chromatic materials are stored up in the nerve cell and 

 that these materials are used up by it during- the performance 

 of its function ; that activity is accompanied by an increase in 

 the size of the cells, the nuclei and the nucleoli of the sympa- 

 thetic, ordinary motor and sensory ganglion cells ; that fatigue 

 of the nerve cell is accompanied by the shriveling of the nucleus 

 and probably also of the cell and by the formation of a diffuse 

 chromatic material in the nucleus. Lugaro ('95 ) confirms the 

 observations of Mann. 



Cellular changes of such a radical character, as has been 

 shown above, may be the result of perfectly normal functions 

 and disappear after a period of rest. How important is it, then, 

 before discriminating between that which may be perfectly nor- 

 mal and that which is abnormal, to know thoroughly the effects 

 incident to natural activity. 



In connection with the matter of electrical excitation of the 

 nervous system, the question naturally arises, since we have 

 such complete evidence from an experimental standpoint, what 

 will be the result of the application of a fatal current of electric- 

 ity ? Will a very strong current applied for a few minutes af- 

 fect the structural character of the nerve cells in a manner sim- 

 ilar to those stimulated by a weak current for a very long time ? 

 As opportunities have presented there have come to me por- 

 tions of the brain and myel of four persons executed by elec- 

 tricity, as well as from a horse struck dead by a live wire. In 

 the first case, designated as W, a portion of the oblongata, the 

 location of so many vital centers, was carefully studied. The 

 number and size of the vacuoles in the cytoplasm were astonish- 

 ing. In all, however, the nucleus appeared full and regular, al- 

 though the cytoplasm in some of the cells seems to have become 

 completely transformed into vacuoles. 



In the second case, L, examination was made of the same 

 region and here no abnormal change of any kind could be de- 

 tected. The cells were full and plump as were also the nuclei 

 and the nucleoli, and the cytoplasmic chromatin showed no evi- 

 dence of disintegration or disappearance, A portion of the 

 cortex was also examined and in both the large and the small 



