Fish, The Nerve Cell as a Uttit. 105 



pyramidal cells a very considerable amount of vacuolation ap- 

 peared, especially in the apical dendrites, and occasionally in 

 the body of the cell. 



In the third case, B, only a small portion of the cerebel- 

 lum was studied. It required considerable search and patience 

 to find in these sections any distinct structural change of the 

 cells. After the examination of many sections two Purkinje 

 cells were found, each of which showed the presence of a small 

 vacuole. 



The fourth case, C, required more than one current to 

 cause his death. The pyramidal cells of the cortex were also 

 examined and those of the oblongata to a lesser extent. Here 

 also there was evidence of vacuolation in the apical dendrites of 

 the pyramidal cells, while the others, including those of the ob- 

 longata, so far as examined, were perfectly normal. 



In the case of the horse the injury was inflicted at the 

 shoulder, differing thus from the others in point of contact with 

 the electricity. No unusual appearances were detected in the 

 neurocytes. 



I have ventured to present these results, incomplete as 

 they are. If they do nothing more, they will, I think, empha- 

 size the importance of a working knowledge of the changes that 

 may occur in a neurocyte as a result of its legitimate processes. 

 The vacuolation of the cell body and of the nucleus is described 

 by many to be due to pathological causes of various kinds, 

 among which may be mentioned, insanity, alcoholism, epilepsy, 

 as well as the action of various toxins and alkaloids. As has 

 been shown by Hodge and others, many of the described path- 

 ological changes may be duplicated by normal processes, and 

 these, so far as possible, should be eliminated before rendering 

 a decided opinion. 



Bearing upon the matter of the rapidity with which effects 

 may be produced upon the nerve cells as a result of shock are 

 recent experiments of Parascondolo ('98 ) * who produced upon 

 guinea pigs a condition of shock by striking some of them upon 



' Arch, de Physiol, norm, et path. XXX. 5lh series. X. No. I. p. 138. 



