XX Journal of Comparative NeurologV. 



was resected in four adult rabbits. In the central nervous system the 

 sensory vagus nucleus was reduced in size along its entire length. This 

 nucleus is divided into two parts. The inner, of large often bipolar 

 cells, almost completely disappeared on the operated side ; the outer, 

 more dorsal, portion, of smaller cells, was less affected. The motor vagus 

 nucleus, N. ambiguus, was greatly atrophied upon the operated side 

 and less so on the opposite side. The funiculus solitarius in its caudal 

 portion was reduced upon the operated side, i. e. those fibers which it 

 receives from the vagus were degenerate. These comprise from one 

 third to one half of the total number of fibers in this bundle, the re- 

 mainder being derived from the IX nerve. The funiculus gracilis is a 

 little reduced on the operated side. The arcuate fibers toward the 

 raphe are reduced in the operated side. 



An interesting morphological point is the demonstration of a com- 

 missure containing medullated fibers between the lower or caudal ends 

 of the two funiculi solitarii. This is strictly comparable with the com- 

 missure in the commissural nucleus found in the mouse by the Golgi 

 method in the hands ot Cajal. (See notice, this Journal, Vol. VII, p. 

 xxiii.) A similar commissure is found in the birds by Koch and the 

 reviewer believes that such fibers are also represented in the commis- 

 sura infima Halleri of the fishes. 



A section is devoted to the alterations in the other organs of the 

 body in the cases mentioned above, and a final section to the results of 

 the resection below the diaphragm of the N. splanchnicus major in two 

 adult dogs. The dogs were killed 1 6 and 2 1 days respectively after the 

 operation. The nerve, the sympathetic ganglion from which it springs 

 and various parts of the cervical spinal cord corresponding to the places 

 where rami communicantes go off to this sympathetic ganglion were 

 examined. No alteration was found in any of these except in the sym- 

 pathetic ganglion, where there was vacuolation of the nerve cells. The 

 author concludes that this nerve is a motor nerve, whose cells of origin 

 are wholly in this sympathetic ganglion. c. j. H. 



Secondary Changes in the Primary Optic Centres iu Case of Bulbus 

 Atrophy. 



In this paper, ^ O. v. Leonowa offers details of a number of cases 

 of congenital anophthalmia and atrophy in young children which may be 

 sought in the original. 



The following points may be noted as expressing the more impor- 

 tant general results : In the optic nerve there are two distinct classes of 



» Arch.f, Psychiatrie, XXVIII, I. 



