6 Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



system which we know now. The numerous facts which" he had 

 observed when using v. Gudden's degeneration method com- 

 bined with the new discoveries of Golgi, brought him to the 

 conclusion that the nerve-cells and their prolongations (fibres) 

 form one entity, ending free, without anastomosis. The same 

 idea based on embryological facts was published independently 

 and in the same month (August, 1886,) by His. This paper of 

 Forel is so classical that I do not make an attempt of giving a 

 review of it ; it is absolutely necessary to know it in the original. 

 It contains many details on von Gudden's, v. Monakow's and 

 Forel's work, which are as a rule omitted in the current text 

 books. 



Forel's last contribution for neurological literature is a short 

 communication of results obtained with v. Gudden's method 

 with regard to the IX, X, and XII nerves.^ In the introduction 

 he gives a general review of the methods for anatomical research 

 on the brain. The chief result of this work is that it proves 

 that there is no crossed root in the motor part of these nerves, 

 such as Obersteiner maintains in his work. 



To complete the review of the work published by Forel 

 and his school, I should like to mention here a short communi- 

 cation of Dr. Schiller,- who tried to compare the numerical dif- 

 ference between the elements of the new-born and of the adult 

 cat. He chose as a typical object the third nerve and he found 

 the average number of fibres 3,000. The new-born cat had 

 about 50-75 fibres less than the adult one, a difference which 

 may be caused by the very small size of the fibres in the young 

 cat — some may have escaped the eye of the observer ; we may 

 however quite as well think of the individual differences. 

 Whereas in the new-born animal the fibre measures between i . 5 

 and 5 m, the fibre of the adult measures between 6 and 20m. 



Prof. Forel has in his laboratory a fine collection of serial 

 sections made by himself and by his assistants. Of late years, 

 he appears rarely in those two rooms ; Dr. Mercier has the 

 whole under his care at present. Those who wish to work in 

 the laboratory will however always find a hearty welcome. 



1. Kolliker's Festschrift. Albert Miiller, Zurich, 1891. 



2. Comptes rendus des stances de I'Academie des Sciences de Paris. 

 Sept. 30, 1889. 



