Meyer, Natrologists and Neurological Laboratofies. 43 



last year. ^ I have no right to enter here upon a complete 

 analysis of these important testimonials of v. Monakow's talent 

 and activity, the chief results of the work referring more to the 

 anatomy and physiology of the higher mammals and to the 

 pathology of man ; I restrict my present communications to 

 those points which are of the greatest importance for the under- 

 standing of modern views about the brain as a whole. It is the con- 

 dition of the external geniculate body, of the pulvinar and of the cor- 

 pora quadrigemina ant., and the varying appearance, according as 

 the visual area of the cortex, or the eye, is removed by operation 

 in new-born mammals. The external geniculate body and the 

 pulvinar lose most of their ground substance if the eye-ball is 

 removed, whereas the cells persist and seem to be more numer- 

 ous, as they are in very close contact instead of being separated 

 by ground substance. If, however, the occipital lobe, or rather 

 part of the visual cortex of the occipital lobe is removed, the 

 cells themselves undergo atrophy and the external geniculate 

 body shrinks. This observation, together with others obtained 

 by V. Gudden's method, was one of the reasons why Golgi's 

 theories of nervous histology found such a ready reception and 

 able criticism in Prof. Forel's paper, written in 1886. Indeed, 

 it forms one of the finest documents in favor of the " Neuronen- 

 thorie." I do not find a satisfactory explanation for the fact that 

 even in recent contributions on the anatomy and physiology of 

 the optic centres, there are blunders in very elementary views, 

 which ought to be considered as overcome once for ever by the 

 clear and unambiguous results of v. Monakow's work. 



If I am not able to do full justice to v. Monakow's views 

 on the subject here, I wish at least to say that they give, more 

 than any other, a nearly complete and satisfactory exposition of 

 the matter both from the standpoint of the anatomist and phy- 

 siologist and also from the standpoint of the pathologist. 



^Experimentelle und pathologisch-anatomische Untersuchungen iiber die 

 optischen Centren und Bahnen (Neue Folge) von Dr. C. v, Monakow, Docent 

 an der Universitat in Ziirich. Arch. f. Psych. Vol. XX. Plates XI. -XIII. 



Experimentelle und pathologich-anatomiche Untersuchungen iiber die optischen 

 Centren und Bahnen nebst klinischen Beitragen zur corticalen Hemianopsie und 

 Alexie. (Neue Folge.) Archiv fiir Prychiatrie, Vol. XXIII. 



