TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 125 



Description of the Instrument. — It consists of a canula and two sti- 

 le ttes. 



1st. A small silver flat canula, about one quarter of the diameter of 

 a common female catheter, and like that instrument smoothly rounded 

 at its extremity, through which a small hole is drilled, large enough to 

 admit freely the silk thread of the ligature. It is light, and about two 

 inches and a half long. 



2nd. A flat and blunt silver stilette fitted to the tube of the canula, 

 not quite long enough to reach the eye-hole through which the ligature 

 passes. This stilette is for the temporary purpose of merely preventing 

 the tL.be of the canula from becoming encrusted or clogged with blood, 

 pus, lymph, &c., &c., till the period arrives for the removal of the ligature. 



3rd. A steel cutting stilette ground to a sharp edge, flat and fitted to 

 the whole tube of the canula, and extending beyond the hole through 

 which the ligature has been drawn so as to admit of its dividing the 

 noose of the ligature close to the knot, which when elFected, enables 

 both the ligature and instrument to come away with the utmost facility. 



Mode of using it. — The artery is to be denuded quite in the usual 

 manner. The ligature is then to be drawn through the eye of the ca- 

 nula, previously armed with the blunt silver stilette, and then passed 

 round the artery in the usual way, tying the knot of the ligature close 

 to the eye of the instrument. The ligature is then to be loosely twisted 

 once round the canula, and both together left to lie obliquely out of 

 the wound, as in the ordinary way. The instrument and ligature 

 are then allowed to remain in this state until the period arrives 

 for the removal of the ligature, which is easily accomplished by with- 

 drawing the blunt stilette, and introducing in its stead the cutting one. 

 The ligature and canula are then to oe held together with the left hand, 

 whilst the cutting stilette is pushed down the canula with the right, till 

 encountering the noose stretched across its path, the edge cuts it ofl' close 

 to the knot, and the whole comes away without the least disturbance 

 of the artery, by merely twisting the ligature between the finger and 

 thumb (as well described by Sir Charles Bell for the removal of a com- 

 mon ligature), instead of the usual dangerous and painful practice of 

 pulling and tugging it away with more or less violence. 



Mr. Gordon exhibited a correct anatomical Model of the Human 

 Body, carved in ivory, upon which he has been engaged for many years. 



On the Sensibility of the Glosso-pharyngeal Nerve. By Dr. Marshall 

 Hall, and S. D. Buoughton, Esq. 



The Committee of the Medical Section at the Cambridge Meeting of 

 the Association appointed Dr. Marshall Hall and Mr. Broughton to 

 investigate by experiments the disputed subject of the sensibilities of 

 the cerebral nerves. A report was accordingly drawn up, and the results 

 of the investigation were printed in the Transactions of the Association. 

 To that report the authors have, at present, nothing further to add beyond 

 a short notice respecting the sensibility of the glosso-pharyngeal nerve. 



