Oixlnanco Survey Maps of England and Wales. Nos. 77, 78, and 



87- — Bi/ the Master-General of the Ordnance. 

 Karten der Isotliernien-Curvcn auf der Nordl. Hemisphsere. Von 



Willi. Malilniann. — By the Author. 

 Coniptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Seances de I'Academie des 



Sciences. Tome siii. Nos. 22, 26. Tome xiv. Nos. 1 , 2, 3. 



— By the Academy. 



Monday, 22d February. 

 The Right Hon. LORD GREENOCK, V.P., in the Chair. 



1. On the Necessity of the Sense of Muscular Action to the 

 full Exercise of the Organs of the Senses. By Sir 

 Charles Bell, K.H. 



Referring to the nerves of touch, as distributed to the points of the 

 fingers, the author proceeded to shew that something more was ne- 

 cessary than the exposure of the nerve. For example, the tongue 

 being the most perfect oi-gan of touch, resulting from the fine supply 

 of nerves, is yet incapable of receiving certain impressions ; — so that 

 although it could distinguish the finest hair, so fine as not to be 

 felt by the finger, yet if appUed to the artery at the wrist, it con- 

 veys no sense of pulsation. 



Part, therefore, of the organization of the finger consists of a 

 ball of elastic matter, under the nerves, peculiarly suited for receiv- 

 ing pulsation ; and being moulded by pressure, by this means con- 

 veying the sensation of form. It could not be that the variety in 

 sensation results from the depth to which the impression is con-' 

 veyed, for the nerves of sensation are on the surface, and the deeper 

 parts do not feel. It must then be the change or moulding of 

 the elastic cushion, consequent on pressure, that is conveyed to the 

 nerve. 



After shewing that weight so Httle different as that of a sovereign 

 and a shilling could be distinguished when placed on the tip of the 

 finger (although no distinction could be made when the pieces of money 

 are laid upon any other part of the surface of the body, however de- 

 licate the sensation), he went on to shew the happy combination of 

 the muscular action of the hand and fingers with these palpi. 



Referring to the sense of muscular action, he gave reasons for the 

 opinion that we had a consciousness of it independent of the sense 

 of touch, or of any of the other senses. He illustrated this by the 



