Physiology. — ''Our ecpulif>riu)ii-on/air. Bj Dr. I). .1. Hulshoff 

 Pol. (Communicated by Prof. C. Winki.kr.) 



(Communicated in the meeting of November 24, 1917). 



Wlien studying tlie functions of tlie cerehellnin ^) I nlways halted 

 before (lie difficnlty of interpretation of the observed phenomena. 

 It is not easy to deduce whether they are dependent on the organ 

 in itself, or resulted from the itderruption of tracts in the cerebel- 

 lum, which took origin in other parts of the central nervous system. 



Therefore it seemed to me desirable, befoi-e continuing my inves- 

 tigations on the cerebellum, to trace in the lirst place the coiniection 

 between those influences which are lying outside of this organ and 

 the cerebellum itself. 



As experiments on this subject have often been made, it was 

 clear that repetition of the former investigations would not bring a 

 nearer solution of this problem. 



Therefore I resolved not to start by experimenting on animals, 

 bnt to examine the suffering jieople and especially to |)ay fidl 

 attention to ataxia. 



As this phenomenon is often observed l)y disturbances of the central 

 nervous system and as it is known, that according to the illness, 

 also the decomposition of the movement can show a diiferent type, 

 I thought, that perhaps it could be possible by i)utting together the 

 ditterent types to get a more distinct insight into the nosology of 

 the cerebelbun. 



Now it is in general accepted that cerebellar ataxia is caused 

 by a disturbance in efferent paths, and thus could be a motor dis- 

 turbance, but as this kind of conducting fibres is not well imaginable 

 without afferent tracts, one may accept that these too, interrupted 

 in the cerebellum, will show disturbance in movement. 



As my former investigations were exclusively restricted to the 

 motor functions, I thought it now wise to draw attention to the 

 afferent tracts. 



1) Cerebellar ataxia. Phsych. Neurol, bladen 1909 W\ 4. 



Cerebellar functions- i)i correlation to their locaHsnfio)i. Psych. -Neurol, hi. 

 1915 N«. 3. 



