46 Dr. Hastings on the 



former authors, should not be able to perceive that his conclu- 

 sion is absolutely at variance with that of several physiologists 

 who have divided the eighth pair of nerves. Even Willis, who 

 performed this experiment principally with a view of ascertain- 

 ing its effects on the action of the heart, seems in part to have 

 attributed death to the state of the stomach. Baglivi thinks that 

 the animals submitted to it sometimes die of inanition ; and Val- 

 salva remarks the frequent efforts to vomit, and the derange- 

 ment of the digestive organs. Haller mentions the dyspnoea, 

 which succeeds the division of the nerves ; but the gastric 

 symptoms seem more particularly to have attracted his attention. 

 In each of his experiments he expressly states, that the diges- 

 tive powers were completely annihilated, and that the contents 

 of the stomach became putrid. Blainville confirms Haller's 

 experiments, and considers the principal cause of death to be 

 the abolition of the digestive powers. 



Dr. Haighton, in his inquiry relative to the re-production of 

 nerves, had a good opportunity of observing the effects of 

 wholly and partially withdrawing the influence of the eighth 

 pair of nerves from the stomach. He states, that in those ex- 

 periments, in which he divided both of these nerves at the same 

 time, their action being suspended, those vital organs which 

 receive their nervous energy from this source, had their func- 

 tions arrested, so that death followed as a necessary conse- 

 quence. But when he allowed an interval of six weeks to elapse 

 between the division of the two nerves, the functions of the 

 stomach were deranged, not arrested. " The actions of the 

 stomach," says he, " were for a long time evidently derantjed, 

 so that the dog was continually harassed with symptoms of 

 indigestion, and six months had nearly elapsed before he re- 

 covered his health, though during five months of the time he 

 took his usual quantity of food. Now to what cause are we to 

 impute his recovery ? The most probable one appears to be, 

 that in the interval of six weeks the first nerve had been re- 

 produced ; so that the action of those organs depending on this 

 nerve, though somewhat disturbed, were not suspended. But, 

 as the union of the second nerve advanced, and the re-produc- 



