Eighth Pair of Nerves. - 49 



ascertaining the state of the stomach, yet, from the effects pro- 

 duced by the division of one nerve, there can be no doubt tliat 

 digestion altogether ceases when both are divided. 



" II est clair que dans cette experience I'estomac avoit en- 

 ti^rement perdu la faculte de digerer et celle de pousser les ali- 

 mens dans les intestins. Get efFet n'a pas toujours lieu apr^s 

 la section d'un seul nerf, mais on ne pent gu6re douter que la 

 section des deux nerfs ne le produisse constamment, sur-tout 

 quand on consid^re combien, dans ce dernier cas, les cochons 

 d'Inde sont tourmentes par les nausees et les efforts pour vo- 

 mir. Or, apr^s la section des deux nerfs, les cochons d'Inde 

 de I'age de celui dont il est ici question, perissent dans I'espace 

 de trois ou quatre heures, et quelquefois plus promptement 

 encore*." 



He afterwards observes, that although the digestive powers 

 are in these cases completely destroyed, it is not at all fair to 

 conclude that this is the cause of death in the guinea-pig, and 

 much less so in the rabbit; in which animal the gastric symp- 

 toms are less severe. Is this maintaining that digestion goes 

 on after the division of the nerves ? Is this denying, as Mr. 

 Broughton asserts Le Gallois does, the occurrence of the loss of 

 power in the stomach to digest food after the division of the 

 eighth pair of nerves ? Mr. Broughton says, that manr/ authors 

 deny this effect, but does not mention the names of any of these 

 numerous writers, and I have, in vain, searched for them. Se- 

 veral authors, no doubt, who have divided the nerves, have con- 

 fined their observations to the effect produced on the voice, the 

 heart, or the lungs, without noticing the state of the stomach : 

 but none of those, so far as my knowledge extends, who have 

 directed their attention to this point, deny the suspension of 

 the functions of the stomach ; and I am, therefore, led to con- 

 clude, that the testimony of the authors, to whom Mr. Broughton 

 alludes, would, on inquiry, be found as inimical to his views as 

 that of Le Gallois. 



Having shewn that Mr. Broughton is not, as he supposes, siip- 



* Fxperience sur Ic I'rincipe tie la Fig, pttcre aiG. 

 Vol, XI. E 



