the Eighth Pair of Nerves. 19 



fluence had, in the foregoing experiments, passed from the upper 

 to the lower portions of the divided nerves. 



The following facts, relating to the division of the eighth 

 pair of nerves and the power of galvanism in obviating its 

 effects, appear now to be admitted on all hands,— 



That after these nerves are divided in the neck, and the lower 

 portions folded back, little, if any, progress is made in the 

 digestive process. 



That if the lower portions, thus folded back, be connected with 

 the positive end of a voltaic battery of a certain power, the other 

 end of the battery being connected with the skin over the sto- 

 mach, the efforts to vomit which follow the division of the 

 nerves do not take place, and digestion goes on as perfectly, as 

 far as can be judged from the appearance of the contents of the 

 stomach, as in the healthy animal. 



That when, instead of the lower portions being folded 

 back, they, as well as the upper portions, are allowed as 

 much as possible to remain in the natural position ; digestion 

 makes great progress, notwithstanding the divided ends so 

 retract as to be separated from each other by the distance of a 

 quarter of an inch. 



That the difficulty of breathing occasioned by the division of 

 the eighth pair of nerves in the neck is prevented by the influence 

 of the voltaic battery applied in the way above pointed out. 



The reader will judge how far these facts tend to establish 

 the identity of the nervous influence and galvanism. 



But in judging of this question, it is necessary in addition to 

 the foregoing facts, to keep in view those which seem to prove 

 that the nervous influence is altogether distinct from, and has no- 

 thing in common with, the sensorial and vital powers, and pos- 

 sesses no properties but those of a chemical agent ; and that 

 the influence of the voltaic battery is not only the best of all 

 stimuli to the muscular fibre, and capable of passing along the 

 nerves in either direction, but is also capable of raising the 

 temperature of living arteiious blood, while it can produce no 

 C2 



