104 Dr. A. P. W. Philip on the 



maintains the existence of an animal and organic life distinct 

 from each other, and of a nervous system for each of these 

 lives. The system of the ganglions, which he regards in the 

 same point of view with some of the authors above quoted as 

 small brains belonging to the organic life, and the cerebral 

 system to the animal life *. To be consistent with himself, 

 Bishat should have admitted that the heart derives from the 

 ganglions the principle of its motions, but he has not done so. 

 It is chiefly the galvanic experiments which have led him 

 into this inconsistency, because he had attempted in vain to 

 produce contractions in the heart by galvanizing the cardiac 

 nerves. This experiment, however, may always succeed, as 

 was found by M. de Humboldt f in 1797, and three years 

 before, by Mr. Fowler J. 



The foregoing, the report continues, is a short but faithful 

 account of the principal systems by means of which authors 

 have, since the discovery of the circulation of the blood to this 

 day, attempted to explain the motions of the heart. On taking 

 a general view of those invented before Haller, we remark, 

 that in all of them the nervous power is considered in one way 

 or other as one of the conditions essential to the production 

 of the motions of the heart, and it is always and only in the 

 brain that they place the seat of it. The cardiac nerves there- 

 fore had a determined use in all these systems, and one could 

 easily understand why the heart is subject to the empire of 

 the passions ; but it was impossible to explain why the circu- 

 lation continues in acephalous animals, and why in experiments 

 on animals the interruption of all communication between the 

 brain and the heart does not stop the motions of the latter. 

 Since the time of Haller, irritability has been the basis of all 

 these systems. In regarding that property as essential to the 



• Bichat. Recherch. Phys.imrla Vie et la Mort. Paris, 1800. Part 1. 

 Art. 6. §4. and Art l.§2. 



•f- M. de Humboldt, Experiences sicr V Irritation de la Fibre Nerteuse et 

 Musculaire, publi^es en 1 797 ; et Traduiles en Fran^aise deu.c ans apref^ 

 torn. 1., chap. 9. 



J Expcrimenln on. Animal Ekctricity. By Ricliard P'owler, 1794. 



