PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
Roya Sociery. 
May 7, 1863. 
On the Structure of the so-called Arotar, Unitpoar, and 
Breorar Nerve-cets of the Froa. By Lions, Beate, 
M.B., F.R.S., F.R.C.P., Professor of Physiology and of 
General and Morbid anatomy in King’s College, London, 
and Physician to King’s College Hospital. 
( Abstract.) 
Tue author adverts to the opinion generally received with 
regard to the existence of apolar, unipolar, bipolar, and 
multipolar nerve-cells, and observes that if cells having such 
very different relations to the nerve-fibres they are supposed 
to influence, as apolar, unipolar, and multipolar cells, do 
actually exist, as many different kinds of action must be 
admitted. For it is hardly likely that a nerve-cell uncon- 
nected with any fibre can affect the fibres at a distance from 
it in the same way as a cell acts upon fibres which are in 
structural continuity with it. Neither is it probable that a 
cell with but one fibre proceeding from it can constitute an 
organ which acts upon the same principle as the cell from 
which two or more fibres proceed. If no fibre, or but one 
fibre proceeds from certain cells, the formation of complete 
nervous circuits, at least in these instances, is impossible ; 
and if it be admitted that circuits do not exist in every case, 
a strong argument is advanced against the existence of such 
complete circuits as a necessary or fundamental condition of 
a complete nervous apparatus. But if it can be shown, on 
the other hand, as the author maintains is the case, that all 
the supposed apolar and unipolar cells have at least two 
fibres proceeding from them, the fact must be accepted in 
