BYLw’s ANATOMY OF THE RUMAN BODY: 764 
*. @uthot, and the present beine only con- expansions in the orzans ot fhé senses, are 
, oO | re) 
““wected with them as it completes the 
joint design of the two authors, in giv- 
ing 2 comprehensive system of human 
anatomy. 
A writer, himself an accurate and 
practised anatomist, and in a situation 
‘to avail himself of the best published 
authorities, will find a greater treasure 
of curious, beautiful, and recondite ana- 
tomy on the subject of the nérvous sys- 
_‘tem, than on any other part of ana- 
tomical science. Who is unacquainted, 
by report at least, with the admirable 
‘works of Scarpa, Vicq d’Azyr, Zinn, 
/Semerring, Monro, Walter, and many 
‘Other men of eminence; whose lives have 
‘been devoted to anatomy, and who have 
made the nervous system their peculiar 
ar 
Brt, even to follow the demonstra- 
ations of these exceilent’ anatomists re- 
quires a’very considerable share of pre- 
vious knowledge, both of that substan- 
‘tial kind which is gained by long and 
‘dexterous use of the knife, and of that 
familiarity with artificial distinctions 
and points of controversy which is ac- 
guired by consulting book. 
It is but justice to Mr. Charles Bell 
to say, that he appears well qualified 
'» for the task he has undertaken; his 
drawings, some of them or'ginal, in the 
particular point of view in which they 
are represented, and his general mode 
of description, shew that he does not 
. teach merely by rote, but from personal 
experience, and the authorities which 
furnish the basis of his work are of the 
best kind, and well selected. 
The work before us is chiefly anato- 
mical; with small admixture of phy- 
siological discussion, or any other of the 
“many interesting enquiries connectcd 
_with the functions of the noblest org: n 
” of the human body; and as simple ana- 
tomical description of intricate parts is 
of all things the most intolerable to read 
without plates or preparations, or dis- 
+ sécted subjects, we shail content our- 
_ $élves with giving a cursory view of the 
contents of this volume. 
_. The author begins with a very slight 
introductory view of the nervous system, 
sehiefly relating to the structure of the 
». brain and. nerves, of ganglions and 
_\splexus, » The mutual dependency. of the 
“nervous and circulating systems is thus 
. described. 
a) 7 
* «The brain, the nerves, and the-nervous» 
dependent for the perpetual renewal and sup- 
port of their function upon the circulation 
of the blood.’ We should be tempted to 
imagine, that the nervous system were a 
nobler part of the economy, did we fot fre- 
quently see the powers of the mind us well 
as the functions of the nerves disturbed, or 
altogether overthrown by the irregularitics 
of the bodily system; were we not thus re- 
minded of ‘that circle’ of connexions and 
mutual dependency which ‘support the 
whole. If the tide of blood flow too rapidly 
upon the brain, the intellect is disordered, 
the ideas come in rapid and irregular succes- 
sion. If the exit of the blood from the 
head be obstructed, there is an‘cbstruction 
to the circulation of the blood in the extre- 
mity of the vessels of the brain ; the fune- 
tion of the brain is suddenly suppressed, be- 
cause, though its attributes seem so peculiar, 
it requires the perpetual circulation of the 
blood through it to renovate its powers. 
«« The eflect of the circulation of the 
blood through the nerves of the limb is not 
less remarkable. Ifthe nerve of a lamb be 
cut or tied, the animal can no longer move 
the limb, having lost the power of the will 
over it. But if the great artery of a limb be 
tied, the function of the nerve is, in a short 
time, equally destroyed ; because the circu- 
lation of the blood through the nerve being 
obstructed, its loses its powers, and is no 
longer a living part.”’ 
** Thus, whilst the moving powers of the 
circulation of the blood are dependent on the 
state of the nervous system, the nervous 
system Is as immediately dependent on the 
heaithy state of the blood, and the yelocity 
of the cirenlatien.” { 
‘Though ‘the interruption of the func- 
tions of the nervous system, by a ‘de- 
rangement in the other parts of the ani- 
ma] economy, does not absolutely ifiva- 
lidate the term nobler part of the system, - 
itis very proper to point out the de- 
pendence of the nervous, on. the arierial 
functions. arty sf ages 
The anatomical description of -the 
membranes of the brain, and the texture 
of the brain itself forms the subject of 
the first chapter. l 
The veins and sinusses follow, and are 
described with care. j 
The author is willing to attach con- 
siderable importance to the glamdule Pac- 
chioni, or small tubércles appearing like 
silk-worms’ eggs, as the inventor de- 
scribes, and studding the inside of the 
longitudinal sinus. Mr. Bell conceives, 
that they act as valves to the veins that 
open into this sinus. Y 
‘Phe:use of the sinusses.of the brain 
is-an important speculation, Mr, Bell 
