304 French I^alional Institute, 



called the corpus ciliare. These two pairs of fasciculi, after 

 beinr sireiigtheneci and enlarged, and after having conse- 

 quenOy taken a divergent direction, finish by each of them 

 spreadmsi out into two great expansions, covered over ex- 

 ternally with a gray substance, whicli^ on this occasion, 

 only deserves the name of cortical ; and these expansions 

 folded in various manners form what are called the Iwini- 

 spheres of t lie brain, the lobes and the vermiform process of 

 the cerebellum. From their whole extent other medullary 

 fibres issue, which, from the two sides of the cerebrum and 

 of the cerebellum, converge towards the middle line, where 

 the fibres of the side join Those of the other, forming what 

 are called commissures. The corpora callosa, the fornix, 

 and their appurtenances, form the largest of the commis- 

 sures v)f the brain. What is called the anterior commissure 

 IS thai in particular which joins the n)iddle lobes. Tive 

 commissure of the cerebellum is composed of transverse 

 lavers from the pons (varolii). Each pair of fasciculi form- 

 in'o- the nerves, also has commissures which serve to unite 

 the two parts. When we remove or tear the convergent fibres 

 which proceed to the corpus callosum, and which serve aa 

 roofs to the lateral ventricles, nothing remains under the 

 gray substance except a medullary part cou)posed of the 

 origins of these convergent fibres, and of the extremities of 

 the~divcrgent fibres which come from the medulla elongata; 

 and so far from the aggregate of all these fibres formmg a 

 solid mass, as formerly supposed, there is always in the 

 middle of each circumvolution of the cerebrum and cere- 

 bellum a solution of continuity; and with some care we 

 rnav unfold this portion of the white or medullary sub- 

 stance. 



The committee appointed by the class, after having ex- 

 amined with the greatest care, in the dead suhject, the the- 

 ories of Messrs. Gall and Spuraheim, gave their assent to 

 almost all of them which are dependent on anatomical in- 

 spection : they have even shown that several of these ob- 

 stivations had already bec-i made by old authors, but the 

 cenerality of anatomists had not bestowed sufficient atten- 

 U'.m on the subject : the only thing in point of fact which 

 they have disputed is, the possibility of unfolding the brain 

 without tearing or rupturing any thing. In their opinion, 

 there was at the most only a more trifling cohesion in the 

 middle of each circumvolution ; but they were unable ta 

 find an absolu'c solution of continuity. 



After having tiestowed on the two anatomists of Vienna' 

 2 ' th* 



