J815.] On the Use of the Cerebellum, &fc. Ill 



supposes tliat one use of the large quantity of watery sap which 

 flows in plants In the spring is to dissolve the thick and otherwise 

 Inactive "juices which had been deposited in nearly a solid state in 

 the vessels during the winter, and thus adapt them to the further 

 uses retjuired by the economy of the plant. It appears also that" 

 this solution is not effected solely by the agency of the water, which 

 alone would perhaps be insufficient, but by the assistance of some 

 acid or saline agent which probably pre-existed in the plant itself, 

 and only required the presence of water to render it effective. And 

 certainly we cannot conceive menstrua better adapted for this 

 purpose tlian the above acids, not only from tlieir considerable 

 solvent powers, but from the ease with which they may be got rid 

 of, either by decomposition, exhalation, &c. when they have per- 

 formed their ofliee. 



I know of no use of the large proportion of lime found in all 

 Eaps ; but I have some reason for believing that there is a much 

 greater relation between this earth and the saccharine principle than 

 has been commonly imagined. 



The saps of diCferent vegetables have been examined by Vau- 

 quelin, Chaptal, and others. 'Diere is some resemblance between 

 the sap of the common elm as observed by Vauquelin, and the 

 above. See Ann. de Chim. xxxi. 20; Memoires de I'lnstitut Na- 

 tional, i. 28S; also Dr. lliomson's Chemistry, vol. v. 



Article V. 



Qn the Us« of /he Cerchellum, on the Spinal Marroiv, and C7« 

 Respiration. By Dr. John Cross. 



(To Dr. Thomson ) 



SIR, Glasgote, A'or, 18, r814. 



Please to announce in your Annals of Philosophy the following 

 discovery of the function of the cerel)ellura, and new theory of 

 respiration. 



From considering that the cerebrum, cerebellum, and face have in 

 the gradual progress of animality originated and evolved together, 

 jtnd that organs in general have their sphere of action in theii- own 

 vicinity, I was led about a year ago to conclude that as the cere- 

 brum is the fountain of sensation and intellect, the cerebellum 

 must be the organ which su|)|)lies with nervous energy tlie face and 

 other parts of the head extrinsical of the brain, ptrluii)s also the 

 cerebrum itself. This opinion pressed more and more strongly on 

 my mind until 1 was at length tempted to use the trf'phiiie upon 

 living ;inimals. Having cut cut a circubu" piece of the occipiital 

 bone of a ir'heep, and Inid bare the cerebeUum, I applied pressure 

 upon it with the handle of a scalpel ; inimcf'iHtely the ears, cye«, 

 mouth, tongue, in siiort the wluile muscles aliout the head and 

 face, became convulsed. On thrusting the hai^dlc of the scalpel 



