182 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [June, 



motor (resp. vaso-dilator) nerves. There are, then, sev- 

 eral objections that can be raised against the theory of 

 glandular activity, which is now dominant. 



First, it must not be forgotten that in the production 

 of glandular secretion, it is necessary above all things 

 that fluids be furnished in great quantities, in which the 

 substances prepared by the gland cells are dissolved; a 

 production of these substances without the dissolving 

 fluid would be purposeless. Why should there be special 

 nerves for useless functions ? Suppose, however, we 

 should assign nerves to the gland cells, we could, adduc- 

 ing muscle as an analogy, understand that upon nervous 

 influence the metabolic activities peculiar to the gland 

 cells might be enhanced ; but to imagine that through 

 the same influence, the gland cell would be enabled to 

 draw large quantities of fluid from the vessels, that 

 seems to me to be asking a little too much. If, however, 

 under nervous influence a stronger irrigation stream is 

 produced by the capillary wall, we might look upon the 

 increased flow of lymph as an adequate stimulus to the 

 gland cell. The gland cells need not now be looked upon 

 as simple filters ; the hypothesis allows them to carry on 

 independent activity. 



Further, the objection against the prevailing theory, 

 that nerves are assumed where they cannot be found, 

 becomes weightier from year to year, with the increase 

 of methods and of the number of investigators, and even 

 if such nerves should some day be found, the question 

 still is not answered. What is the function of the nerves 

 supplying so abundantly the capillaries of the glands 

 (and the muscles) ? What is the purpose of these fibres 

 of tlie chorda tympani that do not go to the gland cells 

 but to the capillaries ? — Glevelarid Medical Gazette. 



Rememher the A.M.&. meeting at Ithaca Aug. 21, 22, 23. 



