ABDOMINAL NERVES. 249 



gestion may be to a certain extent reestablished, under these 

 conditions, by galvanizing the peripheral extremities of the 

 divided nerves. 1 



There is very little to be said with regard to the relations 

 of the pneumogastrics to the sensations of hunger and thirst. 

 It would be very natural to infer, from the distribution of 

 these nerves to the mucous membrane of the stomach, that 

 they should be involved in these sensations ; but in treating 

 of this subject elaborately, in connection with alimentation, 

 we have shown that hunger and thirst really have their ori- 

 gin in the general system, though the sensations are referred 

 subjectively to the stomach and fauces, and that, in all prob- 

 ability, the sensations persist after division of both pneumo- 

 gastrics. 2 



"With regard to the influence of the pneumogastrics upon 

 absorption from the stomach, we have also mentioned the 

 fact, demonstrated by Longet, that the passage of poisons 

 from the stomach into the blood-vessels may be retarded by 

 section of the nerves, but is not prevented. 3 



Physiologists have given but little attention to the influ- 

 ence of the pneumogastrics upon the intestinal canal, for the 

 reason that the distribution of the abdominal branches to 

 the small intestine, notwithstanding the researches of Koll- 

 mann, in 1860, does not appear to be generally recognized. 

 The right, or posterior abdominal branch was formerly sup- 

 posed to be lost in the sernilunar ganglion and the solar 

 plexus, after sending a few filaments to the stomach ; but since 

 it has been shown that this nerve is supplied to the whole of 

 the small intestine, 4 its physiology, in connection with intes- 

 tinal secretion, has assumed considerable importance. 



In an admirable series of experiments, by Prof. 'Horatio 

 C. Wood, Jr., of Philadelphia, the importance of the abdomi- 



1 TIEDEMAXN ET GMELiy, RecJierches sur la digestion, Paris, 1827, premiere 

 partie, p. 373. 



8 See vol. ii., Alimentation, p. 14. 



4 See p. 211. 



