356 NERVOUS SYSTEM. 



the embolus obstructed the right middle cerebral artery, 

 there was left hemiplegia, but no aphasia." 1 



An analysis of a large number of cases of aphasia re- 

 corded by different observers shows that the great majority 

 occur in connection with right hemiplegia. Dr. Hammond 

 quotes 243 cases with, right, against 17 cases with left hemi- 

 plegia. In cases verified by post-mortem examination, 514 

 occurred when the lesion involved the left, and 31, when it 

 involved the right anterior lobe. Dr. Hammond cites addi- 

 tional cases, in 80 of \vhieh the lesion involved the left lobe, 

 and in 2, the right lobe. 



While the above facts show that the cerebral lesion in 

 aphasia involves the left anterior lobe in the great majority of 

 cases, there are several instances in which the right lobe alone 

 was affected ; and this has led physiologists and pathologists 

 to deny the absolute location of the organ of language on the 

 left side. Even if we reject a certain number of cases of 

 aphasia with the brain-lesion limited to the right side, in 

 w r hich we may suppose that the post-mortem examinations 

 were incomplete, or the impairment of speech was due, per- 

 haps, to simple paralysis of muscles, we must admit that, in 

 a few instances, aphasia has followed injury or disease of the 

 brain on the right side. Aside from the anatomical arrange- 

 ment of the arteries, which seem to furnish the greater 

 amount of blood to the left hemisphere, it is evident that, 

 as far as voluntary movements are concerned, the right 

 hand, foot, eye, etc., are used in preference to th/3 left ; and 

 that the motor functions of the left hemisphere are superior 

 in activity to those of the right. It would be interesting, 

 then, to note the physical peculiarities of persons affected 

 with left hemiplegia and aphasia. Dr. Bateman quotes two 

 cases of aphasia dependent upon lesion of the right side of 

 the brain and consequent left hemiplegia, in which the per- 

 sons were left-handed ; a and these, few as they are, are in- 

 teresting, as showing that a person may use the right side 



1 HAMMOND, op. cit., p. 215. " 2 BATEMAN, On Aphasia, London, 1870, p. 164. 



