SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM. 427 



the ganglia were absolutely insensible, while others noted 

 distinct evidences of pain following their irritation in living 

 animals. Passing to the researches of the more recent ob- 

 servers, we find that Flourens noted evidences of pain on 

 pinching the semilunar ganglia, in rabbits. 1 Brachet ex- 

 posed the abdominal and the thoracic ganglia in calves, dogs, 

 etc., and found them at first insensible, but pricking these 

 pails produced pain after they had been exposed for a few 

 minutes. The sensibility thus noted was thought by Brachet 

 to be due to inflammation following exposure of the gan- 

 glia. 2 Miiller found that mechanical or chemical irritation 

 of the semilunar ganglia in rabbits produced pain. 3 With- 

 out discussing the observations of Bichat * and others, who 

 regarded the sympathetic ganglia and nerves as entirely in- 

 sensible, we will pass to the direct experiments of Longet, 

 the results of which seem to be entirely trustworthy and 

 satisfactory, both as regards sensibility and the property of 

 exciting movements. In all experiments of this kind, it is 

 of course essential to avoid direct irritation or traction of 

 the communicating branches from the cerebro-spinal nerves. 

 In dogs, Longet noted distinct evidences of sensibility fol- 

 lowing irritation of the semilunar ganglia, and pain after 

 prolonged stimulation of the ganglia in the cervical and in 

 the lumbar region, taking all precautions to avoid irritating 

 the cerebro-spinal filaments. The sensibility of these parts, 

 however, is dull as compared with that of the ordinary sen- 

 sory nerves. 6 We have also noted a dull but well-marked 

 sensibility of the cervical ganglia in rabbits. In view of the 

 decided and uniform results of the most careful recent ex- 

 periments on this point, there can be no doubt of the exist- 



1 FLOUREXS, Recherches experimentales sur lex proprietes d les f emotions du 

 systeme nerveux, Paris, 1842, p. 230. 



2 BRACKET, Recherches experimentales sur les fonctions du systeme ncrveux 

 yanglionaire, Bruxelles, 1834, p. 305, ei seq. 



3 MULLER, Elements of Physiology, London, 1840, vol. L, p. 712. 



4 BICHAT, Anatomic generale, Paris, 1801, tome L, p. 227. 



5 LOXGET, Traite de phi-siologie, Paris, 1869, tome iii., p, 593. 



