1895.] Influence of Sensory Nerves upon Movement, $c. 487 



It must be remembered that other deeper structures are innervated 

 by the same nerves as the skin, and these we do not wish to dissociate 

 from the sensory channels still uninjured after interruption of all 

 afferent tracts from the muscle itself. 



II. On Nutrition. 



In the experiments upon the lower limb we were at first led to 

 suspect that section of the sensory roots caused trophic changes in 

 the skin of the foot. After a time, varying from three weeks to three 

 months, an ulcer appeared over the outer malleolus ; the subsequent 

 experiments on the upper limb, which never led to such a change, 

 show, in our opinion, that the apparent trophic change in the lower limb 

 may more justly be attributed to the liability to pressure and microbic 

 infection. No change in the hand was ever noticed which in the least 

 indicated trophic disturbance. Wounds accidentally inflicted by the 

 animal itself or its companions on the apoesthete part healed readily 

 when dressed. 



As to the condition of the muscles in the apaesthete limb, which 

 were themselves removed from all afferent connection with the central 

 nervous system, the following points were noticed : 



There was a certain degree of wasting, but no appreciable altera- 

 tion of colour ; and the muscles responded readily to the excitation of 

 their motor nerves. In some instances it was found that on excitation 

 of their motor nerves, after somatic death, muscular contractions were 

 evoked for a longer period than on the normal side. The time of 

 onset of rigor mortis was delayed in the apsesthete muscles, as one of 

 us has already noted in the cat.* 



III. Preliminary Note on the Degenerations observed. 



It is of interest to remark that the bulk, if not all, the fibres of 

 Goll's column are derived from those sensory roots which contribute 

 to the innervation of the lower limb. Certain of the sensory fibres 

 innervating the limb enter, therefore, into the formation of a paih 

 leading directly to the cortex by the posterior column nuclei, the fillet, 

 and the optic thalamus. 



On the other hand, section of a short series of five dorsal and upper 

 lumbar roots produced no appreciable degeneration in Goll's column. 

 This appears to us a most suggestive fact, because the fibres from the 

 limb thus entering Goll's column contribute to a path which leads via, 

 Goll's nucleus and the fillet to the opposite optic thalamus and cortex 

 of the central convolutions. But the fibres from the roots above 

 those entering the limb not contributing to GolPs column, their 



* C. S. Sherrington, ' Boy. Soc. Proc.,' vol. 53, p. 408. 



