152 OF MIND. 



and adjacent cerebral tissue, that of the vessels and pro- 

 bably also that of the large caudate nerve vesicles of the 

 grey matter, may all be involved by inflammatory change, 

 and the germinal matter taking part in mental nervous 

 action escape. I think that the mechanism concerned in 

 expression may undergo the most serious changes while 

 the highest form of germinal matter may escape, and even 

 retain its integrity; although there is no longer any pos- 

 sibility of proving that this is so, if the nerve apparatus 

 concerned in expression is -deranged or destroyed. 



And I may further remark that different forms of germinal 

 matter in all parts of the organism suffer in inflammation in 

 different degrees and in different order. Generally those 

 which are of least importance, and which, as regards their 

 formative capacity, are lowest in the scale, are the first to 

 suffer. The germinal matter of epithelium and connective 

 tissue are soon affected ; that of the capillaries, including the 

 white blood-corpuscles, follows next in order ; then that of 

 fibrous tissue, cartilage, and bone, the germinal matter of the 

 muscular fibre-cells of the small arteries and veins ; while 

 that belonging to the voluntary muscles, that of the peripheral 

 nerve organs and the peripheral ramification of the nerves 

 is the last to be involved. In like manner the germinal 

 matter of the several tissues entering into the formation 

 of the great central nerve organs, is affected in different 

 order. The connective tissues, fibrous tissues, capillaries, 

 arteries, and veins being involved before the nerve elements 

 themselves are attacked, and of these the lowest as regards 

 function suffer before those which are concerned in the 

 most exalted nerve actions. These last seem to be pre- 



