SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM 415 



a magnitude in proportion to the extent of that disturb- 

 ance, and ranging, it may be, from a wholesale, or en 

 masse degree, to an atomic, or infinitesimal, fraction. 



The sympathetic nervous system thus, being co-exten- 

 sive or synonymous with the whole structures of organic 

 life, evolves from itself, as its highest or crowning example 

 and stretch of functional activity, the systemic nervous 

 system, to which it delegates the performance of those 

 higher nervine functions which, in the higher animal 

 forms, are super-imposed on those belonging to and 

 characterising merely organic life. The connection, histo- 

 logical and functional, between the system is, therefore, 

 one of continuity and inter-dependence, so intimate and 

 co-ordinate that the one vitality or life animates the whole 

 organism, while departmentally is delegated to each of 

 the nervous systems duties peculiar to each, and capable 

 of being performed by it alone between these two de- 

 partments of special nervine work, however, are neutral 

 or dual areas in the nervine work, contributed to by 

 both systems, in which each can substitute to a limited 

 extent the other thus the innervation of the abdominal 

 viscera of the organs of circulation and respiration may 

 be contributed, to some extent, by both systems, the one 

 aiding, or supplementing, the other, when called upon 

 to do so, under certain circumstances. 



In relation to this doctrine of reciprocity, or dual con- 

 trol, between the sympathetic and systemic nervatures, 

 the view might reasonably be advanced that under certain 

 circumstances, in which the genesis of nerve energy is 

 defective in the one or the other, energy can be transferred 

 from the one to the other, in order to the insurance of 

 continuity of function in the whole area innervated by 

 both. Systemic nerve cells and centres and sympathetic 

 ganglia may, therefore, be regarded as magazines or 

 accumulators, as well as producers and transmitters, of 

 nerve energy, and the performers of the very vital function 

 of equilibration of nerve, or vital, energy throughout the 

 whole nerve commonwealth, and related so-called non- 

 nervous elements. 



Equilibration of nerve, or vital, energy is a nervine 

 function of the very greatest importance in every dually 



