ON BODY TEMPERATURE 495 



quence, than the general surfaces. It, moreover, seems to 

 us here, that caloric is much more largely and rapidly 

 transmitted along the nerve trunks of the limbs, than 

 through their general structures, or substance, and that 

 the warmness of the hands, so often and almost regularly 

 experienced by many, is due to its correspondingly rapid 

 escape, or discharge, through the terminal nerve arbori- 

 sations, sudoriferous channels, and epidermic surfaces of 

 these parts ; and thus may be explained the why and 

 wherefore of such enigmatic occurrences, as the simul- 

 taneous existence in the same limbs of " cold knees and 

 hot feet," the deeper nerve trunks being in such cases 

 utilised for the passage of under-currents of caloric from 

 the central to the peripheral regions of the body without, 

 necessarily to any perceptible extent, influencing the inter- 

 mediate overlying regions consequently, nerve trunks, 

 with their terminal extensions, constitute, so to speak, an 

 ideal ready-made and continuous mechanism for the 

 conduction of caloric, its distribution, and, if necessary, 

 its discharge, so as most readily and effectually to secure 

 the maintenance of the required standard temperature. 

 Any solution of continuity of this mechanism, therefore, 

 constitutes a grave danger from the point of view of its 

 importance as an instrument for the regulation of body 

 temperature. 



In performing this function we may regard the whole 

 textures, constituting and immediately encircling the whole 

 nervous system, as lending themselves in greater or lesser 

 degree to the accomplishment of a common object, the 

 circulation, the equal distribution, and disposal of the 

 common stock of caloric, and the consequent maintenance 

 of a regular temperature all which it accomplishes, no 

 doubt, in conjunction and collaboration with the blood 

 circulation, the one, in many cases, substituting or supple- 

 menting the deficiencies of the other, not only in the 

 disposal of caloric, but in supplying some of the materials 

 required in gland secretion and excretion. Thus, the 

 sweat glands, the nasal mucosa, and Bowman's glands, 

 the lachrymal glands, the salivary glands, the pituitary 

 gland, the coccygeal gland, and many other glands, as 

 well as the lymph channels pervading the eyes and the 





