GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 323 



nates all the humours and organs. The blood seems to be es- 

 pecially endowed with it, and owes to it the properties which 

 distinguish it during life. In consequence of which, life is es- 

 sentially connected to the reciprocal action of the blood jupon 

 the nervous substance, and of the nervous substance upon the 

 blood.* 



Mr. Charles Bell, of London, has lately presented, in a very 

 interesting light, certain functions of the nervous system :f by 

 his researches it appears, that besides the nerves of vision, 

 smell, and hearing, there are four other systems, having differ- 

 ent functions, and extended through the whole frame. Those 

 of Sensation; of Voluntary Motion; of Respiratory Motion; 

 and nerves, which give unity to the body in harmonizing the 

 functions of nutrition, growth, and decay, or whatever else is 

 indispensable to animal existence.^ 



According to this theory, the several filaments of a nerve ex- 

 ercise one or the other function, but only the one ; these dissimilar 

 filaments facing bound up in the same fasciculus, constitute a 

 nerve or fascis, and they never exchange power with one ano- 

 ther ; their anatomical differences, however, are such, as not to 

 make obvious one kind of filaments from the others. Several 

 columns of nervous matter form the spinal marrow, six in all, 

 three on each side; the anterior for voluntary motion, the pos- 

 terior for sensation, and the middle for respiration ; and it is 

 probable that still more may be found out. The first and the 

 third ascend into the brain, and the middle stops short in the 

 medulla oblongata ; hence, the function of respiration goes on 

 so long as the medulla oblongata remains entire. These few 

 principles, supported by several experiments, have enabled Mr. 



* M. Rolando (Saggio sulla vera struttura del cervello, e sopra le funzioni del 

 sistema nervoso, 1809, Beclard, p. 622,) has been so much taken with the Gal- 

 vanic manifestations of the nervous system, that in the laminated arrangement of 

 the cerebellum, he has only seen a modification of the Voltaic pile. In the con- 

 volutions of the cerebrum, he, no doubt, would have recognised on acquaintance, 

 with that powerful instrument; the Spiral Calorimotor of Professor Hare of thi 

 University. 



* Exposition of the Natural System of the Nerves of the Human Body. Philad. 

 1825. 



$ For a comprehensive eclectic view of the present state of opinions on the 

 physiology of the Nervous System, see Human Physiology by Robley Dungli- 

 son, M. 1). Professor, &c. Philad. 1838. 



