VIVISECTION. 445 



ment strongly prompting to the belief that they are typical ; 

 and that observations conducted in regard to them might be 

 reasonably expected to make known, not the functions of 

 spinal nerves merely, but, through analogy, the functions of 

 cerebral nerves also. Each spinal nerve of a vertebrate ani- 

 mal joins the spinal marrow by two roots. Each of these is 

 made up of nervous filaments, which, after travelling a short 

 distance, unite together, pass into one envelope, and hence- 

 forward are regarded anatomically, though not physiologic- 

 ally as one nerve. 



It remained for Sir Charles Bell to discover the reason 

 of this double origin ; and, starting from this discovery, to 

 impart the elements of order, method, and regularity, to a 

 branch of physiological inquiry that had up to his time been 

 marked by disorder and lack of method in the highest degree 

 namely, to the study of the nervous system, ' neurology' 

 as it is called. Inasmuch as I regard (with what amount of 

 truth or justice others must determine) the investigations of 

 Sir Charles Bell on the nervous system to have ended in 

 bringing about the grandest revelation to man of coordina- 

 tion between structural form and vital function ever vouch- 

 safed, I may, it is assumed, be pardoned for dwelling upon 

 this case somewhat at length ; and in order that my observa- 

 tions may be fully intelligible to all, whether conversant with 

 anatomy or otherwise, some preliminary statements must be 

 made. Eeferring to the double origin of each spinal nerve, 

 attention is now directed to the anatomical circumstance, that 

 whereas the anterior nervous root has the appearance of a 

 simple plain nervous chord, the posterior root has more the 

 appearance of a chord that has had a knot tied in it. The 

 posterior root is furnished with what, in anatomical language, 

 is called a ( ganglion.' Out of the knowledge of this come 

 important deductions. 



Physiologists had speculated upon the use of nervous 

 ganglions prior to Sir Charles Bell; had even attributed a 



