2 74 



NATURE 



January 19, 1893 



plate beneath the cell, from which the nerve fibre starts 

 with a broad base (Fig. 6). I consider this a chief point 

 of difference between this peculiar cell and all the other 

 afore-mentioned cells of a motor character. Fig. 6 gives 

 a good idea of this magnificent histological specimen 

 with its elegant nucleus showing its network and its 

 nucleolus on one side. 



Reviewing from a physiological standpoint the several 

 facts stated above, we must feel convinced that the 

 peculiar ganglion cells which are invariably found in re- 

 lation to electric organs must play an essential part in 

 'bringing the electric organ into action. In my opinion 

 that is tantamount to proof that other ganglion cells 

 must be essential for sending nerve impulses 

 to peripheral organs, and that the idea lately 

 suggested by Nansen that ganglion cells 

 have only a trophic influence on nerve tissue 

 ■cannot be reasonably maintained in the face 

 •of these and similar facts. I may here refer 

 to the well-known peculiar ganglion cells 

 found in the motor region of the brain of 

 higher animals, including man. Betz, who 

 discovered them, searched for them for the 

 f)urpose of stating anatomically the laws of 

 localization found by Prof. Hitzig and myself. 



It may not be out of place to adduce 

 here another piece of evidence taken from 

 'the department of pathology. My friend and ■ 

 collaborator Hitzig has lately published the 

 case of a man who died from tetanic cramp 

 •of the head. He observed that in the gan- 

 glion cells of the motor centre of the fifth 

 nerve presiding the affected muscles there 

 was a very singular change to be observed 

 in these cells only. It appears that the 

 bacteria of tetanus caused a granular decom- 

 position of the protoplasm in the cells, which 

 led to a further state of degeneration cha- 

 racterized by the appearance of large holes, 

 while the other ganglion cells and the re- 

 mainder of the organ appeared quite healthy. 

 I am convinced the case shows that the 

 cramps in the combined muscles resulted Fig. 6.— The 

 from the irritation and gradual disorganiza- 

 tion of the ganglion cells. 



The above statements may suffice to show that the 

 electric fishes and their nervous elements are really not 

 such outsiders in science, and that the observations made 

 on them should be brought into comparison and cor- 

 respondence with those gathered from other sources. 

 Indeed the histological elements in their organs are so 

 instructive, that I would strongly recommend that the 

 conclusions deducible from their study should be 

 employed in maintaining well-founded former notions 

 regarding the organization oi the nervous system in 

 vertebrates against certain revolutionary ideas of some 

 ■modern authors. Gustav Fritsch. 



Physiological Institute, University of Berlin. 



The work makes no pretensions to a virgin freshness 

 its professed object being to gather together the already 

 published observations of the author, and to present them 

 in a popular form. This it does very successfully, though 

 the English reader could have dispensed with a good deal 

 of the very apparent " padding." Thus the first twenty 

 pages of this book of travel are devoted to the history of 

 Australia, and remind one of Coghlan's opening chapter 

 in the "Wealth and Progress of New South Wales": 

 the next twelve pages on gold differ from Coghlan's 

 second chapter, particularly in giving greater prominence 

 to Count Strzelezki's discovery, and one regrets that n 

 mention is made of James McBrian, who certainly ha 



AUSTRALIAN TRAVELS} 

 r\ N opening this work, one is at once struck by the 

 ^-^ beauty of the illustrations, particularly those of the 

 New Zealand Alps. The double-page plate opposite 

 p. 248, drawn from a photograph taken by the author, is 

 especially worthy of remark. For effect this view may 

 well compare with some of the most picturesque parts of 

 Switzerland. Some of the photographs, however, have a 

 familiar appearance to the travelled reader ; one recognizes 

 in the beautiful picture "Off the West Coast of Ceylon " 

 (p. 300) an old friend, none the less worthy of reproduction. 



" " Australische Reise," by R. von Lendenfeid, pp. 325, with Illustrations. 

 (Innsbruch : Wagner, 1892.) 



NO. 12 12, VOL. 4.7] 



right giant ganglion cell with the origin of its electric nerve from spinal cord 

 of Malapterurus. 



I prior claims. The author is candid in his criticisms and 

 condemns both the theatres and University of Sydney, as 

 ; being, from the German standpoint, decidedly bad. 

 ■ On p. 34 we come to a "Journey into New South 

 , Wales," and here commences an interesting medley of 

 natural history, traveller's tales, and geographical 

 ' investigation. In this vacation ramble Von Lendenfeid 

 j claims to have discovered the culminating point of the 

 I Australian continent in Mount Townsend, to which he 

 I assigns (by aneroid) the height of 2241 metres. The 

 ; doggerel verse on p. 82, in which a red sunset is taken 

 i to indicate approaching rain, must be wrong in its 

 j meteorology, so at least it proved, a red sunset being 

 I followed, much to Lendenfeld's surprise, by a fine day. It 

 i is satisfactory to find that the signs of the weather are 

 ' not inverted at the Antipodes. 



The author's familiarity with glaciers and ice-action in 

 • Europe served him in good stead in the southern 

 ; hemisphere. Several interesting pages are devoted to 

 i his discovery of the former existence of glaciers in the 

 Australian Alps ; though there seem to have been con- 

 temporaries in this matter, for while Von Lendenfeld's 

 ; observations proved the existence of moutonneed and 

 j striated surfaces down to a level of 1500 metres above 

 i the sea — Mr. James Stirling claimed to have found 

 signs of ice-action at lower levels still, as in the neigh- 

 I bourhood of Omao, where they occur at 800 metres 

 \ above sea-level. The historical conscience is strong in 

 I the author, or he would scarcely have troubled to recall the 



