ON SECRETION. 25 



tendency to vomit were wanting ; and the animals being killed 

 after the currents had been continued for twenty-six hours, the 

 parsley was found perfectly digested, and the stomach of each 

 exhaled the odour peculiar to this organ during digestion. From 

 experiments such as these, very frequently repeated, and always 

 with the same results, Dr. Philip concludes that the secretion of 

 the gastric juice is under the control of the nervous influence, 

 and that this latter is identical with, because it may be replaced 

 by, the power developed by galvanic combinations. Dr. Philip, 

 however, does not confine himself to this inference, which, if not 

 rigorously established, would at least appear supported by plau- 

 sible arguments ; but goes to the extent of asserting, that " Gal- 

 vanism is capable of performing all the functions of the nervous 

 influence in the animal economy;" or, to use his own words, 

 besides " combining the elementary parts of the blood in the 

 formation of the secreted fluids, it conveys impressions to and 

 from the sensorium, excites the muscular system, and produces 

 an evolution of caloric from arterial blood." 



But it is necessary to state, that the conclusions of Dr. Philip 

 in reference to the gastric juice, and the alleged facts upon 

 which he professes to found them, have not met with universal 

 adoption. Messrs. Breschet, Milne Edwards, and Vavasseur 

 have, from experiment, been led to believe that Galvanism acts 

 merely as a stimulant upon the glands which secrete the gastric 

 juice, and that similar effects may be produced by anything 

 causing a mechanical irritation of the lower ends of the divided 

 nerves. They moreover conceived that they had established the 

 following propositions, viz : That the simple section of the 

 pneumo-gastric nerves retards, but does not entirely prevent 

 the digestive process : That the excision of a portion of them 

 almost completely suspends this function : That in both the 

 preceding cases, digestion is restored by the transmission of 

 electric currents along the nerves of the stomach. 



In justice however to Dr. Philip, it should be mentioned that 

 Mr. Cutler, * operating under the direction and with the assist' 



* Med. Chir. Review, vol. iii. p. 589. 



