THE SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM 301 



Let us add that the pelvic plexus helps in the enerva- 

 tion of the blood vessels of the anal mucous membrane 

 and the external genital organs. 



III. THE LOCAL VISCERAL SYSTEMS. 



The vegetative systems which we have just gone over, 

 are not the only representatives of the nervous system of 

 vegetative life. 



Next to these systems there exists local visceral systems 

 mostly independent of the systems we have just studied. 

 The existence of these systems is proved by the phenom- 

 ena observed when tissues are separated from the organ- 

 ism and placed in a proper medium. It is thus that we 

 detect the presence of local cardiac, digestive, genital and 

 other systems that we know, or only suspect the existence. 



The knowledge of these local autonomous systems must 

 make us modify our conceptions on the physiopatholog- 

 ical part played by the central visceral vegetative nervous 

 systems. It appears that as far as the determination 

 of movement in smooth muscle is concerned, their part, 

 although necessary, is not indispensable. The only indis- 

 pensable nervous systems are the local nervous systems. The 

 local nervous systems are systems of cells and organs and 

 the central organic vegetative nervous systems are 

 systems of organisms. 



From a physiological point of view the local systems are 

 not well known; their systematization in particular, is very 

 uncertain; the best known are those of the heart (gang- 

 lionic knot, auricular sinus, bundle of His, ganglionic 

 system of this bundle and ventriculo arterial endings). 



In the case of the heart there exists therefore: 



1. An indispensable system, the local cardiac system. 



2. Two necessary nervous systems, the central splanch- 

 nic systems of the vagus and the sympathetic. 



