SOME NEURAL TERMS. 125 



neuron to a part of an invertebrate eye. I have since been led 

 to believe that I was unduly influenced by these considerations. 

 Unfortunately, the matter is now complicated by (a] the appli- 

 cation of neuron to the entire nerve-cell, including its processes, 

 and (b) the designation of the " axis-cylinder process " by 

 neuraxon, easily confounded with neuraxis. 1 I have already 

 declared ('93, '95) my lack of personal feeling in the matter, but 

 the more I think of it the greater appear to me the advantages of 

 neuron. In view of the practical efficiency of "contextual explic- 

 itness," its " invertebrate" use may be ignored, and where there 

 could be any doubt as to whether neuron referred to the entire 

 nervous axis or only to one of its histologic constituents 

 macroneuron and microneuron might be employed. Cases not 

 strictly analogous and yet worthy of note in this connection 

 are the general use of body and belly for parts of a muscle, and 

 of tarsus and cilium in both macroscopic and microscopic senses. 

 Whatever may be the outcome, I shall always regret the con- 

 fusion arising from what I now regard as a manifestation of 

 excessive conscientiousness. 



Terms Withdrawn. Through ignorance, misapprehension, 

 timidity, or over-confidence, I have at various times proposed 

 or employed needless or objectionable terms. Their formal 

 withdrawal is here made in accordance with a conviction which 

 was expressed ('91) five years ago: "Since everyone makes mis- 

 takes, the interests of all concerned would be subserved by the 

 adoption of the custom of each correcting his own, either as soon 

 as discovered or periodically ; a sort of scientific confession of 

 sins. The natural corollary to this would be that each well- 

 disposed discoverer of another's fault would inform him pri- 

 vately, so that he might make prompt correction. This plan I 

 have followed in several cases, and have reason to believe it has 

 served to avoid personal irritation and the needless repetition 

 of criticism." 



The following terms are hereby withdrawn : Hypocampa (for 

 hippocampus [major]), Torus (for tuber [cinerettm]), Lenum (for 

 torcular [Herophili^), Cerebrocortex (for cortex cerebri or cerebral 



1 For some history and discussion of these and kindred terms see the papers 

 of Fish ('94) and Baker ('95). 



