116 



VETERINARY PHYSIOLOGY 



Harvey Gushing has described a case in which, for rehef of 

 epileptic attacks beginning in the right hand, the brain was 

 exposed and stimulated. When certain parts of the post- 

 central convolution were stimulated, sensations, not painful 

 in character, were experienced in the right hand, with also 

 a vague sensation of warmth. 



Horsley has described a case in which, for severe spasmodic 

 contraction of the hand and arm, he removed a consider- 

 able part of the pre- central convolution from the brain 

 of a boy. This was followed by temporary loss of tactile 



Fig. 53. — The passage of fibres from the nuclei of the thalamus to the 

 cortex cerebri of a primitive mammal. Th.Op., thalamus ; L.P., lobus 

 pyriformis ; f.r. , fissura rhinica ; VIIF", auditory area ; //"', visual 

 area ; H., hippocampus. (Elliot Smith.) 



and thermal sensibility and of knowledge of the position 

 of the limb of the opposite side — stereognostic sense 

 (p. 106). 



The evidence thus seems conclusive that the area of the 

 cortex round the central fissure is receptive for what may 

 be called the various bodily sensations of touch, tem- 

 perature, and muscle-joint sense. But, so far, no indica- 

 tion that it is connected with painful sensations is forth- 



commg. 



Very probably, as is indicated by the observations 

 of Gushing, in man and in apes the post-central is 



