EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 



stated, with those of sensation and volition ; or, if they 

 have been distinguished from these, they have been 

 too indefinitely denominated instinctive, or automatic. 

 I have been compelled, therefore, to adopt some new 

 designation for them, and I shall now give the reasons 

 for my choice of that which is given in the title of this 

 paper ' Reflex Functions.' 



" This property is characterized by being excited in 

 its action and reflex in its course : in every instance in 

 which it is exerted an impression made upon the ex- 

 tremities of certain nerves is conveyed to the medulla 

 oblongata or the medulla spinalis, and is reflected along 

 the nerves to parts adjacent to, or remote from, that 

 which has received the impression. 



"It is by this reflex character that the function to 

 which I have alluded is to be distinguished from every 

 other. There are, in the animal economy, four modes 

 of muscular action, of muscular contraction. The 

 first is that designated voluntary: volition, originated 

 in the cerebrum and spontaneous in its acts, extends 

 its influence along the spinal marrow and the motor 

 nerves in a direct line to the voluntary muscles. The 

 second is that of respiration: like volition, the motive 

 influence in respiration passes in a direct line from one 

 point of the nervous system to certain muscles ; but as 

 voluntary motion seems to originate in the cerebrum, 

 so the respiratory motions originate in the medulla 

 oblongata : like the voluntary motions, the motions of 

 respirations are spontaneous; they continue, at least, 

 after the eighth pair of nerves have been divided. 

 The third kind of muscular action in the animal econ- 

 omy is that termed involuntary : it depends upon the 



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