

GENERAL ANATOMY. 



These questions have much occupied physiologists, and espe- 

 cially Fontana, Monro, Michaelis, Arnemann, Cruikshank, 

 Haighton, Meyer, &c. Most of these experimenters have re- 

 solved in the affirmative the questions relative to nervous re- 

 production. Arnemann alone, supporting himself like the 

 others upon a series of experiments, has adopted a contrary 

 opinion. 



I have made, with one of my pupils/ a great number of ex- 

 periments in order to resolve these questions. There results 

 from our observations, 1st, that the division of a nerve, pro- 

 duced by a ligature, is constantly followed by the exact reunion 

 of the two ends of the nerve, and by the prompt re-establish- 

 ment of its functions; 



2d. That the imperfect section or the puncture, which has 

 been accused of giving rise, in man, to so serious accidents, 

 does not produce accidents in animals, and that the reunion, 

 and the re-establishment of the functions take place very 

 promptly; 



3d. That the complete section of a nerve in a part little sub- 

 ject to motion, as for example, along one of the two bones of 

 the fore-arm of a dog, in the neck of the same animal, along 

 one of the bones of the fore-arm in man, &c,,is ordinarily fol- 

 lowed promptly enough with an exact reunion, and complete 

 re-establishment of the functions ; 



4th. That in parts much subject to motion, as in the vicinity 

 of an articulation, when a nerve is divided, there takes place, 

 besides the primitive retraction which is constant, an acci- 

 dental retraction and variable according to the motions of the 

 part. In this case the reunion is long in forming; it is imper- 

 fect even if it takes place: the re-establishment of the functions 

 is imperfect also, or even altogether wanting. It is to this 

 that must be referred the results of some of the experiments 

 of Meyer, and the permanent paralysis which is said to result 

 from the section of the radial nerve at the inferior part of the 

 arm; 



5th. Finally, that when there is considerable loss of sub- 



iiilion 

 Paris, 1822. 



