AND ANIMAL LIFE. 217 



nerves are with any of the muscles of the body. 

 When galvanism is applied to the sympathetic 

 nerve, which principally supplies this organ, the 

 contractions are increased, because it stimulates 

 the various nervous ramifications in the same 

 manner as the vital fluid ; and from what I have 

 previously stated, it is obvious that the contrac- 

 tions of the heart are modified, in almost every 

 possible way, by the qualities of the blood. 



CCXLIIL Many experiments have been per- 

 formed for the purpose of ascertaining how far 

 the capillary circulation is influenced by the de- 

 struction of the brain or spinal cord, as if it were 

 possible by such means to know the precise rela- 

 tions existing between the capillary circulation 

 and the nervous mass. If we consider that the 

 removal of the cerebrum must derange the ge- 

 neral circulation according to the quantity of 

 blood which such an operation takes from the 

 system, not simply from the blood which is lost 

 in the excision of the vessels, but from what is 

 proper to the organ, or, if we reflect that great 

 disorders in the sanguiferous system will other- 

 wise be induced, how is it possible to draw any 

 positive conclusions from such effects and causes, 

 when a variety of others intervene of which no 

 estimate or conception is formed ? Though we 

 allow that the capillary circulation is indepen- 

 dent of the brain and spinal cord, and this opinion 

 can scarcely be disputed, yet we cannot for 3 



