9 



complete in the palsied as in the sound limb, but it always takes 

 place even in a great measure. There is a good proof of this 

 in the result of my experiments on the hand and forearms of 

 two decapitated men. I injected blood in the arteries of .these 

 parts thirteen or fourteen hours after death and when cadaveric 

 rigidity existed. Surely there was in that case no nervous 

 action whatever, and nevertheless the blood, which was of a 

 bright red color when injected, came out nearly black from the 

 veins ! 



From all these facts I shall conclude : 



1st, That the nervous action (that of the sympathetic as well 

 as that of the cerebro-spinal nerves) is not necessary for the 

 change of color of the blood in the capillaries. 



2d, That the nervous system of animal life has an influence 

 upon nutrition by which it takes a share in the transformation 

 of arterial into venous blood. 



7. My friend Dr. Cl. Bernard has recently discovered the 

 curious fact, that after the section of the sympathetic nerve in 

 the neck, the face on the same side and more particularly the 

 ear, become warmer and more sensible than the other side. The 

 blood-vessels are much enlarged and a great many are visible 

 which were not so before the operation. 



I have found that the remarkable phenomena which follow 

 the section of the cervical part of the sympathetic, are mere con- 

 sequences of the paralysis and therefore of the dilatation of the 

 bloodvessels. The blood finding a larger way than usual, arrives 

 there in greater quantity ; therefore the nutrition is more active. 

 Now the sensibility is increased because the vital properties of 

 the nerves are augmented when their nutrition is augmented. 

 As to the elevation of the temperature, I have seen, as Dr. Ber- 

 nard has, that the ear exhibits, sometimes, one or two degrees Fahr. 

 more than the rectum ; but it must be remarked that the tem- 

 perature of the rectum is a little lower than that of the blood ; 

 and as the ear is full of blood, it is very easy to understand why 

 it has the temperature of the blood. A great many facts prove 

 that the degree of temperature and of sensibility of a part, is in 

 close relation with the quantity of blood circulating in that part. 



I base my opinion in part on the following experiments : If 

 galvanism is applied to the superior portion of the sympathetic 



