FUNCTIONS OF THE CEREBELLUM. 289 



been observed during the life of the patient. It has furthermore been 

 noted that, in an alleged case of absence of the cerebellum, the gait 

 was uncertain, and the intellectual powers weak, although the percep- 

 tions and sensations were perfect. (Combette.) 



From all these results, it has been inferred that the cerebellum is, 

 in some way, essential to the due regulation or co-ordination of com- 

 bined or complicated muscular acts, either, according to one view, by 

 a direct governing or co-ordinating power, or, according to another 

 view, because it is itself the seat of the muscular sense, which then 

 conveys impressions to the cerebrum, giving notice, as it were, of the 

 condition of each particular muscle in action, and so furnishing in- 

 formation for the guidance of the cerebral volitional faculty. But as 

 many disturbances of the locomotive function, and especially the pecu- 

 liar rotatory movements, ensue upon injuries inflicted on other parts 

 of the encephalon ; and as these, when produced by sections of the 

 cerebellum, may be counteracted by sections of other parts, it is 

 doubtful how far this latter organ can be regarded as the real gov- 

 erning centre in such co-ordination of the movements. Thus, accord- 

 ing to some experiments, when one corpus striatum is cut, the animal 

 runs forwards ; and when the optic thalamus is wounded, it turns 

 round and round. (Magendie.) According to other experiments, sec- 

 tions in the fore-part of the brain, cause the animal to turn in a large 

 circle ; sections further back, produce rotations in smaller circles, and 

 when one peduncle of the cerebellum is cut, the animal revolves on 

 its own axis. (Schiff.) Even sections of any of the three semicircular 

 canals of the internal ear, in pigeons and rabbits, are also followed by 

 similar rotations (Brown Se'quard), and still more remarkable and defin- 

 ite movements have been noticed after such experiments, the animals, 

 according to the particular canal divided, throwing summersaults in 

 definite directions, whenever they attempted to move. (Flourens.) 

 These movements may depend on some disturbance of the function of 

 hearing, but this is not established. 



The doctrine, that the cerebellum is the seat of the special faculty 

 named, by the phrenologists, philoprogenitiveness, is not confirmed, 

 though apparently supported by a few isolated cases of disease or in- 

 jury to this organ. They are opposed by the fact of the slight con- 

 nection of the cerebellum with the cerebrum, the proper organ of the 

 emotions ; by the teachings of comparative anatomy and physiology, 

 as to the relative size of this organ in different animals; by the results 

 of a wider investigation of the phenomena observed in disease in man; 

 and, lastly, by those yielded by experimental researches in animals. 

 Direct stimulation of one side of the cerebellum in guinea-pigs, has 

 been found also to cause rotation, usually towards the sound side. 

 By others, irritation applied to this part, is said to produce contrac- 

 tions, in many muscular organs, even in those of vegetative life, as, 

 for example, in the stomach and caecum. Vomiting, headache, squint- 

 ing, affections of the pupil, disturbed vision, and convulsions, accom- 

 pany morbid irritation of this organ, with evidences of disturbed 

 movements, said to be due to interference with the muscular sense. 

 (Lussana.) Inflammation of its membranes is unaccompanied by delir- 



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