48 C. WINKLER. THE CENTRAL COURSE 



collaterals (LEWANDOWSKY'S Zersplitterung) or otherwise, can be traced 

 to them. But at the same time , degenerated fibres , originated in 

 the primary nuclei , are found. The question , whether those fibres 

 may be the fibres of secundary systems or not, is as yet an open 

 question. In respect of all these grave objections 1 believe that 

 MARCHI'S method must always be controlled as well by that of von 

 GUDDEN , as by the method of my elinisation. Exclusively used , none 

 of them is sufficient. 



This is also the case with Nissi/s method. It has to answer the 

 question to what extent degenerative changes have occurred in the 

 nerve-cells, but it is only adapted to the study of the relative 

 fresh disintegration in cells, whose efferent axons are sectioned. It 

 is nearly useless in the study of the changes in cells, receiving 

 the degenerated collaterals of damaged systems. 



And yet those cells may atrophy, as is taught by preparations 

 treated with the carmin-method. 



As we said before , the central course of the VIII th nerve can 

 only be elucidated by using all the different methods, and it is 

 only with the aid of their mutual controlling that many dubious 

 points may be ascertained. 



There still is one important thing , that is often forgotten : The 

 central system should always be examined in uninterrupted series 

 of sections, and the direction of the sections should always be 

 varied. 



The frontal sections usually studied, often in incomplete series, 

 are quite insufficient. Horizontal and sagittal series of sections are 

 just as necessary as frontal series. Questions of great importance, 

 that remain without solution in the frontal series, are immediately 

 resolved in the horizontal or sagittal series. 



With the aid of these methods the nervous system of rabbits , 

 which had suffered different operations was studied and compared 

 with embryonic material, as well as with the normal medulla 

 oblongata of different animals, in order to form an opinion upon 

 the central distribution of the VIII th nerve. 



2. THE ROOTS OF THE NERVUS OCTAVUS. 



a. The actual views upon the signification of the N. cochlearis 



and the N. vestibularis and their continuation in the 



lateral and ventral root. 



Generally the view is hold, that the centripetal prolongations of 



