6 C. W1NKLER. THE CENTRAL COURSE, ETC. 



LEWANDOWSKI and others with the aid of MARCHI'S method, by FOREL 

 and ONUFROWICZ , BAGINSKI, VON MONAKOW, MJNGAZZINI, FERRIEK, 

 a. o. with the method of GUDDEN, by CAJAL, HELD a. o. with GOLGI'S 

 method, by FLECHSIG, BECHTEREW, HELD a. o. with the aid of the 

 rnyelinisation of the embryonic nervous system, have certainly great 

 importance in elucidating the question about the course of the N. 

 octavus, and its primary and secondary distributions. All these are 

 waiting for a connecting bond with the results of the physiologists, 

 who have destroyed experimentally the N. octavus or its end-organs. 

 On the other hand the question ought to be put again before the 

 physiologists, whether the better knowledge of the mode of distri- 

 bution of the N. octavus in the central organ can enable us to under- 

 stand the influence exerted by the N. octavus on the muscular system. 



If I am right in my surmise, that the mode of central distri- 

 bution of the N. octavus does not allow a severe distinction 

 between that of the N. cochlearis and that of the N. vestibularis, 

 then it will be necessary to put again the question whether the 

 N. cochlearis, whose end-organ is endowed with the function 

 of hearing, does not exert a certain influence upon the muscular 

 system, and whether the N. vestibularis, endowed with such an 

 important significance for the motor disturbances and whose influence 

 on the movements is universally acknowledged, does not contribute 

 something to the function of hearing. 



If I am right in my surmise that by the octav US-fibres, centra 

 are innervated, whence originate long tracts towards the lateral 

 and anterior columns of the medulla providing the motor centra 

 of the cord with fibres, and that even primary octavus fibres, 

 though in a slight degree, trace the same path, which is followed 

 by the secundary , the prospect would be opened of obtaining a 

 clearer comprehension of the motion-troubles after the lesion of the 

 end-organs of the eighth nerve. The sensu-motor centrum of the 

 N. octavus might in that case have become a more anatomically defined 

 being, strictly separated from the psychical-system of it , but not by 

 means of strict separation of the end-organs. Therefore I have endeavou- 

 red to establish a connection between the anatomy and the physio- 

 logy of the N. octavus. In this manner I hope to contribute something 

 towards smoothing the path, traced first by EWALD, a labour to 

 wich THOMAS, MARCHI, FOREL, HELD, VAN GEHUCHTEN, CAJAL, 

 VON MONAKOW, PROBST, LEWANDOAVSKY , and so many others have 

 given and are still giving , all their energy. 



