OF THE NERVUS OCTAYUS. 117 



Thus far the results of atrophy arid degeneration are wholly 

 concordant as may be seen by comparing the figures given in fig. 28 

 and in fig. 25. 



I believe with MONAKOW and contrary to the opinion of BECHTEREW, 

 FLECHSIG and most modern authors, that the stria medullaris and 

 MONAKOW'S transverse fibres, have more to do with the auditory 

 function, than the larger part of the ventral systema has, and that 

 LEWANDOWSKI has not set value enough on MONAKOW'S system here 

 treated. There are reasons to think so. 



For it seems probable to me, that the elder foetus or the new 

 born rabbit, may posess medullated fibres in the roots and in the 

 lower secundary reflex or automatic systems, but that medullated 

 fibres are still wanting in the higher secundary systems, which have 

 not yet functioned. Therefore I think we ought rather to seek the 

 true auditory systems among those of the secundary octavus-systems 

 which are not yet medullated at birth. 



They are in the first place, a large part of the fibres in MONAKOWS' 

 decussation corresponding to the nonmedullated central layer /3 in 

 the stria medullaris, those at the dorsal proximal end of the oliva 

 superior (fig. 17 and fig. 18 E.), the fibres in the stratum c of the 

 ventral system and many fibres in the lateral fillet. 



The ventral nucleus lemnisci is covered with medullated fibres 

 at its disto-ventral pole, but sends only non medullated ones in 

 the lateral fillet. 



I do not reckon the ventral system of no importance for hearing. 

 On the contrary I believe, that there are non medullated fibres 

 enough in that system issued from the olivae. The stratum c may 

 never be brought to total degeneration, even after sectioning the 

 dorsal system with the greater part of the nucleus ventralis, as long 

 as the olivary bodies remain intact. 



MONAKOW'S fibres, the non degenerate fibres between the olivae 

 superiores in the stratum c and the non medullated fibres in the 

 lateral fillet, though their relations to this fillet are very difficult 

 to elucidate, probably form one system. Probably both nuclei olivares 

 send fibres into it. MONAKOW in sectioning the fillet states a loss 

 of cells in the medial leaf of the same-sided oliva. I, after sectioning 

 the stria, found a like result in the same-sided oliva but in its 

 lateral leaves. This part of the lateral lemniscus therefore seems a 

 very complicated mixtum of fibres. 



A few words still on this ,,aberrirendes Seitenstrangbundel" which 

 here appears as a part of the fillet. 



It hast lost a great many fibres as it enters into the opposite 



