486 



MESSRS. F. GOTCH AND V. HORSLEY 



which, when this is very intense, might possibly occur in the case of the short 

 anterior root. 



These experiments not only illustrate in a very striking manner the extent of the 

 block to the passage of impulses backwards through the efferent side of a spinal 



Fi.tr. 19. 



nerve centre, they also afford information upon the nature of the anatomical con- 

 nections of the anterior root fibres with the cord. The histological enumerations of 

 BIKGE, the developmental researches of His, and the extent of descending degenera- 

 tion in efferent tracts, have combined to indicate that all the fibres of the anterior 

 roots are in connection with nerve cells lying in the immediate neighbourhood of their 



