TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 129 



On the Formation of Sugar and Amyloid Substances in the Animal Economy. 

 By Dr. Robert M c Donnell. 



After briefly noticing the history of the discovery by Bernard and Hensen of the 

 matter named by the former " glycogene," the writer observed that the term now 

 very generally adopted to indicate this substance, viz. " amyloid matter," seemed in 

 the present state of our knowledge preferable, as it did not 'involve any theory con- 

 cerning the ultimate destination of the material in question. It was proposed to 

 embrace under the generic term amyloid substance, two varieties of the starch-like 

 material known to exist in the animal economy, viz. that of the first species, or the 

 amyloid substance of Bernard, a ternary compound isomeric with dried grape- 

 sugar, convertible by contact with animal ferments into sugar capable of fermenting 

 on the addition of yeast— and that of the second species, or the amyloid substance of 

 Virchow, a material, which, although in histological characters analogous to cellulose 

 and starch, yet as met with in the prostate gland, spleen, choroid plexus, &c, has 

 not yet been shown to be capable of conversion into sugar undergoing fermentation, 

 and which cannot be considered free from the intimate admixture of azotized 

 matters. 



Dr. M c Donnell discussed at considerable length the question as to whether the 

 liver is endowed with the function of converting its amyloid substance into sugar 

 during life and health, or whether some at least of this substance has not another 

 destination, viz. that of becoming nitrogenized, and thus being, so to speak, raised 

 from the class of ternary to that of quaternary compounds. 



Admitting that this is one of the most delicate questions in physiology, and being 

 most unwilling to appear to dogmatize on the subject, the writer detailed a consider- 

 able number of experiments on blood drawn from the right side of the heart of 

 animals variously fed, which seem, on the whole, to support the view that trans- 

 formation into sugar is not the normal destination of the amyloid substance formed 

 in the liver. 



An Experimental Inquiry into the Nature of Sleep. 

 By Arthur E. Durham. 



Contributes to the Theory of Cardiac Inhibition. 

 By Dr. Michael Foster. 



On certain Alterations in the Medulla Oblongata in cases of Paralysis. 

 By Robert Garner, F.L.S. 



In this paper it was shown, and the fact illustrated by specimens, that in old 

 paralytic cases the eras cerebri on the side of the cerebral lesion and the corresponding 

 anterior column below the pons, but only to the decussation, are both found much 

 atrophied, and this very frequently, though it has been almost entirely overlooked. 

 In such cases the corresponding olivary body retains its plumpness, and these 

 ganglia, therefore, rather appertain to the columns to be seen on the floor of the 

 fourth ventricle, and to the posterior or tegumentary portion of the crura. This con- 

 nexion maybe well seen by tearing down the hardened medulla oblongata through 

 the locus niger, when it will be found that below the pons the posterior torn 

 portion comes forwards and is firmly connected with the olives. 



The author appreciates the remarks of Turck and Van der Kolk, and goes on to 

 notice how the olfactory and optic nerves are, in different animals, connected, some- 

 times with the cerebrum principally, in other cases with the cerebral gano-lia or in 

 others with the medulla oblongata ; as they are subservient to the intellectual, the 

 animal, or to the locomotive, respiratory and automatic functions. Some remarks 

 on the origin of a few of the cerebral nerves in animals, and a denial that there is 

 any well-marked distinction of an upper and lower tract in the ganglionic cord of 

 such animals as the scorpion and scolopendra, as indeed was long ago shown in the 

 last animal by Mr. Lord, form the conclusion of the paper. 



1860. 



