126 REPORT — 1873. 



they had not the slightest eftect upon the secretion. The result was disappointing, 

 and rendered the use of atropia in cholera somewhat doubtful. It was, however, 

 difficult to foretell the eflfect of any drug under particular circumstances, and he 

 should therefore continue his experiments. 



The points to which he wished to direct particular attention were these : — 



(1 ) That, assuming Parkes's and Johnson's theory to be correct, and the impeded 

 circulation in cholera to be due to obstruction in tlie pulmonary vessels, atropia waa 

 likely to prove beneficial to a certain extent ; and since it had been empuically 

 found to be usefid in the disease, it ought to receive a fair trial at the hands of the 

 medical profession. 



(2) The fact that the right side of the heart was not dilated during life in cholera 

 patients, as well as the uselessness of nitrite of amyl, which dilated the pulmonary 

 vessels, showed that Parkes's and Johnson's theory was imperfect, and that one of 

 the most important pathological conditions in cholera-collapse consisted in an 

 active dilatation of the thoracic and abdominal veins. Any remedy, to be usefid 

 in cholera, must have the power of counteracting this condition ; and the adminis- 

 tration of digitalis in cholera-coUapse might be useful. 



(3) The profuse secretion from the bowels in cholera was due to paralysis of some 

 of the intestinal nerves j and a remedy which will ai-rest it was still a desideratum. 



Oil some Ahmvmal Effects of Binocular Vision. By A. S. Davis. 



On the Action of LujM on the Retina and other Tissues. 

 By Dr. Dewak and Dr. MacKendrick. 



On the Motion of Protoplasm in the Facaeeous Alya;. 

 By Trofessor P. JIaetin Duxcan, F.Ii..S. 



The Localization of Function in the Brain. By David Ferkiee, M.D., 

 Professor of Forensic Medicine, Kinfs Colleye, London. 



In his paper on this subject, Dr. Ferrier alluded to the various theories at present 

 held in regard to the possibility of localizing specific functions in definite regions 

 of the brain — mentioning especially the various facts of disease, such as extensive 

 abscesses, which appear to negative the idea of localization; and, on the other hand, 

 those in favour of localization, such as the facts of aphasia, and the peculiar localized 

 and unilateral epileptic and clonic spasms, which the researches of Hughlings 

 Jackson seemed to connect with irritation of definite regions of the brain-centre. 



The great difficulty had hitherto l:>een the want of a method which would lead to 

 positive results, instead of the usual negative phenomena resulting from the ordi- 

 nary methods of investigating the functions of the brain by means of mechanical or 

 similar destruction of the brain-substance. The researches of Fritsch and Hitzig 

 and the theory of discharging lesions, advocated by Hughlings Jackson as the 

 cause of the different epilepsies, formed the starting-point of the investigations which 

 Dr. Ferrier communicated to the Association. 



The results at which he ai-rived, from experimentation on the brains of rabbits, 

 cats, and dogs, have already been partly published in the West-Riding Lunatic 

 Asylum Report for 1873 ; but the experiments on monkeys and other animals, which 

 were likewise brought before the Association, as well as the further elucidation of 

 the experiments already published in the West-Riding Reports, are reserved for 

 the Royal Society, under whose auspices the late experiments have been con- 

 ducted. The following was the general scope of the paper The author, after a 

 general sketch of the surface and convolutions of the brain in animals experimented 

 on, pointed out on a series of diagrams the centres in the different convolutions, 

 stimulation of which caused certain and unvarying combined movements of the 

 paws and tail, of the facial muscles, and of tlie muscles concerned in articulation. 



