822 . EEPORT— 1897. 



MONDAY, AUGUST 23. 

 The following Papers were read : — 



1. Study of the Coni'parative Fhysiolorpj of the Cells of the Sym^mthetic 

 Nervous System. By Professor G. Carl Huber. 



The sympathetic neurons are multipolar in all vertebrates except the amphibia, 

 where the nerve cells are unipolar. The dendrites of the multipolar sympathetic 

 neurons form an intercellular plexus (between the cell-bodies of the sympathetic 

 neurons constituting the ganglion) and a general peripheral plexus' under the 

 capsule of the ganglion. The neuraxes of sympathetic neurons terminate either in 

 involuntary muscle, in heart muscle, in glandular tissue, in the spinal root-ganglion, 

 and possibly also in other sympathetic ganglia. 



Terminating in the sympathetic gapglia are found small medullated nerve 

 fibres, first correctly described by Gashell, then by Langley and others, which 

 leave the cerebro-spinal axis through the anterior or motor roots of the dorsal and 

 three or four upper lumbar nerves and constitute the white rami communicantes. 

 That these nerve fibres end in the ganglia has been shown by Langley and others 

 by the nicotin-method. 



They end by forming pericellular, intracapsular plexuses, which, while they may 

 show a slight variation in structure in the different vertebrates, may nevertheless 

 be regarded as similar in all vertebrates. 



The sympathetic neuron forms, therefore, a terminal link in a neuron-chain of 

 which the second link is formed by a neuron the neuraxis of which constitutes the 

 neuraxis of a nerve-fibre in a white ramus. 



2. Investigations in the Micro -chemistry of Nerve Cells. 

 By J. J. Mackenzie. 



It was found that the Nissl granulations iu nerve cells were distinctly iron- 

 holding, and consequently related to the iron-holding chromatins of the nucleus. 



Pathological cells from rabbits, inoculated with rabies, were studied for com- 

 parison, and it was found that as long as basophil granulations were present in the 

 cell, it was possible to obtain an iron reaction in them. In the motor cells of the 

 cortex, in rabid animals, it was found that oxyphil granulations appeared in the 

 situations which the Nissl granulations had occupied, and that these oxyphilic 

 granules were very slightly iron-holding. It seemed probable that there was a 

 conversion of iron-holding basophil granules into oxyphil granules containing little 

 iron. 



3. An Investigation of the changes in Nerve Cells in various Pathological 



conditions. By W. B. Warrington, M.D. (Land.), M.E.C.P. 



See Reports, p. 525. 



4. Action of Reagents on Isolated Nerve. By Dr. A. Waller, F.R.S. 



See Reports, p. 518. 



5. Action of Ancesthetics on Nerve. By F. S. Lloyd. 

 See Reports, p. 520. 



6. Action of Anesthetics on Cardiac Muscle, ^i/ Miss Welby. 



