Becembek 15, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



691 



tion) all systematic (chiefly generic) names 

 published as new in the foregoing works, but 

 to leave them as available as of the dates when 

 they were later adopted by authors whose 

 nomenclatorial status is unquestioned by zoolo- 

 gists; thus, a modus operandi is suggested to 

 solve in a practical way ithe impasse which has 

 existed for about twenty years in the views 

 respecting the use of the words "iDinary" and 

 "binomial" and while neither side concedes the 

 principle it supports, both sides unite on an- 

 other principle, namely, that the important end 

 in view is to obtain, not to delay, results, and 

 that the "plenary power," used judiciously 

 and discreetly, others us a practical method to 

 solve the problems upon which there is such 

 conscientious difference of opinion as to inter- 

 pretation that concensus of opinion seems 

 hopeless. 



The secretary is fully persuaded that the ap- 

 plication of the rules to the foregoing publica- 

 tions will continue to result in greater confu- 

 sion than uniformity and he proposes at the 

 expiration of the proper time (one year) to 

 recommend to the commission the adoption of 

 Commissioner Jordan's proposition. 



Zoologists interested in this proposition, 

 pro or con, are cordially invited to present 

 their views in writing to any member of the 

 commission so that they can be given due con- 

 sideration when this proposition comes to vote 

 (approxiiaately October 1, 1923). Views, pro 

 or con, which reach the secretary prior to Sep- 

 tember 1, 1923, will be manifolded and sub- 

 mitted to the commission prior to the final vote. 

 C. W. Stiles, 

 Secretary to Commission 



SPECIAL ARTICLES 



THE ORGANIZATION OF THE NERVOUS 

 MECHANISM OF RESPIRATION 



We have been accumulating experimental 

 data on tlie nervous mcehanism of respiration, 

 for some years p'ast, but these results have 

 been for the most paant presemted in preliminary 

 notes only.i Ciroumstances ha.ve arisen which 

 make it seern prolbable thwart the publication of 

 the full experimental data must be still further 

 delayed. We wish, therefore, to present a 



brief summ'ary of our general conclusions at 

 this itime. 



Gad stated that the nervous mechanism of 

 respiration extended from the facial nerve to 

 the lumbar plexus. We must, in all probability, 

 enlarge the field to include the fifth cranial 

 nerve. Any statement of the organization of 

 this mechanism must take account of all (tihe 

 pertinent elements found in this rather exten- 

 sive region. 



The primitive nervous mechanism for the 

 conbfol of respiratory movements in vertebrates 

 has its central representaitiom in the medulla 

 oblongata. Against Trevan and Boock's view^ 

 of a primitive respiratory center in the region 

 of the corpora quadiigemina we would say, 

 (1) that we have no evidence of any cells in 

 this region which are sensitive to carbon di- 

 oxide in the same sense that the central cells' 

 in the meduUa oblongata are sensitive to it; 

 and (2) since the corpora quadrigemina them- 

 selves are not primitive, it is difficult to see 

 how such a primitive mechanism ' could be lo- 

 cated there. 



The activity of *he central respiratory mech- 

 anism in "the medulla is conditioned by (1) 

 the concenti-ation of substances dissolved in the 

 blood, e.g., oaAon dioxide; (2) the tempera- 

 ture of the blood flowing ithi-ougli the medulla; 

 (3) the volume of Wood flowing thi-ough -flhe 

 medulla in unit time, and (4) afferent nerve 

 impulses from various peripheral sensory fields. 

 AU these various conditions are summed al- 

 gebraically in the central respiratory mech- 

 anism. This view implies an important exten- 

 sion of our common idea of the summation of 

 stimuli. 



The afferent nerve impulses arise, in higher 

 mammals, e.g., "fche cat, from the lungs and the 



1 Pike, F. H. aad Coombs, H. C, Soc. Bx. Biol, 

 and Med., 1917, xv, 55; Am. Journ. Physiol., 

 1918, xlv, 569; Coombs, H. C, Am. Journ. 

 Physiol, 1918, xlvi, 459; Pike, P. H., Coombs, 

 H. C, and Hastings, A. B., Soc. Ex. Biol, and 

 Med., 1919, xvi, 49; Am. Journ. Physiol, 1921, 

 xlvii, 104; Pike, F. H. and Coombs, H. C, Am. 

 Journ. Physiol, 1922, lix, 472. 



2 Trevan, J. and Boock, E., Journal of Physi- 

 ology, 1922, Iv, 331-339. 



