Influence of Nervous System on Cell life. 29% 
9. Degeneration of the salivary glands follows section of 
their nerves. 
10. After suture of long-divided nerves, indolent ulcers 
have been known to heal with great rapidity. 
This last fact, especially, calls for explanation. It will 
be observed, when one comes to examine nearly all such in- 
stances as those referred to above, that they are complex. 
Undoubtedly. in such a case as the trigeminus or the vagi, 
many factors contribute to the destructive issue, but the 
fact that many symptoms and lesions are concomitants does 
not of itself negative the view that there may be lesions 
directly dependent on the absence of the functional influ- 
ence of nerve fibres over the metabolism. 
We prefer, however, to discuss the subject on a broader 
basis, and to found opinions on a wider survey of the facts 
_ of physiology. 
After a little time (a few hours), when the nerves of the 
submaxillary gland have been divided, a flow of saliva 
begins, and is continuous till the secreting cells become 
altered in a way visible by the microscope. 
Now, we have learned that protoplasm can discharge all 
its functions in the lowest forms of animals and in plants, 
independently of nerves altogether. 
What, then, is the explanation of this so-called “ paralytic 
secretion” of saliva? The evidence that the various func- 
tions of the body, as a whole, are discharged as individual 
acts, or series of acts, correlated to other functions, has been 
abundantly shown; and looking at the matter closely, it 
must seem unreasonsble to suppose that this would be the 
the case if there was not a close supervision by the nervous 
system over even the details of the processes. We should 
ask that the contrary be proved rather than that the burthen 
of proof should rest on the other side. Let us assume that 
such is the case ; that the entire behavior of every cell of the 
body is directly or indirectly controlled by the nervous sys- 
tem in the higher animals, especially mammals, and ask, 
What facts, if any, are opposed to such a view ? 
We must suppose that a secretory cell is one that has been, 
