134 THE SPINAL CORD AND CEREBELLUM 



to the presence of an open, suppurating wound. 

 During the second period a general amehoration of 

 the state of the animal took place, although weakness 

 and unsteadiness of gait remained. This shows that 

 the weakening of the motor mechanism was not 

 solely due to the suppuration of the wound. Luciani 

 concluded that the cerebellar ataxy was caused by the 

 imperfect tone and insufficient energy at the disposal 

 of the nervous system governing the muscles essential 

 to animal life (il sistema nervoso motore dei muscoli 

 della vita animale).* The third period, embracing 

 about two and a half to three months, is characterized 

 by Luciani as one of progressive and rapid general 

 malnutrition (progressiva e rapida denutrizione gene- 

 Ferrier's rale).-!- The weight of the animal had fallen from 



views " 



opposed to 5 090 gr. at the beginning to 3,040 gr. at the time of 



Luciani's. u u <j 



death, when it was suffering, in addition, from 

 purulent otitis, catarrhal conjunctivitis, and affections 

 of the joints. Ferrier, who is opposed to the view 

 that the cerebellum has anything to do with the 

 nutritive forces of the body, attributes the impaired 

 nutrition and death of the animal to the special 

 diseases above-mentioned. Luciani, on the other 

 hand, is inclined to regard these as definite symptoms 

 of malnutrition, due to the loss of an organ intimately 

 concerned in keeping up the nutrition of the body.t 

 It would be interesting to know whether after the 



* Luciani, ' Lince Generali della Fisiologia del Cerveletto,' 

 p. 24. 



t Ibid., p. 25. t Ibid., p. 26. 



