CHAPTER X. 
NERVES. 
I. 
t 
TRAUMATIC LESIONS. 
Traumatic lesions of nerves are accompanied with complex troubles, 
‘divided into immediate and consecutive. The former are known for 
many years; the others have brought about numerous discussions, and, 
actually, the pathogeny of those is not yet entirely elucidated. 
Whatever may be the nature of the wounding body, the phenomena 
‘that take place in the ends of the bruised or divided nerves, are about the 
same in all cases. For centuries, the Galenic assertion, “ anynerve cut 
» cannot grow nor unite,” has been admitted. But facts are related, showing 
that the sensibility and mobility sometimes reappear in regions where they 
were temporarily abolished by division, with or without loss of substance, 
of the trunk which innerve them. It appeared, then, that divided 
nerves could cicatrize and recover their functions temporarily absent. In 
old observations, the return of innervation, to insensibilized or paralyzed 
regions after a traumatic lesion, had been observed only after quite a long 
time. This was explained by the admission of nervous regenerations ; 
‘but no proofs were given to sustain this admission. In 1867, Richet, 
“watching a case of section of the median nerve, observed that sensibility 
remained in the tissue animated by the divided nerve. A plausible explana- 
tion of the fact was looked for, when Arloing and Tripier gave it the true 
‘interpretation. 
Veterinarians have for. a long time noticed that plantar neurotomy 
“made above the fetlock, on one side only, did not result in the complete 
anesthesia of the corresponding half of the foot. Moorcroft, who had 
made this remark, explained it by the functional solidarity of the plantar 
nerves, by a kind of nervous assistance. Arloing and Tripier have shown - 
that after the section of a nervous branch, the sensibility remained 
attenuated in the region animated by this branch, thanks to the recurrent 
fibres that each nerve mutually exchanges with other nerves. At the point 
of division, there are numerous anastomosis; nervous threads belonging 
to a given branch, return to one or more branches close by, where they 
“mingle, to go and terminate further on. After the section of a nerve, 
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