472 ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY. 
swallowed. It is noticed that in these creatures there is fatty 
(and sometimes other) degeneration of the heart, liver, stomach, 
and muscles. 8. Section of the trigeminus nerve within the 
skull has led to disease of the corresponding eye. This opera- 
tion renders the whole eye insensible, so that the presence of 
offending bodies is not recognized; and it has been both as- 
serted and denied that protection of the eye from these pre- 
vents the destructive inflammation. With the loss of sensi- 
bility there is also vaso-motor paralysis, the intra-ocular ten- 
sion is diminished, and the relations of the nutritive lymph to 
the ocular tissues are altered. But all disturbances of the eye 
in which there are vaso-motor alterations are not followed by 
degenerative changes. 9. Degeneration of the salivary glands 
follows section of their nerves. 10. After suture of long-di- 
vided 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 
instances 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 influence of nerve- 
fibers. 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 sub- 
maxillary 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 proto- 
plasm 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 functions 
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 un- 
reasonable to suppose that this would be 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 burden 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 con- 
