08 Anatomy and Physiology. 



3. — Vital contractions of nervous matter have been observ- 

 ed by Mandl in leeches. He separated in a living leech a por- 

 tion of its ganglionic chain, composed of 2 or 3 ganglia,, and 

 placed it in a drop of water after stripping it of its dark 

 envelope, so as to isolate completely its ganglia and its nerves. 

 On examining it directly under a magnifying power of 50 

 or 40, he perceived very distinctly vital contractions, both in 

 the nerves which issue laterally from each ganglion and in 

 the terminal portion of the cord of connection. These move- 

 ments completely resemble the contractions of muscular fibre. 

 Their vivacity differs much in individuals. In some cases, he 

 was not able to make them out at all. 



MM. St. Hilaire and Serres confirm the accuracy of M. 

 MandPs observation. M. Serres in 1826 expressed his belief 

 that the ciliary nerves possess contractility. 



4. — Memoir on the Trace of an Uterus in the males of the 

 Mammifera. By Professor E. H. Weber. 



1. In all the male mammifers that I have hitherto examin- 

 ed (the beaver, the rabbit, the horse, the pig, the dog, and the 

 cat,) there is a hollow uneven organ placed in the median 

 line, between the extremity of the urinary bladder and the 

 rectum, which is the rudiment of an uterus, and which I term 

 the uterus masculinus. 



2. In man it is of the shape of a small elongated bladder, 

 contained in the posterior part of the prostate and contributes 

 to form the verumontanum.* 



3. In newly born rabbits, male as well as female, it is im- 

 possible to determine with accuracy the sex merely by the 

 examination of the external genital organs. The internal 

 genital organs too are so similar, that it requires much atten- 



* This organ has been often described and variously named, as uterus 

 cystoides, sinus pocularis, vesim prostatic^ &c. 



