280 Prof. C. 8, Sherrington, [Apr. 17, 

Fic. '6.—Myograph records of reflex contractions of the extensor of the knee in 
“‘decerebrate” cat. The exciting stimulus was, in the observation reproduced on the 
left of the figure, a brief compression—lasting less than a second—of a digit of the 
contralateral foot. After this stimulus had been given and discontinued, and while 
the after-discharge of the reflex was still in progress, the proximal end of a branch of 
the severed hamstring nerve was stimulated by faradisation for about a quarter of a 
second. The time of this inhibiting stimulus is marked by the signal. The reflex 
after-discharge is seen to have been at once inhibited and in this case not to have 
returned. 
The observation reproduced on the right was from the same experiment, but later ; 
in it the stimulation exciting the reflex contraction was faradisation of the proximal 
end of a twig of the internal saphenous of the contralateral leg. This stimulation 
lasted about two-fifths of a second or less. Its cessation was quickly succeeded by 
faradisation of the proximal end of a branch of the severed hamstring nerve as in the 
previous observation. The signal marks the time of this inhibiting stimulation. 
The after-discharge of the contraction reflex is cut short as before. 
Time is marked below in fifths of seconds. 
which had been transected at the tenth thoracic segment, early exhibited the 
irregular contractions shown. Considerable depth of chloroform narcosis did 
not appreciably reduce these contractions, though that they were of spinal 
origin and probably reflex is indicated by their arrest on stimulating the central 
end of any nerve of the opposite leg causing the “crossed extension reflex.” 
