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He M'as the first to ascertain, not by accident, but by careful and 

 laborious dissections and experiments, and by a cautious induction 

 from the phenomena ^vliicli his talents and unwearying industry en- 

 abled him to develope, that the nerves which we trace in the body 

 are not single nerves possessing different powers, but are bundles 

 of different nerves whose filaments arf, enclosed in one common 

 sheath, but which are as distinct in function as they are in origin ; 

 that they depend for their specific attributes on the nervous masses 

 to which they are severally attached ; that the spinal nerves arising 

 from the lateral and anterior columns of the medulla spinalis convey 

 the power of motion, while the nerves arising from the posterior 

 strands communicate the faculty of sensation to the several parts of 

 the body to which they are distributed." Tlie nerves which arise 

 from the middle and upper columns of the sj^inal marrow. Sir 

 Charles conceived to be designed for the act of respiration ; and 

 these he termed the ^-system of respiratory nerves.'' 



Having thus established the principle by anatomy and experi- 

 ment, that the nerves possess distinct functions in correspondence 

 with their origin from different parts of the brain and spinal mar- 

 row, Sir Charles Bell followed up his inquiries by collecting such 

 pathological facts as served to illustrate and confirm the opinions 

 he had advanced ; and our Transactions are enriched by numerous 

 memoirs relating to this most important subject. His essays on the 

 nerves of the face in health and disease are of the deepest interest, 

 and their practical value cannot be too highly estimated. In fact, 

 the great advancement which has been made of late years in our 

 knowledge of he nature and treatment of the diseases of the nervous 

 system, is mainly attributable to the labours and discoveries of Sir 

 Charles Bell*. 



* A list of Sir Charles Bell's contributions to the Philosophical Trans- 

 actions is subjoined. 



1. On the ^serves ; giving an Account of some Experiments on their 

 Structure and Functions, which lead to a new arrangement of the Svstem. 

 (Phil. Trans. 1S21, p. 39S.) 



2. Of the Xei-^-es which associate the ^Muscles of the Chest, in the actions 

 of Breathing, Speaking and Expression ; being a continuation of the paper 

 on the Structure and Functions of the Xerves. (Ibid. 1822, p. 284.) 



3. On the ^Motions of the Eye, in illustration of the Uses of the ^luscles 

 and Xen-es of the Orbit. (Ibid. 1S23, p. 166.) 



■i. Second part of the paper on the Xerves of the Orbit. (Ibid. 1823, 

 p. 2890 



5. On the Xer-'ous Circle which connects the voluntary INIuscles with the 

 Brain. (Ibid. 1526, Part II. p. 163.) 



6. On the Nerves of the Face ; being a second paper on that subject. 

 (Ibid. 1829, p. 317.) 



7. Of the Organs of the Human Voice. (Ibid. 1832, p. 299-) 



8. On the Functions of some parts of the Brain, and on the relations be- 

 tween the Brain and Xerves of ^Motion and Sensation. (Ibid. 1S34, p. 471.) 



9. Continuation of a paper on the Relations between the Xerves of 

 Motion and Sensation, and the Brain ; more particularly on the Structure 

 of the Medulla oblongata and the Spinal Marrow. (Ibid. 1835, p. 255.) 



10. On the Xervous System. (Ibid. 1840, p. 245.) 



