SIR CHARLES BELL 



59 



Body. In one place he says that he has made few 

 experiments : They have been simple, and easily 

 performed, and I hope are decisive. In another he 

 says: "After making several experiments on the 

 cerebrum and cerebellum, I laid the question of their 

 functions entirely aside, and confined myself to the 

 investigation of the spinal marrow and the nerves ; 

 a subject which I found more within my power, and 

 which forms the substance of the present volume." 

 Next, take his account of the cranial nerves : — 



"It was necessary to know, in the first place, 

 whether the phenomena exhibited on injuring the 

 separate roots corresponded with what was sug- 

 gested by their anatomy. . . . 



" Here a difficulty arose. An opinion prevailed 

 that ganglions were intended to cut off sensation ; 

 and every one of these nerves, which I supposed 

 were the instruments of sensation, have ganglions 

 on their roots. Some very decided experiment was 

 necessary to overturn this dogma. (Account of the 

 experiment.) By pursuing the inquiry, it was found 

 that a ganglionic nerve is the sole organ of sensa- 

 tion in the head and face : ganglions were therefore 

 no hindrance to sensation ; and thus my opinion 

 was confirmed. . . . It now became obvious why the 

 third, sixth, and ninth nerves of the encephalon 

 were single nerves in their roots. . . . 



" Observing that there was a portion of the fifth 

 nerve which did not enter the ganglion of that 

 nerve, and being assured of the fact by the con- 

 curring testimony of anatomists, I conceived that 

 the fifth nerve was in fact the uppermost nerve of 

 the spine. . . . This opinion was confirmed by 

 experiment. . . . (Account of an experiment on the 



