13 
phenomena of nervous action. He showed that, sensation being 
conveyed from the circumference to the centre, the brain, by one se 
of nerves, or filaments of nerves, — as Sir Charles first indicated, — 
and motion being excited by volition sending an influence from the 
centre to the circumference by means of other nerves or nervous 
filaments, — also a branch of Bell’s discoveries, — there is another 
class of actions caused, independently of volition or of consciousness, 
by external impressions made directly on the spinal marrow itself ; 
and, above all, that there is another set of numberless mysterious 
movements and actions, mysterious formerly, — but intelligible and 
clear as noon-day since his inquiries - have been accepted, — which 
are excited by an agency, conveyed first from the circumference 
along afferent filaments of nerves to the spinal marrow as their 
centre, and thence along other or efferent nervous filaments to 
the circumference where action is eventually manifested, and all 
this independently of volition, often too of sensation, and not 
unfrequently of consciousness. These actions, which are con- 
stantly illustrated in the exercise of our functions, such as in the 
acts of breathing, swallowing, discharging the excretions, sneezing, 
coughing, winking, and the like, constitute what are called by Hall 
Reflex Actions. They are also exemplified by a thousand pheno- 
mena occurring during disease. Let me instance one example, which 
will at once render his discovery of Keflex Actions intelligible to any 
common understanding. When in poisoning with prussic acid, the 
sufferer is perfectly insensible and motionless, and no muscular ac- 
tion is discoverable except a spasmodic upturning of the eyeballs, 
and a slow, short, imperfect respiration, — if we pour upon the head 
suddenly a full stream of cold water, instantly a deep inspiration is 
drawn, which fills the whole chest. By repeating this process, we 
remove several of the immediate and sure causes of death, and may 
restore consciousness, sensibility, and at last perfect health. But 
this by the bye ; the main purpose in quoting the fact now is to 
exemplify an action caused by an impression on a part of the ner- 
vous circumference, conveyed by certain nervous filaments to the 
spinal marrow, and transmitted instantly by certain other nervous 
filaments to the muscles which maintain respiration, — and quite in- 
dependently of volition, of sensation, of consciousness, of all the 
cerebral functions in short, which, in the case supposed, are totally 
