2 62 
REMARKS ON THE EFFECTS OF iETHER. 
subsidiary division. The brain, the origin of the senses and of the 
will ; the spinal cord, the origin of the nerves of motion, of feel- 
ing, and of the ordinary functions of life. The subdivision is the 
sympathetic , a collection of fibrillse given off from all the nerves of 
the spinal system just at their origin, and also having a connexion 
with the brain or intellectual system. 
Now each of these three divisions has certain distinct duties 
to perform, and the due performance of healthy action depends 
upon their being in equilibrium as regards each other, or the result 
will be “ mens sana in corpore sano,” or the reverse. 
The functions of the brain may be considered to be intellectual, 
and, in a great degree, voluntary ; the functions of the spinal cord 
are, in great degree, involuntary, and have been aptly named by 
Dr. Marshall Hall, “reflex,” because it reflects, as it were, the 
power of the nervous system over the whole body. The sym- 
pathetic is evidently to unite these two powers, and all portions of 
the body into unison of action or of feeling. 
It has been observed, that each of these systems must be 
in equilibrio ; but it often happens both in men and animals, 
that naturally one of these has a preponderance, and in proportion 
as the one or the other is in excess, so will you find high intellec- 
tual power, mere animal development, or general irritability of 
constitution. What would indicate the preponderance of intellec- 
tual power 1 the greater size of the anterior portions of the brain ; 
and the reverse would indicate the preponderance of the mere ani- 
mal disposition. Temperament alone would point out the excess 
of the sympathetic system. 
To shew that these two, the intellectual and the reflex systems, 
are in great measure independent of each other, a few instances 
may be noticed, for it is important to look to this. If life is ex- 
tinguished by the sudden destruction of the brain, the body dies gra- 
dually, for excitability in the muscular fibre will frequently exist 
for two or even more hours after the death-stroke — the blood coa- 
gulates — the muscular fibre contracts, that is, stiffens — the fat be- 
comes hard — and the process of putrefaction comes on very slowly: 
in fact, an animal so killed is in a state to become food for man ; but 
on the other hand, let an animal be destroyed by lightning, by 
prussic acid, by being hunted to death, by the inhalation of the vapour 
of aether, or by any other analogous mode of death, the blood does 
not coagulate — the flesh does not stiffen — the fat remains oily — pu- 
trescence comes on rapidly and of a highly offensive kind, different 
to putrefaction in death produced by destruction of the brain alone. 
An animal so killed is not fit for the food of man (a coursed hare 
is only a partial exception); it will produce disease if used as food. 
A further point must be noticed ; that is, if an injury sufficient to 
