THE GREAT SPINAL ORGANIC NERVE IN THE ABDOMEN. 2&J 
'duodenum, in addition to its other function, has to discharge the 
duty of a second stomach : the ingesta must be converted into 
chyme before the important separation of the fluid commences. 
There needs a considerable supply of nervous influence in order 
to complete this double purpose ; there must be a powerful mus- 
cular apparatus in order to compress and to churn, to mix up 
and to dissolve, and to separate the food ; therefore it is that the 
branches of the right nerve are seen so plentifully ramifying 
upon it, and extending almost to the commencement of the 
jejunum. 
Experiment . — The source whence the duodenum derives its 
power has also been demonstratively proved. I refer again to 
M. Brachet. He divided the dorsal portion of the spinal cord 
in a guinea-pig ; he then gave the animal a portion of food, which, 
notwith standing the pain of the operation, it readily ate. The 
hinder limbs were of course completely paralyzed. In this state 
he suffered the animal to live eight hours, and then destroyed 
it. The stomach, the duodenum, and the jejunum, were per- 
fectly devoid of food — the ileum, the caecum, and the right 
portion of the colon, were distended with it ; that is, the process 
of digestion had been carried on thus far without any aid 
derived from the spinal cord. 
He took two other guinea-pigs, and gave them as much as they 
would eat, and, some hours afterwards, he destroyed one of them, 
and divided the par vagum of the other. He kept the second 
during several hours more, and then destroyed him also. The 
process of digestion had been carried to the same extent in both of 
them in the stomach, duodenum, and jejunum; or, in other words, 
the digestive power of these intestines had been destroyed by 
the section of these nerves. He repeated the experiment again 
and again, lengthening the time between the destruction of the 
one and the other, and precisely the same appearances presented 
themselves — the digestive power of these organs was arrested in 
the surviving one, so far at least &s the jejunum. Below this in- 
testine the digestive process continued, and the food passed as 
usual through the ileum, and into the large intestines ; shewing, 
according to this talented physiologist, that another power was 
here at work. Whether this is correct, and from what source that 
power is derived, we shall not be competent to inquire until we 
have examined the function and the distribution of the sympa- 
thetic or ganglial nerves. 
