682 
Bit. MARSHALL HALL’S 
The cardia is paralysed after section of the pneumogastric 
nerves: in fact, “ the pneumogastric,” says Dr. M. Hall, “is 
pre-eminently the internal excito-rnotory nerve.” The Doctor 
also ascribes an “actual, not to say active, dilatation to the cardia, 
as well as to some other sphincters.” Indeed, “in regard to 
the sphincters, it is plain that they have the power of dilata- 
tion : gas may escape from the intestines noiselessly, and the 
urine from the bladder without effort ; events very different from 
that generally supposed, of the sphincters being overcome by an 
antagonist force.” 
Irritability and Tone of the Muscular System. 
Hitherto we have accompanied the Doctor through his “ excited 
reflex actions of the true spinal system :” we will now give a tran- 
script of “the direct action or influence of this (and of the gan- 
glionic ?) system.” 
A series of experiments published by the Doctor in the Transac- 
tions of the Royal Medico-Chirurg. Society, seem to prove “ that 
the irritability of the muscular fibre in the limbs depends greatly 
on the integrity of the spinal marrow.” Not, how r ever, alto- 
gether; for, adds the Doctor, “although I have observed the irri- 
tability to be very greatly diminished by the removal of the influ- 
ence of the spinal marrowy I think 1 never knew it to be com- 
pletely annihilated under such circumstances.” 
The Tone of the muscular fibre — which appears but a modi- 
fication of its irritability or contractility on the application of 
certain stimuli — is also evidently much influenced by, if not de- 
pendent upon, the presence of the medulla spinalis. The Doctor 
experimented on two rabbits. From both the heads were removed, 
from one the spinal marrow also. The limbs of the former re- 
tained a certain degree of firmness and elasticity ; those of the 
other became perfectly lax. 
The Ganglionic System. 
“ The cerebral system,” says Dr. Marshall Hall, “ is concerned 
with psychical or mental acts merely ; the true spinal, with phy- 
sical acts on the masses of bodies to be appropriated to or ex- 
pelled from the animal economy ; whilst the ganglionic system 
relates to the chemical changes in the disposition of the atoms of 
the animal body, its solids, fluids, &c.” “ As the true spinal sys- 
tem governs the ingestion and egestion of masses in regard to 
the animal economy, so the ganglionic relates to the interstitial 
absorption, deposition, re-absorption, and the secretion of the 
atoms or particles of which the animal form is composed, and of 
