THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. VI, No. 70.] OCTOBER, 1833. [New Series, No. 10. 
MR. YOUATT’S VETERINARY LECTURES, 
DELIVERED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. 
LECTURE XXXVI. 
The Brains of Domesticated Animals, 
(Continued.) 
In the following rapid description of the form and convolu¬ 
tions and structure, both external and internal, of the brain, I 
shall principally confine myself to that of the horse, briefly 
glancing at the points of diflerence as we pass along. It will, 
however, be, I fear, a most unsatisfactory detail, a mortifying 
proof of human ignorance. To very few of the internal irregu¬ 
larities and recesses and tubercles of this organ shall I be able 
to assign any definite function; and with regard to the great 
majority of them, I shall be compelled to confess utter ignorance. 
The common sensorium, the very seat of intelligence, is enve- 
• loped in mystery and darkness, through which Kuman ken has 
not yet been enabled to penetrate. 
The Structure of the Brain .—I am first struck with the mani¬ 
fest difference between the substance of the brain, and that of 
any other part of the frame. I can find little or no cellular tex¬ 
ture within the brain. Although, after long maceration, and by 
the power of the lens, I can resolve the whole into a collection of 
fibres, the tissue which connects these fibres together still escapes 
my observation. There is no relative motion,—no relative 
change of place between the parts,—no elasticity required, and 
the interposition of any considerable quantity of cellular sub¬ 
stance would not only be useless, but an evil. There is no in¬ 
terposition of adipose matter in the brain ;—that would neces¬ 
sarily be connected with the existence of considerable cellular 
texture, and would either imply, or cause, a certain degree of 
motion between the parts of the brain ; and, more than this, the 
adipose substance is most of all under the power of the absorb¬ 
ent vessels, and rapidly increased or diminished, according to 
VOL. VI. 3 X 
