Electro-physiology

Front matter

mM

WWlL-

BB zH^F %

CHAPTER I. ©f tlje JSotus

Description of Spinal Column — Unites the Nerves of Intellect and Sensation

Injuries of Spine and Brain more frequent in Mature Age than in Youth

—Cause— Elasticity of the Spinal Column— Misshapen and Crooked Spines —How produced— Sternum, or Breast Bone— True Ribs— Floating Ribs— The Humerus, or Upper Arm— How attached to the Scapula, or Blade Bone— The Pelvis— Description of. 21

CHAPTER II. Muscles

Symmetry of Form dependent on Muscular Development— Five Hundred and Twenty-seven Muscles— Various Kinds of Muscle— How shaped — Attachment between the Tendons and Bones— Muscles formed in Layers— Voluntary and Involuntary Muscles— Front View of the Muscles— Description- Rupture of the Achilles Tendon in Dancing— Difficulty of Reunion. 28

CHAPTER III. Jltusclea ffitmttituctr

Importance of r,he Muscular System — The Vital Stream dependent upon its Contractions — The Arts would perish if Animal Organization were deprived of Muscularity— Muscular Tissue— Muscles of Organic Life— Of Animal Life — The latter termed Striped Muscles — Difference between the Muscles of Animal and Organic Life — Shortening of Muscle when it con-

Viii CONTENTS.

tracts— Animal Heat generated by Muscular Contraction— Sound produced by the Contraction of a Muscle— The Power of Muscles to contract dependent upon Two Influences— Influence of the Nerves on Muscular Contractility— The Great Importance of Muscular Agency— The best Singer, or Elocutionist— Necessity of Using the Vocal Muscles— Essential Characteristic of Muscular Fibres— Voluntary Muscles dependent for their Action upon the Nerves of the Brain— Involuntary Muscles supplied with Nerves from the Spinal Marrow— Voluntary Muscles dependent for their Contractility upon the Mind— Graceful Movement arises from a well-balanced Connection— The Ravels— Ole Bull— Jenny Lind— Madame Sontag— In the Exercise of the Voluntary Muscles the Rapidity of their Contractions has scarcely a Maximum— The Hare— Carrier Pigeon— Race Horse— Uniformity between the Muscular and Nervous Systems essential to the Perfection and Endurance of Power— A sound and regular Muscular Contraction necessary to Digestion— Few, if any, Muscular Actions are Single— All Muscular Tissue retains its Power of Contractility for a short time after Death— Antoine Le Blanc, the Murderer of the Sayre Family, at Morristown— A Convict executed at Glasgow 47

Chapter IV

Daring and Superhuman Feats of Activity— Appalling Scenes produced by the Freaks of Fashion— Belgian Giant— Chinese Porters— Turkish Carriers— The Functions of Organic Life — There is not a Solitary Function, &c. — Practice makes Perfect— Mental and Physical Powers connected— Pinel— Aristocratic Grandees of Spain in its Insane Institutions — Organic Power and Action — The Gastrocnemius Muscle — The Boatman — The Clerk — The Copper or Blacksmith— Baneful Effects of Muscular Inactivity— Sedentary, inactive Individuals become fat — Supposed to betoken Health — Supposition erroneous — How the Fat is produced — The Muscles of such Persons — A Limit in the Full Attainment of Growth and Power in a Muscle— Amount of Exercise necessary to insure vigorous Muscular Contractility varies in different Individuals— The Effects of Over-exertion on the Animal Creation — The Horse— Irish Emigrants— Alcoholic Liquors— Beautiful Uniformity between the Laws of the Animate and Inanimate Worlds — Necessity of obeying the former, absolute— The wild Enthusiasts of Hindostan— More fcuniliar Examples in our Seminaries of Learning — Teachers in Public and novate Schools — Ward Schools progressing in Physical Education — Yet Infants in the Elementary Knowledge — Scale graduating Seats and Desks — Mr. Paton — Fixed Position of the Muscles in Children — The System which prevails in our Schools — Physical Education — Greatest Luminaries of Intellect — Restlessness of Children — The Seats or Benches in Schools — If a stooping Attitude be Maintained — By a similar Attitude the Seamstress, &c— The Treble Curvature 58

CONTENTS. IX

Chapter V

Ribs united by Cartilages— Effects of Undue Pressure by Tight Lacing, fee- Perverted Taste— All Organic Diseases accelerated by Pressure on the Chest — A Wise Law of our Physical Condition— Muscularity essential to Animated Nature— The Colt— Severe Labor should not be imposed on Youth— The Development of the Physical System— Skin heated by violent Muscular Exertion— Sources of Diseased Spine— Boarding Schools— Healthy Blood —Excess of Carbonic Acid Gas— Carbon the Base of Charcoal— Plants at Night — Action of Impure Air on Muscular System — Tailors, Milliners, and Dress Makers — Twenty-four per cent, of Deaths caused by Impure Air — Light of the Sun— Statistics from Russia — An Impure Atmosphere when Heated— Humanity's Claims on our Public Municipal Authorities— Too much Attention cannot be paid to the Spine in Youth — Scholars, the Indolent and Weak — When the System is in a state of Exhaustion— The Muscles of the Spine under such a Condition— Strict Discipline requisite in Physics as in Morals — Exercise properly regulated essential to Healthy Muscular Action — Laws which govern Organic Life not known in our Colleges ; if known, not practised — Theological Students — Causes of Bronchitis among our Clergy— The Sculptor 76

CHAPTER VI. ©f the Neruous Eastern

A New and deeply-interesting Field of Inquiry— What the Nervous System embraces— Of what it consists— Its Constituent Portions— Composition of the Nervous Tissues— The Vesicular Nervous Substance— The Fibrous Nervous Substance— The Round White Cords— Of the Cranial Nerves— Of the Spinal Nerves— Each of these Nerves arises from the Spinal Marrow by Two Roots— The Anterior the Motor or Moving Root— The Posterior the Sensitive Root— Segments of the Brain— Three Coverings or Coats of the Brain- Two Hemispheres, Right and Left— Each Hemisphere divided into Three Lobes— The Anterior Part of the Brain— Situation of the Cerebellum and Medulla Oblongata — Anterior Part of the Brain may be sliced off without Pain— Effects of the Removal of the Brain Proper 96

CHAPTER VII. Kcr&ous Eastern (Continues

Experiment of M. RiAerand— The Medulla Oblongata the Link which binds us to Existence — Corpora Pyramidalia —Corpora Olivaria— Restiform Bodies

X CONTENTS.

—Description of the Nerves issuing from the Medulla Oblongata— Their Offices — The Facial the harder portion of the Auditory Nerve— Its Extensive Ramifications —Has been called the Lesser Sympathetic — Was supposed to be the Seat of Tic Doloreux — Supposition erroneous — It may be Paralyzed from various causes — Glosso-Pharyngeal a Branch of the Eighth Pair— Pneumogastric a Second Branch— Spinal Accessory a Third Branch —Case of Paralysis in "King's College," London— Lower Division of the Laryngeal Nerve— Effects of the Division of this Nerve on the Voice— Experiment on a Rabbit to prove the Pneumogastric was endued with some Motor Power— Those affected with Distorted Spines, Scrofula, Club Feet, Gout, or Epilepsy, should not Marry — To abstain from it a solemn Duty to Posterity— Children most liable to these Diseases— The well-educated Physician — Origin of the Spinal Accessory — Muscular Movements of the Passions under its Control — Front View of the Medulla Oblongata — Neck Portion of the Spinal Cord— The Medulla Oblongata the Seat where the Functions of the Mind and Body meet — Other connecting Links in the Nervous System — Connection of Hysterics with the Pneumogastric Nerve — Dance of St. Vitus--Hydrophobia— Dr. Gall's Theory of the Nervous System— Flourin's System— Cerebellum not a Central Point for Sensation— The Brain taken as a whole within the Skull 106

Chapter VIII

Animal Existence from the Zoophyte to Man — Nerves scattered throughout the Body in the Former — The more Perfect Animals without a Spine — Animals furnished with a Spine— Spinal Marrow superadded— Reptiles, Birds, and Mammalia — Successive Evolution in the Size of the Brain — Weight of the Human Brain compared with that of the Body— South American Apes same relative Proportions— Canary Bird — Goose— Weight and Size not Measures of Intellectual Power— What determines the Intellectual Grade of the Animal— Reptiles and Fishes— Their Nervous System —Have no Sagacity— Their Tenacity of Life— Systems less intimately connected—Next descending Class— Divide a Zoophyte or a Worm— Ages have admitted the Cerebrum to be the Seat of Intellect— What Observation and Experiment have confirmed— Accumulations of Water in the Brain— The Outer Portions of the Convolutions— Perception, Memory, Power of Abstraction, employ the Convolutions— They stand as intervening Messengers —The Cortical Substance of the Brain— Dissection of the Brains of Lunatics-Precocity of Intellect and False Parental Pride. . . . 143

Chapter IX

What is this Nervous Force or Power ?— The Nerves are not Passive Agents —The application of a Poisonous Substance to a Nerve— Contact of a Solid

CONTENTS. XI

Loay— A Wound in the Sole of the Foot— Appalling Convulsious of Epilepsy—Strychnine : its effect on the Spinal Cord— Effects of Opium — Should be very cautiously used in Locked-Jaw— Nervous Polarity and the Cold Douche — Hydrocianic Acid— Comparison between the Nervous and Galvanic Fluid— The Equalizing of the Electric Union— Absolute Contact between the Metals not essential— Nervous Action from a Centre— Matteucci, a Physiologist of Pisa — Galvani Nobile— Matteucci's Experiment on a Rabbit —The Electric Apparatus supplied by Nature. .... 150