Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 edition. Excerpt: ... of the higher sensory nerves." "In addition to its great simplicity this definition has still another advantage, namely, that it is satisfied by a single experiment; because of the two elements of which the definition is made up, one element is always given anatomically. This is the higher sensory nerve, whose presence also vouches for its function. The one experiment that it is necessary to make has to prove that in addition to the sensory apparatus the general centre of movement also exists. The proof is then complete if the one-sided removal of the central nervous part so changes the direction of the movements of the animals that a circus-motion, which is generally known by the name forced movement, takes the place of a forward movement" (Steiner). This idea is likewise erroneous and easily leads to absurdity. Onesided destruction of the cerebral hemispheres in man produces no forced movements. Thus, according to Steiner, the cerebral hemispheres should not belong to the brain. Second, according to Steiner, the ear must be a brain. One-sided lesion of the ear is sure to produce forced movements in a series of animals, and, moreover, the auditory nerve is a higher sensory nerve. I have mentioned this subject at this place because it is a typical illustration of what plays on words in physiology lead to. It is not our task to find a definition for the word brain, but to gain an insight into the functions of the central nervous system. It is of minor importance what name we give to the different parts of the central nervous system. In connection with this chapter we wish to call attention to the more recent experiments of Sherring-ton and H. E. Hering, from which it seems to follow that with the innervation of a muscle the relaxation of...
