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  • Elements of electro-biology, or the voltaic mechanism of man; or electro-pathology, especially of the nervous system; and of electro-therapeutics / By Alfred Smee.
  • Elements of electro-biology, or the voltaic mechanism of man; or electro-pathology, especially of the nervous system; and of electro-therapeutics / By Alfred Smee.
  • Mouse neural stem cells growing in culture. Neural stem cells can be made to develop into cells found in the central nervous system; neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.
  • Human neural stem cells growing in culture. Neural stem cells can be made to develop into cells found in the central nervous system; neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.
  • Mouse neural stem cells growing in culture. Neural stem cells can be made to develop into cells found in the central nervous system; neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.
  • Clinical lectures on diseases of the nervous system delivered at the infirmary of la Sal Petriere. Vol. 3 / by J.M. Charcot ; translated by Thomas Savill.
  • Ten demonstrations of digestion, blood circulation, breathing, bone structure, smell, hearing, sight, touch, taste, the nervous system, and muscle structure. Coloured lithograph by C. Bethmont, ca. 1860 (?).
  • Ten demonstrations of digestion, blood circulation, breathing, bone structure, smell, hearing, sight, touch, taste, the nervous system, and muscle structure. Coloured lithograph by C. Bethmont, ca. 1860 (?).
  • Diseases of the nervous system. Care of the loss of speech and its association with partial destruction of left-anterior lobe of the brain (localization of speech centres).
  • On the diseases and derangements of the nervous system. In their primary forms and in their modifications by age, sex, constitution, hereditary predisposition, excesses, general disorder, and organic disease : Marshall Hall / [Marshall Hall].
  • On the diseases and derangements of the nervous system. In their primary forms and in their modifications by age, sex, constitution, hereditary predisposition, excesses, general disorder, and organic disease : Marshall Hall / [Marshall Hall].
  • The physiognomical system of Drs. Gall and Spurzheim; founded on an anatomical and physiological examination of the nervous system in general, and of the brain in particular; and indicating the dispositions and manifestations of the mind / Being at the same time a book of reference for Dr. Spurzheim's demonstrative lectures.
  • The physiognomical system of Drs. Gall and Spurzheim; founded on an anatomical and physiological examination of the nervous system in general, and of the brain in particular; and indicating the dispositions and manifestations of the mind / Being at the same time a book of reference for Dr. Spurzheim's demonstrative lectures.
  • Disease exterminated from the system and every form of nervous, muscular, or organic weakness cured without drugs ... : Harness' electropathic belt : it imparts new life and vigour to the debilitated / the Medical Battery Company Limited.
  • Disease exterminated from the system and every form of nervous, muscular, or organic weakness cured without drugs ... : Harness' electropathic belt : it imparts new life and vigour to the debilitated / the Medical Battery Company Limited.
  • Self-preservation : a medical treatise on nervous & physical debility, spermatorrhœa, impotence & sterility with practical observations on the use of the microscope in the treatment of the diseases of the generative system / by Samuel La'Mert.
  • Self-preservation : a medical treatise on nervous & physical debility, spermatorrhœa, impotence & sterility with practical observations on the use of the microscope in the treatment of the diseases of the generative system / by Samuel La'Mert.
  • Snake charmer holding an Egyptian cobra (<I>Naja haje</I>), whose venom immobolises its prey by attacking the nervous system. The Brooklyn Museum Papyri from Ancient Egypt includes a book of snakebites which describes all the possible snakes to be found in Egypt with a compendium of treatments. The papyri were translated in 1966-1967 by Serge Sauneron.
  • Human neural stem cells stained for nestin (red). Nestin is a type of intermediate filamant protein that is used as a marker of neural stem cells. The blue dots are the cell nuclei stained with DAPI. Neural stem cells can be made to develop into cells found in the central nervous system; neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.
  • Solanum atropurpureum Schrank Solanaceae. Purple Devil. Purple-spined Nightshade. Herbaceous perennial. Distribution: Brazil. This ferociously spined plant contains tropane alkaloids, atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine. All are anticholinergic and block the acetylcholine mediated actions of the parasympathetic nervous system. While the alkaloids are used in medicine and as an antidote to anticholinergic nerve gas poisons, the plant itself is not used in medicine. Its sharp spines can be irritant. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Lymphatic, genitourinary and nervous systems. Engraving, 18th century.
  • J. M. Charcot, Diseases of the nervous syste
  • J. M. Charcot, Diseases of the nervous syste
  • J. M. Charcot, Diseases of the nervous syste
  • J. M. Charcot, Diseases of the nervous syste
  • Medical extracts: on the nature of health, with practical observations: and the laws of the nervous and fibrous systems / By a friend to improvements [R.J. Thornton].
  • Medical extracts: on the nature of health, with practical observations: and the laws of the nervous and fibrous systems / By a friend to improvements [R.J. Thornton].
  • Valeriana officinalis L. Valerianaceae Valerianus, Phu, Nardus sylvestris, Setwal. Distribution: Europe. Popular herbalism attributes sedation to Valerian, but this is not mentioned by Coles (1657) or Gerard (1633) or Lobel (1576) or Lyte (1578) or Dioscorides (ex Gunther, 1959) or Fuchs (1553), where he quotes Pliny, Dioscorides and Galen, or Parkinson (1640), or Pomet (1712). The English translation of Tournefort (1719-1730) covers a whole page of the uses of all the different valerians, but never mentions sedation or treating anxiety. Quincy (1718) does not mention it. Because it was used in epilepsy, for which Woodville (1792) says it was useless, Haller, in his Historia stirpium indegenarum Helvetae inchoatae (1768) advocates it for those with irritability of the nervous system, as does Thomson's London Dispensatory (1811) although he lists it as an 'antispasmodic and stimulant' and for inducing menstruation. Lindley (1838) notes (as many did) that the roots smell terrible and that this makes cats excited, and in man, in large doses, induce 'scintillations, agitation and even convulsions' so used in asthenic fever, epilepsy, chorea, hysteria and as an antihelminthic.' Fluckiger & Hanbury (1879) give a wonderful account of the history of its names, but give its use as 'stimulant and antispasmodic' as do Barton & Castle (1877). but by 1936 (Martindale's Extra Pharmacopoeia) its only use was 'Given in hysterical and neurotic conditions as a sedative. Its action has been attributed to its unpleasant smell'. The European Medicines Agency (2006) approves its use as a traditional herbal medicine for mild anxiety and sleeplessness for up to 4 weeks. Despite what is written continuously about its use in ancient Greece and Rome, the only reason for its use has been because it was thought, for a brief while, to be good for epilepsy and therefore might deal with persons of a nervous disposition because of its foul smell. It has been suggested that even its Greek name, 'Phu' came from the expression of disgust which is made when one sniffs an unpleasant odour. For 1,800 years, before the last century, no-one had thought it sedative. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Atropa belladonna L. Solanaceae. Deadly nightshade. Dwale. Morella, Solatrum, Hound's berries, Uva lupina, Cucubalus, Solanum lethale. Atropa derives from Atropos the oldest of the three Fates of Greek mythology who cut the thread of Life (her sisters Clotho and Lachesis spun and measured the thread, respectively). belladonna, literally, means 'beautiful lady' and was the Italian name for it. Folklore has it that Italian ladies put drops from the plant or the fruits in their eyes to make themselves doe-eyed, myopic and beautiful. However, this is not supported by the 16th and 17th century literature, where no mention is ever made of dilated pupils (or any of the effects of parasympathetic blockade). Tournefort (1719) says 'The Italians named this plant Belladonna, which in their language signifies a beautiful woman, because the ladies use it much in the composition of their Fucus [rouge or deceit or cosmetic] or face paint.' Parkinson says that the Italian ladies use the distilled juice as a fucus '... peradventure [perhaps] to take away their high colour and make them looke paler.' I think it more likely that they absorbed atropine through their skin and were slightly 'stoned' and disinhibited, which made them beautiful ladies in the eyes of Italian males. Distribution: Europe, North Africa, western Asia. Culpeper (1650) writes: 'Solanum. Nightshade: very cold and dry, binding … dangerous given inwardly … outwardly it helps the shingles, St Antonie's Fire [erysipelas] and other hot inflammation.' Most of the 16th, 17th and 18th century herbals recommend it topically for breast cancers. Poisonous plants were regarded as 'cold' plants as an excess of them caused death and the body became cold. They were regarded as opposing the hot humour which kept us warm and alive. Poultices of Belladonna leaves are still recommended for muscle strain in cyclists, by herbalists. Gerard (1633) writes that it: 'causeth sleep, troubleth the mind, bringeth madnesse if a few of the berries be inwardly taken, but if more be taken they also kill...'. He was also aware that the alkaloids could be absorbed through the skin for he notes that a poultice of the leaves applied to the forehead, induces sleep, and relieves headache. The whole plant contains the anticholinergic alkaloid atropine, which blocks the peripheral actions of acetylcholine in the parasympathetic nervous system. Atropine is a racemic mixture of d- and l- hyoscyamine. Atropine, dropped into the eyes, blocks the acetylcholine receptors of the pupil so it no longer constricts on exposure to bright light - so enabling an ophthalmologist to examine the retina with an ophthalmoscope. Atropine speeds up the heart rate, reduces salivation and sweating, reduces gut motility, inhibits the vertigo of sea sickness, and is used to block the acetylcholine receptors to prevent the effects of organophosphorous and other nerve gas poisons. It is still has important uses in medicine. Atropine poisoning takes three or for days to wear off, and the hallucinations experienced by its use are described as unpleasant. We have to be content with 'madness', 'frenzie' and 'idle and vain imaginations' in the early herbals to describe the hallucinations of atropine and related alkaloids as the word 'hallucination' in the sense of a perception for which there is no external stimulus, was not used in English until 1646 (Sir T. Browne, 1646). It is a restricted herbal medicine which can only be sold in premises which are registered pharmacies and by or under the supervision of a pharmacist (UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • The anatomy and philosophy of expression as connected with the fine arts / By Sir Charles Bell.