The nervous system of the human body. Embracing the papers delivered to the Royal Society on the subject of the nerves.

  • Bell, Charles, Sir.
Date:
1830
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The nervous system of the human body. Embracing the papers delivered to the Royal Society on the subject of the nerves. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    The surfaces of the conjunctiva and eye-lids are also completely insensible; the eye is inflamed and ulcerated; the left side of the nose, the cheek, the upper and lower lips, are all equally insensible; but he is sensible when touched upon the left side, below the under jaw, and even over the lower jaw itself, as high as the inferior part of the lower lip. The external ear, and likewise the back part of his head, nearly as high up as the vertex, retain their natural sensibility. The internal surfaces of the left nostril, and of the mouth and gums on the same side, are insensible to touch ; and he has neither the sense of taste nor common feeling in this side of the tongue. In consequence of this, portions of food have sometimes lodged within the left side of his mouth, without his being aware of their presence, until they became actually putrid. The power of moving his tongue is quite perfect: if at rest, it lies in its natural position within the mouth ; nor is it dragged towards either side when he is told to move it. Being tickled with a probe on the left side of the root of his tongue, the sensation of nausea and the effort of retching are produced as on the opposite side. He can open and close his jaws; yet it can be observed, when he is made to clench his teeth, or to bite forcibly, that the masseter and temporal muscles of the right side are hard, rigid, and strongly in action, while the same muscles belonging to the opposite side are totally different in that respect, for they feel soft and flaccid. With regard to his left eye, it has been already noted, that it is de- prived of common sensibility, and that he has no power of shutting or raising his eye-lid. Besides these, he possesses no command over the eye-ball: his eye remains fixed and motionless, and directed straight for- wards. No motion exists in the pupil when a light is presented to the eye. He has the power of vision, although he sees dimly; this is, pro- bably, on account of the eye being inflamed, and the cornea ulcerated and opaque. When both his eyes are closed, he is sensible of a red -light in the left eye, while nothing is visible in the right one *. * See remark on tliis^ in the first paper on the motions of the eye.