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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    No. LXIV. A patient, who bad a deep ulcer in the back part of the throat, was seized with symptoms Hke those of apoplexy. These symptoms con- tinued for two hours. At this time the patient's head fell suddenly forward, and he instantly expired. On dissection, it was found that the ulcer had destroyed the transverse ligament, which holds the process of the dentata in its place. In consequence of the failure of this support, the process was thrown back, so as to compress the spinal marrow. Tlie parts are preserved in my collection. We have here another proof that when the medulla oblongata is crushed, the death is instantaneous; and that the respiratory nerves, being those of expression, no contortion or mark of agony accompanies this sudden death. But there is another important feature here: the apoplectic symptoms preceded the crushing of the spinal marrow. If this disease had occurred lower in the spine, it would not have been different from the common case of paralysis of the lower extremities from disease of the vertebrae, where the communication of inflammation to the spinal marrow or its theca, and not the mechanical pressure of the bones, occasions the defect of sensibility and motion. No. LXV. A man was brought into the hospital, having had a severe injury of the head. Two attendants were doing their duty to him; one was letting blood in the arm, whilst the other was shaving his head: the blood suddenly stopped, and the operator looking up, saw that the patient had ceased to breathe, and was without motion or expression of any kind. On dissection, it was found that the fracture had gone through the foramen magnum of the occipital bone, leaving a loose portion. By merely turning the head in shaving, the loose portion of the bone had been turned upon the spinal marrow, and crushed it. I have seen various examples of fractured spine, but none better calcu- lated to illustratethefunction of the nerves of respiration than those described above. But the following case of diseased vertebrae is very instructive.