A lecture, introductory to a course of lectures, on anatomy, physiology, and surgery / delivered at the School of Medicine and Surgery, Gerrard Street, Soho, by G.D. Dermott.

  • Dermott, G. D. (George Darby), 1802-1847
Date:
1833
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A lecture, introductory to a course of lectures, on anatomy, physiology, and surgery / delivered at the School of Medicine and Surgery, Gerrard Street, Soho, by G.D. Dermott. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    velopcment of the nervous power be depending upon the action of the Arteries in the Brain and Nerves—still these .Arteries could not act if they themselves had not their coats supplied with Nerves, endowing them with a capability of action and a susceptibi- lity of being stimulated by the Arterial Blood: thus there is an in- separable reciprocity of action between the vascular and nervous systems. With regard to the living properties developed in the Brain, I believe that there is in the Brain an uninterrupted circle, or rather an ellipsis, of Cerebral fibre, between the fibres of the nerves carry- ing sensation to the Brain, and those nervous fibres conducting vo- lition from it. And in this continuity of Cerebral fibre, resides what I terra the circle of Cerehral (mental) action ; the Cerebral actions constituting this circle regularly succeeding each other, and each having its residence probably in some particular part of this circle of fibre. In fact you have strong presumptive evidence of this, from the quickness with which the mental actions succeed each other, or I may say, are continued into each other, as well as in some measure, from what has already been made out regarding the course of the Cerebral fibres: for it is a well known fact in Physiology, that a continuity of substance begets a continuity of function, and a continuity of function be- tween parts cannot exist without a continuity of substance: an fl*- sociation of function may it is true be established between organs by means of mere vascular and nervous connexions. We know that perception immediately succeeds sensation, and just as common sen- sibility is a quality peculiar to the Nerves, so I believe perception is the nervous sensation of the Brain. But before either common or peculiar sensation can be converted or modified into perception, I believe that those fibres which are the living proximate vehicle of those sensations must pass through some Cerebral Ganglion, in which Ganglia the Corporeal sensations excite into action or are continued into the Cerebral sense, perception. The Corpora Striata, Thalami, Corpora Quadragemina, I believe, to be Cerebral Ganglia; the Pons Varolii is evidently a Ganglion of connexion between the Cerebrum and Cerebellum, that, as well as the Corpora Quadra- gemina establishing between them a continuity of substance, and a continuity of function. Thus, I believe, that all the various sen- sations transmitted through the fibres of the Nerves, are committed to perception through the medium of some Cerebral Ganglion. To proceed with the Cerebral circle, perception, is succeeded in the same circular continuity of fibre, by thought, recollection or memory, judgment, and lastly by volition darting from the Brain through the voluntary Nerves with the rapidity of an electric shock. If the extremities of the fibres of perception and volition are not continuous, I cannot account for volition succeeding per-
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