The central course of the nervus octavus and its influence on motility / by C. Winkler.

  • Winkler, Cornelis, 1855-1941.
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The central course of the nervus octavus and its influence on motility / by C. Winkler. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    INT ROD UC TION. After so many admiralile researches as have been made of hite abont the mode of distribution of the N. octavus in the central nervous system, after all that has been brouglit to our knowledge from competent investigators, as to the influence exerted by this nerve on the muscular system in animals and hi man, it may be con- sidered an almost preposterous enterprise to publish another treatise, and moreover a monography, on the eighth cerebral nerve. We may not expect — at least not if no new methods are employed — that we will find much to be added to what has been taught us by Ewald about the troubles of motion, observed in pigeons whose labyrinths have been removed on one or on both sides. Our knowledge of the function of the octavus-systeni has been settled for a long time by this eminent experiaiental essay. Such is also the case with our anatomical notions. The investi- gations of Held, of van Gehuchten, of von Monakow, Lewan- DowsKY and others form Hkewise in a certain sense a finished whole, accordant in many leading features. These researches have shown the distribution of the Nervus octavus in the central system to be much more complicated than was surmised before. Still, though the whole appears thus com- plicated, the differences of opinion on cardinal ])oints have dimi- nished. Our knowledge having reached this stage, I am perfectly conscious of the impossibility that quite new views should be offered by this monography, in which the anatomy and the physiology of the nervus VIII are not studied by means of new methods. Yet I believe that in a few points I have succeeded in obtaining definite results, going farther than those of my predecessors. This was made possdile only, because the functional effects, conse- quent on the isolated removal of the cochlea, or on the entire removal 1*