Outlines of anatomy & physiology : illustrated by a new dissected plate of the human organization, and by separate views designed either to convey a general knowledge of these subjects in itself, or as a key for explaining larger and more complete works : with a portrait of the author / by Frederick Hollick.

  • Hollick, Frederick, 1818-1900.
Date:
[1846]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Outlines of anatomy & physiology : illustrated by a new dissected plate of the human organization, and by separate views designed either to convey a general knowledge of these subjects in itself, or as a key for explaining larger and more complete works : with a portrait of the author / by Frederick Hollick. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    As an illustration of this, if we take the nerves which go to the arm, or any other part, and cut through the portion which originates from the anterior column only, all power of motion will be lost, though sensation will remain as perfect as before; but if we cut through the portion which originates from the posterior column only, we destroy all sensation ; the arm might be cut, or burnt, but the individual would feel nothing of it, though he could move it as well as he did before. If, however, we cut through both portions, there will be neither sensation nor motion. We see many similar instances from injuries, and from disease. It is quite common to see persons who have lost the power of motion, or sensation, or both, from paralysis, palsy, or a stroke as it is called. I lately saw a little boy. whose arm had lost all power of motion, and sensation, from a blow received from some machinery. He was sitting one day by the stove, and let the hand fall upon it; no feeling whatever was experienced, and a very serious burn resulted, without his knowing any thing about it till told. The regular, or spinal nerves, therefore, originating from both columns, give both motion and sensation. Usually the sensitive and motor portions are bound up together, in the neurilema, but some- times they are separate. The fifth pair for instance, has three branches, —the first of which (5, 4th view,) gives common sensation, or touch, to the eye, eye-brows, and forehead. If this branch were destroyed we should still have the sensation of light, as that depends on the optic nerve ; but we should not feel when any thing touched the eye, though it injured it severely. The second part (51, 4th view,) gives sensibility to the jaw and lips, and to the palate. The third branch, 5, 4th view,) goes to the muscles and skin of the lower jaw, tongue, and mouth, and it gives both sensibility and the power of motion. It is the sensitive por- tion of this nerve that is usually affected in tic doloureux, and toothache. The irregular nerves, on the contrary, having but a single origin either from the anterior column, or from the posterior; either give sensation only, or motion only, but not both. The optic nerve, for instance, gives sensation only, while the third pair, which goes to the muscles of the eye, gives the power of motion only. If the optic nerve be cut through we cannot see, though the eye may appear as perfect as before. Some- times it becomes paralysed by disease, and complete blindness ensues, without any alteration at all in the structure of the eye. This is called Amaurosis, or nervous blindness. If the auditory nerve be severed or paralysed, we become deaf, from the same cause. Sometimes the nerves