The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-04 00:00:00

ROYAL INSTITUTION.

At the evening meeting of the members on Fri-
day, Dr. Bond delivered a lecture on the nutriment
and reparation of the nerves. The lecture was
announced to have been delivered by Dr. Waller,
who has been for some time engaged in investiga-
tions on the structure of the nerves ; but, owing to
the illness of that gentleman, Dr. Bond undertook
to supply his place, which he did in a very able
manner ; and as he had assisted Dr. Waller in his
experiments, he was enabled to state the results
almost as well as the original investigator. Up to
a comparatively recent time it was the opinion of
physiologists that injuries to the nerves could not
be repaired, but it now appears, from the researches
of several distinguished foreign physiologists, as
el i whichc
a tderl ye dt h
well as from those of Dr. Waller, that the nerves
receive nutriment and undergo repair in the same
manner as the bones, or any other part of the
animal frame. A great portion of the lecture was
occupied by explaining the structure of the nerves,
which were described as being divided into two
examinations
principal kinds, viz., those which proceed directly
from the brain, and those termed sympathetic
nerves, which extend in directions at right angles., rom
to the 'former. The ramification of the nerves
was
the spinal cord to all parts of ttheete body
dthat some of
mi-
nutely explained, and Dr. Bond
experimentshunration of nerves were.
are
flneespisaeratd not baron ro o uag
exceedh hoot
u.
nerve
together,th n t h a
theth e nbeordvye
arefilaments
made by Dr.
min an
Waller to ascertain the rep
thicknesshain The
ee
a substance f
most decisive.
cut
course of • to
com-
bine
medullarybeeTi!heutin two was found °a
restored. The restorative process
and
resumed its
to proceed from
functions. In one experiment
nerve that had been altogether removed
even
was gradually
appears.
the ganglia, or knots of nerves which exist '
in
from former
thesel
numerous parts of the body,and
entres of
enervation nervous influence. On microscopic
of these
o consist of cells filledganglia, they appear
with medullary matter,
rom which minute fibres •
issue ; and from the state
f these cells at
different periods there is reason to
elieve that the •
quantity of medullary matter
hey contain undergoes change, which indicates
substance
that the .is exhausted and resupplied
in different conditions of the body. Dr. Bond
referred to various diagrams for the purpose
of illustrating the mode by which nerves can
be reproduced, and having concluded that part
of the subject, he entered briefly into the con-
sideration of the source of nervous influence.
From the instantaneous nature of its action, and
from other analogies, he was inclined to compare
it to electrical agency; and this view, he thought,
was confirmed by examination of the cells contain-
ing medullary matter, which exhibit in their diffe-
rent states some similarity to the effects of chemi-
cal decomposition, by which voltaic electricity is
produced.
In consequence of an alteration in the original
programme of the Friday evening lectures, the
season will not conclude, as usual, with a lecture
by ProfeBsor Faraday; but it will be brought to a
termination on Friday next with a lecture, by Dr.
Tindall, on solar chemistry, and there will be an
extra lecture this (Monday) evening by Mr. T. C.
Newton on the mausoleum at Halicarnassus.