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

ROY AL INSTITUI lON.

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 investig I-
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
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
principal kinds, viz., those which proceed directly
from the brain, and those termed sympathetic
nerves, which extend in directions at right angles
to the former. The ramification of the nerves irom
l:_
the spinal cord to all parts of the body was m:-
o or
nutely explained, and Dr. Bond stated thattr
oughout
the nerve filaments which are spread h
of ain thickness the hundredth p
the body are so delicately
- amade by Dr.
hu-
man hair. The experiments
of nerves were
Waller to ascertain the reparation..arfineywaassrfntooutudtotoexeceici.
substance of a,
most decisive. The medullary
leivroesutsoreidn.fl
nerve that had been cut in two.
was
In
one experiment
resumed its former functions.
that had been altogether removed
bine together, and in the course of time the nom.
even a nerve
influence. e restorative process
m these examinations to proceed from
appears fro
the ganglia, knotsof or nerves which exist in
numerous parts of the body, and
raodfuanl
On microscoic
seem to act as
bservation of these ganglia, they appear
o consist of cells filled with
W 1
rom which minute fibres • issue • and from the state
f these cells at different • rithere
periods is reason to
ewnatsr e:
elieve that the quantity of medullary- matter
hey contain undergoes 1, which
c....ane indicates
' that the substance iexhaustedand s
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 t heir 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 lectitares, the
season will not conclude, as usual, with a lecture
by Professor Faraday; but it will be brought t.r.)_a
termination on Friday next with a lecturer by I ',
Tindall, on solar chemistry, and there will . 1)? 'i.L
~,
extra lecture this (Monday) evening by Mr. • T.•
Newton on the mausoleum at lialicarnassui ii