Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-08-04
from CtuHbcrs 10
The Nervous System.

~ th' PhohS VI EtHtIhi ~ mat ol tue
NERVES How often DO We hear all class.
es Of the community refer any unpleasant
sensation, or Ianciful alment TO their being
merely nervous little understanding, how.
ever when they make use Of this terui, what
possible connection there can be between
their feelings and their HrpoHs system. -
Perhaps VIC shall surprise them when We
mention that they eau neither eat nor drink,
walk nor talk, nor perform any action what.
eEer. eIiher voluntary or involuntary, bu
through the medium of their nervous sys.
1esn system tue nature aud functions
az which we shall here ondeavor to explain.
In man and other vertebrate animaIs, the
gneat centre Of the function is the brain aud
spinal marrow; the latter a prolongation Of
1ba brain as II were, down the spine. Now
-Sis great centre of the nervous matter is
endowed with two distinct funcliors. l.
That OF being able to convey morfo- pOicer
40 The muscles, by whose agency We are en-.
abled to perform all the ordinary actions of
the body, all the movements OF our limbs
. That Of sensation, which is Of two kinds
--'-ommon sensation, or that feeling Of pain
which Is produced on the inquiry Of any
para Of our body; and special sensation, to
which are 10 be referred The FIVE senses
Of feeling, OF sight, Of hearing. Of smelling
and of taste From this mass Of matter,
capable Of endowing the parts Of our body
with the power OF motion, aud Of feeling or
sensation, numerous trOaks are sent of to
al parts Of the human frame ramifying
oFer its structure TO such an uncomfortable
sste nj minuieness. that we cannot touch
any part "f our body, with even the point
OF needle, without being conscious OF
pain, proving that some part Of this great
nervuns centre has been injured or excited
into action.
The great nervous trunk which supplies
The lower extremii, OF man Is equal in
thickness to his little finger divide il and
he loses all power Of moving his limb, all
sense Of feeling the limb, to ali in,enls and
Purposes is dead; and deprived Of its nery-
OTIS Influence, mouifes This power Of
en- lowing parts with motion and sensation
is situated IN two distinct structures, Of
Win ch the brain aud spinal marrow are com
pose 4 and ANTAGONISTS from their color, are
accustomed to call the rhife aud the gray
maiier. In the brain The gray matter for
the most part is external, inclosing in lis
folds the white matter; whilst in the spinal
marrow it rs internal, being completely sur
rounded by the white. Now, as general
rule, all The nervous trunks OF the body and
their bran';hcs with the exception or nerves
OF special sensation, are composed of fibres
derived from these two sources-thst is.
from TIM white aud the gray matters; and
these ne rvous trunks are conductors OF that
change produced IN the nervous centre by
the influence Of the mind. which gives rise
either ia motion or sensation. But most
exiraord mary fact. and one which is capa-
BILE Of being proved by direct experiment,
IS, that the change which takes place to
give rise to the phenomena Of motion, has
its origin at the great nervous centre. the
source from which the trunks arise and
further, that this change takes place in the
matter. On the other hand. the change
which gives rise tn the phenomena Of sensa-
ton takes place at the extremiiies Of the
nervous irunks-thst is, at their ultimate
distribution; aud this change takes place
in the gray matter. The anatomisi, in his
disc ctions, is able to prove satisfactorily
the origin OF these nervous trunks and he
finds that all those rising from The spinal
ms rrow, and most Of those which are said
to rise from the brain, do so by two roots
one Of which is connected by the white
matter, and the other with the gray. lie
can and has still further proved by expert
menls performed on the living animal. that
irritation by pInchlDg or pricklng Of the
root which arises from the white matter
gives rise to no sensation, as the animal
shows no signs OF suffering are Immediate
diatey induced. Again if in the dead
animal we excite muscular contraction by
means Of galyanism, we must send the
charge Of electricity through the limb by
means Of the root arising from white matter,
MS no effect would he produced il we at.
tempted 10 do il by means of the root arts.
ing from the gray. Allowing. then, the
fact, that these nervous trunks are compos-
ed OF two sets oil hbres, one conveying sen
siiiye, the other motor influence, lei US ap-
ply II Ia practice.
Some part Of the body meets with an in.
-lOry-n change is Immediately affected III
The cxiremiies of the sentieni iibres, sensa'
iIon is developed, aud the change thus IN
duced is conveyed by the sentieni fibre "a
the brain, and through iis1nedium to the
mind Thronh the mysterious ageucy o.
the mind, then, the motor power Of thu
great nervous centre is brought into action
and a change is induced this change !:
conveyed by the trunks TO the muscles sup
plying the injured parts, or to other muscles
10y whose combined action il is removed
from further injury But il is not neeessa
ny that an injury should be inflicted tha
motor influence should lie generated as lh'
mind has the power of inducing At will -
All the movements ol our bodies are effect
ed by muscular action, aud through ih'
agency of the will We move not han'
ar foot, nor look at an object. without IN
mind having FIRST wiiIed that il should b
done.
But there are many actions in the hnmal
body which are performed independently o
The will, though evidently under The lnhu
ence Of the mind, and ,hroug tie medium
of the nervous system; and this system
called by the anaIomisis the sympathetic
/ II consists Of number Of little knol.lise bod
les called by the analomisls gangia, whc
are extended along each side of the verte
bral column-ihe whole of these gengli