Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-15

animals between the second and third onf
third and fourth vertebrn and between tb,
first and second vertebra of the neck. and
between the second and third in animals o.
greater bulk" Legalleis Describes the $40,
exactly: Respiration does not d, pend upor
the whole brain, but really upon very
limited spot upon the meduIa oblongata
which is situated at small distance from the
occipital hole, and towards the origin of the
pneumogastric nerves, or eighth par.u Lee
gallois arrived at this discovery. which deter
mines the function of the medulia oblonoata
and reveals the primal motor of the mechan
ism of respiration, the central point of the
nervous system. by cutting successive slices
of the brain until the s, elton of the origin OF
the eighth pair OF nerves stopped the resp.ra.
tory movements.
NJ. Flourens has added minute precision 10
the eXactitnde of the invaluable discovery OF
his predecessors. The vital point, he says il
| situated i've millemetrcs under the origin OF
the pneumogastric nerves upon the brain of a
dog. The vital point is situated three mil
lemetres under the origin OF the pneumogas-
trio nerve upon the brain of a rabbit. The
bliurcation of the bulb or medulla obIonpata
forming " the vital knot is located at the
point of the V. it is grey corneous point.
This grey pin s-h' ad Ike spot is the keyst one
of the fabric Of life. The ancients imagined
the Fatal Sisters with the distaiI, the spindle.
I
the thread Of life and the mod rms have re-
| vealed junction of the nervous tibres which
! small gimlet can scoop out easily, changing
thereby, in an instant, life into death.
This great fact is easily demon, trated
| Il often" says N. FlCurens, make the ex-
! perimpnts by transverse sections.
| III the section passes above the point, the
respiratory movements of the chest persist.
! IF the section passes behind the point of
! junction of the pyramids. the respiratory
| movements of the face, the movement of the
nostrils and yawning persist.
| Elf the section passes upon the point of the
! V of the grey substance Inscribed upon the
| of the junction Of the pyramids or penis
| nib, the respiratory movements of the chest
and face are abolished instantly and alto
gethrr. 4
Il often perform the experiments in another
way.
Il use little cutting punch scarcely mil
lemetrc III diameter.
Il plunge this cutting punch into the pro-
longcd marrow. taking great care to adjust
the instrument to the V of the grey substance
| thus suddenly isolate the vital point, and
the respiratory movements of the chest aud
the respiratory movements OF the face al e sud
denly abolished"
The study of the vital point clears up many
dark puzzles.
l need not point out how it explains the
cases OF sudden death from what Is called
breaking the neck. The hangman who I'M
derstands his business adjusts the knot so as
to dislocate the ycrtebre, and tear the vital
junction asundrr. The knowl, dye of this
point is very important to corou,r rs and their
Juries, and all persons having occasion to dis
tInguish between suicides and Murders
when the root Of the pneumogaStric nerves
are torn, death Is instantaneous: and this run
ture requires mary lousy little to accomplish
II. Suicides are mistaken for murders by
persons who do not know how easily suicides
can kill themselves with their feet resting, or
with their bodies lying upon the ground
Nothing more Is needful than force enough to
tear the breadth of ms head of nervous
hbre. The hangman s work is comm Inly
spoken OF as an asp yxa which it only Is
when bunghngly done. | once knew IA Uene-
VIOLENT clergyman who, havins been Il surgeon
before he entered the Church and knowing
the secret OF hanging, showed his affection
for "A penitent ulprlt condemned to death for a
small offence, by attending him upon the scat
fold, aud by himself adjusting the knot of the
rope IN the way nccdtul 10 secure the instan-
tancOus rupture of the point of life.
The functions Of the vital spot, while cy-
planning the suddcuess Of many deaths which
are constantly seemed mysterious and suspi-
cious, explain also the prOlongation of life Tor
considerable periods sometimes after the most
~
about the vital point explains what used to |
be when was there, aad perhaps still il, one
OF the standing wonders of London. There. |
used to he several eating-houses in the city |
famous for turtle soup; aud, of course there |
axe plenty of them sull Bat at the doors of |
the houses which exhibited the wonder there !
might be sccA lying upon layer OF suwdust, |
at the bottom ol Il basket, the living head aud /
neck OF IA turtle, the flesh OF which was said To |
already 81
the gastrononlts inside. The head was un-
alive. The eyes were alive aud
moving. They seemed dimly. vaguely, aud
feebly to ask from the spectators if not an ex-
PLANTATION Of the phenomenon. at least. why
aud wherefore the head had been served in
thiH way. PeIso hardy enough To put their
fingers into the mouth were assured of the
vivaciiy of the severed head Ly receiving a
good ptnch. Tor one am guitless OF having
ever eaten any of the soup; nevertheless am
still haunted by those reproducing eyes, al
though AIN sure | could ,Xclalm, Thou caust
lot say did it,
The psychologists long since reversed the
wonder Of the LUIdOn cooks The cooks die
played heads alive and bodies soup, and the
avans displayed h ads dead and bodies alive
K di cut OF the head of turtle which sur
lived twenty-three days. Flourens had some
which lived several months with
nut their heads. Legallois SAYS birds have
'een known TO walk and ran with their heads
III.
The explanations are very simple The
'ltal point II close to the head IN all reptiles /
ma especially IN the Iatrachian reptiles; and
he London cooks, when cutting OIL The head
ut OH the vital point with 10. Tne physiolo-
,ists do just tdc reverse. When the physiolo-
isls sever the heads of frogs. tuTtI, = or sslia-
nahdcrs, with view Ia show the reptiles
wing without their heads, tn are careful
y cutting above the vital point 10 keep il
;tachcd Ia the body.
Oae more explanation and have done.
he newspaper correspondents who wrote
ome accounts oi the battle OF the Alma chal-
,ng,d psychologists to explain how ii soldier,
De leugtn OF whose head from the front TO
be bdcA had been travers,d by ballet WAS
Die 10 walk down tue hill 10 wash his head
1 the river. similar facts have loug be,u
'ell known. Men have--hscd many wars.
ell, sane, 1nd healthy, after their skulls have
cen elicit To a coas.d f..Dl- dspth GA one sd ,
he records OF physiology are full of marvel {
'us sursi,als after the most terrible wouads:
nd Their number will be iacreas continual
= Is Tue spread oil sClcuce dlmlnishes fear aud
lcrt''ses courage alnodg mankind. Hope will |
ofe and more help thc hcIhIg art, wueu it
known bo~ nature triugIpns ovvr the most
s'n.l disasters watch leave unscatued tue
ital poiht-tHat ali importalt bat we'll pro-
ct'd pal s-head punt, wuere alele tha prlck
piu as death D4etzts' HJasAoid Hor.E.
FSsHs re Nee FarS c,@risr saa Ea4alrsr
GOOD cheer la 81. louis.
We take Measure. ia catll.I,s ..IInation IN | !