New-York tribune., 1874-03-07
OUR NERVES.

THIRD LECTURE OF DIR. BROWN-SEQUARD.
CAUSES OF LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS LIFE IN THE
HEAD SEPARATED FROM THE BODY - ENORMOUS
DOSES OF sTRYCHyINE-sUDDEN RECOVERY FROM
PROTRACrED LETHARGY-vIoLRNT REMEDIES FOR
HYsTERIA
(PRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or TRBUSE.l
BosTON, March 5.-A large audience assembled
to hear Dr. Brown4sequard's third lecture Nerve
Force He spoke as follows:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: There is q nerve in the
neck which goes TO the blood vessels Of the brain
and has the power when it is excited TO produce
a contraction IN those blood vessels, that circu-
laton is stopped in good part the There is,
therefore, according TO the theories which have adj
mted for long time here for the cessation OF the
activity Of consciousness But that not the only
at work In the beginning least OF loss of conscious
ness either epilepsy apopexy sleep or in the other
states In which we lose consciousness because in GER
tain experiments divided that the sympahetic)
that IL could not normally and produce
ton OF the blood vessels OF the BRAIN The brain
sarly II the heart continued 70 beat received she Blood
and in some OF those experiments not only that sympa
thec had been divided that the blood vessels
in the brain gorged with bloodbecause when that
nerve divided there is blood in the parts OF the
brain to which IT goesbut the other hand, the
OF the par rdg,n also divided, ana II applied
gvanc battery that part OF tho par pagu going to
the heart and which you know, by th9 last lecture will
produce cessation OF action the beirt-tncre
was under these circumstances, cessation OF the
action OF the heart without any trouble in tho
brain but that due to cessation OF circulation In that
there continuation OF the activity OF tho MIND
OF the animal for eight len seconds at least. In
these circulation, although improved In some
parts BRAIN ceased altogether after two three
seconds account Of the cessation OF the action OF the
heart and sl there activity OF the brain. As
noticed in my last lecture, the activity OF the brain will
persist in certain discases-choera, for nsance-al
though there hardly any circulation in the brain and
the blood at all charged with oxygen. but is dark
and considerably altered.
THE PHENOMENA OF ARREST.
But now, IT, having matters ia the same way
that IS having divided the par uaGun so that can
rritae the base tho without stopping the heart
and the sympathetic has been divided that there is
plenty OF blood in the brainf them with needle,
give but touch 70 certain part Of the base OF the
brain the poor animal, I'm instances though not
always, Immediately TO feol and loses conscious
ness completely He loses consciousness, although CIR
cuatiOn continues and the brain s full OF blood The
loss of in that instance at least is not
due TO n lack OF circulation in the brain. There must
be another cause And that other cause substanated
by great many facts which have not time to men
ton, is something quite similar nature to what takes
place when the heart ia stopped by the galyaniziton OF
the that to the cells OF matter within
It, 1t is the thing that takes place when, certain
parts OF The system being irrtaed respiration
stops also In other words it is one OF those phenomena
winch have been called inhbitory phenOmena Of
arrest
1t has been question whether there is life left in the
head separated from the body. Well the experiments
that show that the irritation OF the spinal cord near
the media oblongaa will produce loss of conscious
ness independently OF the loss of blood which ID also
cause OF loss consciousness These experimental show
that the cutting of the neck must also produce state
Of unconscousness Phanthropists may thus feel as
sured that persons who decapitaed know nothing
| OF their fate Immediately after the blow.
SERIOUS EFFECTS OF SLIGHT IRRITATION NERVES.
pass now to another kind OF inhiOitOry in
uence. This part Of my subject ought to have received
the full and thorough investigation which its impor-
delnds but unfortunately the labor of research
has been left myself up oithis time. Surgeons every
day have deal with such and ii Is great pity
that more workers than old man Ike myself do not
study the subject In many instances under prick OF
certain injuries Of the system, there s ccssa-
ton and sometimes complete want Of that interchange
between tissues blood which call nutrition. The
circulation though diminished, mayl remain pretty
active; but Notwithstanding the persistence also OF
respiration not perfect in health, though Ger
tanly quite enough, might suppose tn produce fair
OF the circulation. Bat Notwithstanding the
persistence Of these two functions OF circulation ana
respiration ind that tho blood in tho veins is pretty
much like the blood in she arteries. The change OF
does occur and the blood returns to tho heart pretty
much as It II is rel In the and
the temperature OF the body has sensibly dimn-
ished, owing 10 the lack OF the produc.
ion OF heat. The Interchange between tissues
and blood has ceased. Is this owing, as the
other phenomena OF of which have spoken TO
the cessation Of the activity OF certain cellsi It is
question yet TO be decided. 1t very likely that it is We
find cells gray matter acting the various parts
IN which these junction for the persistence OF fe
they are pretty well scattered everywhere My friend
Prof Lister Of Glasgow has pointed out that almost
everywhere even In the walls OF blood vessels, ne has
found cells Of gray matter. We may suppose that tho
arrest Of activity that takes place ia due TO stoppage
of the activity OF those cells Surgeons have int
mated have very frequently to deal with conditions OF
arrest which are very serious. Under emotion.
under wound, under physical or mental shock. man
may fall down having the four kinds OF arrest OF which
l have spoken. That ia. an arrest or diminuton
OF the hearts action; OF respiration Of consciousness.
and of that interchange between tissues and blood
constituting nutrition. Those kinds OF arrest may anu
do coe generally. The degree IN which they appear
varies; but almost always in the state which we call
collapse those four things to be observed may
that strange it may seem to the medical gentlemen
present here this evening one OF the most DANGEROUS
those il the cessation OF that interchange between
tissues and blood Without doubt, tho cessation OF
the hearts action will kill after time; but not so
promptly as a cessation of what We call nutrition which
is really life. There various facts relative To this
CURIOUS RxPERBEsTs-How HORSES ARE oUIETED.
According to discovery made by Prof. Shift Of
Florence-a discovery which has been pushed beyond
him by many otnerswe very readily produce these
conditions He found that it quite enough to touch
the nostrils do mine, simply passing the finger
along the sides nose stop the activity OF tho
heart and respiration, and stop consciousness In IL
measure He did nd but left another TO find IT, that
between tissues ana blood Is also stopped
II l. well known that most OF those men who sue
coed IN quetng violent horses put their fingers to that
mart anu sometimes inside the Merely touching
these parts may produce some effect; pressing hard
upon them has far effect. IL not essential that
the application be made there. pressure OF the lip