New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-01-18

sent to The different organs of the body
are not the only results attendant on
variations in the activity Of the sympa-
thetic nerves. The contact Of food
with the lining membrane Of. the inies-
tine excites the peristaltic movement in
its muscular coat. The united action
of the stomach, the liver, and other
parts Of the digestive apparatus takes
place through the medium Of the SYM
pathetic ganglia and their nerves and
the vascular congestion of the different
abdominal organs, at the period OF their
functional activity, depends upon the
same influence. These actions are not
accompanied by consciousness
All movements that are produced
without the direct agency Of the will,
are known as reflex actions. In reflex
actions, the sympathetic system plays
an important part. Owing to their in
innate connection with other portions
of the nervous system, the sympathetic
nerves not only bring about the cooper
alton of the internal organs, but they
establish certain relations between these
organs aud all other parts of the body
that are traversed by nerves. [ shall
give few illustrations of reflex actions
produced wholly or in part by peculiar
variations in the activity of sympathet-
ic nerves, without offering any detailed
explanations, which are, in many cases,
more a matter of conjecture than Of
esta blished fact.
Sneezing, coughing, winking, inyol-
untarv laughing and sobbing are famil.
lar reflex actions. ''The commissions of
youngscnildren are often caused by the
irritation of undigested food in the all
mentary canal. Attacks of Indigestion
will also sometimes produce temporary
blindness, double vision, squirting, and
even hemiplegia paralysis of one side
of body].'' ''Imprudent exposure of
the skin to cold and wet will often bring
on al affection of the bowels. Mental
and moral impressions, conveyed through
the senses, will affect the motions of the
heart and disturb digestion and secre-
ton. Terror or surprise will produce
dilatation of the pupil, and thus COM
municate al unusual and striking ex-
preston to the eye
Many actions which originally. in
early life, require considerable effort
of the will for their performance, grad
ually become, in part at least, reflex
from habit. Walking, sitting, logical
thinking are actions of this kind. In
1915, the Prussian army was led by
Bluecher directly from the battlefield
of Ligny to that of Waterloo, without
any interval of rest. Entire companies
were seen marching along, soundly
asleep. Similar instances of Sleep
walking were observed during the re-
treat Of the French from Moscow. The
feats of individual somnambullsts be-
long to the same category.
Almost innumerable are the facts on
record that show the influence of the
imagination upon various organs of the
body; and there can hardly be any
reasonable doubt that the phenomena
Of mesmerism, animal magnetism, hvp-
notism, understanding and the strange
delusions of judy ment to which some
persons are subject are. essentially re-
flex actions originating in peculiar af-
fections of the sensitive nerves, in part
through the influence of the imagina-
ton and in part through impressions
from without, and rendered all the
more striking by the unconscious activ-
ity of the sympathetic system.
In all the phenomena that are
brought about, wholly or in part,
by the action or rather by variations in
the action of sympathetic nerves, great
differences are noticed in organisms be-
longing to different species. as well as
in those of the same species.
II. ALCOHOL AND DIGESTION. -
Foods may be divided into four classes,
which are furnished by various articles
of food about as follows.
PER CENT OF