General Anatomy, Applied to Physiology and Medicine, Vol. 1 (of 3)Bichat, Xavier
Science
General Anatomy, Applied to Physiology and Medicine, Vol. 1 (of 3)
Bichat, Xavier
Human anatomy; Human physiology
The nerves of animal life derive their origin from three principal
portions of the encephalic mass; 1st. from the cerebrum; 2d. from the
Tuber Annulare or Pons Varolii and its elongations; 3d. from the spinal
marrow; the cerebellum gives origin to none. This circumstance, which,
we ought not to lose sight of in the examination of the functions of
each part of the brain, and which will perhaps hereafter elucidate
these functions, is undoubtedly sufficient to make us appreciate
the opinion of many physicians of the last age, which placed in the
cerebellum the source of involuntary motions, and attributed the
voluntary to the cerebrum.
The cerebrum furnishes but two nerves, the olfactory and optic; these
are remarkable, 1st. in this, that their adhesion is very strong at
their origin with the brain, and that by raising the pia mater, we
cannot remove them; 2d. in this, that their softness is greater than
that of most other nerves.
The tuber annulare and its elongations, as well those that go to the
cerebrum and the cerebellum, as that which begins the spinal marrow,
furnish the motores communes of the muscles of the eye, the pathetic,
the origin of which, though posterior, is evidently derived from the
tuber annulare, the trigemini, the motores externi of the eye, the
facial, the auditory, the par vagum, the glosso-pharyngeal and the
great hypo-glossal. All these nerves are distinguished by different
characteristics. 1st. As the medullary substance is every where
exterior to the eminences from which they arise, all appear manifestly
to be continuous with this substance. 2d. Almost all begin by many
filaments separated from each other; sometimes, as in the trigemini
and par vagum, these are very numerous. The others arise, some by
one filament and others by two. 3d. Except the auditory nerve, all
have a greater consistence at their origin than these last. 4th. They
adhere but little to the corresponding cerebral portion, so that they
are almost always raised in detaching the pia mater; thus it requires
great precaution, to prevent breaking the nerves from the brain when it
is taken out of the skull. The adhesion of the pathetic, the motores
communes and the facial, is particularly weak. We should almost say,
from a slight examination, that there was only contiguity.
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