Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: On convulsive seizures / by J. Hughlings Jackson. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.
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![powder is required for large cannons, quickly burning (fine- grained) powder for firearms. To repeat the several hypotheses, Epileptiform seizures begin most often in parts of the body having “ small movements;” these movements are represented by nervous arrangements having many small cells.49 Small cells present a more extensive surface to nutrient fluid than the small quantity of grey matter in large cells, and will be more quickly nourished than large ones are. Nerve cells become highly unstable from an abnormal nutrition, such that, although their structure and the constitution of their material is unaltered, that material becomes of more nitrogenous composition, and thus more explosive. Small cells become highly unstable more readily than large ones do; thus discharging lesions are supposed to be especially of small cells. A rapid liberation of energy overcomes greater and more numerous resistances than a slower liberation of an equal quantity of energy. Small cells liberate their energy in a shorter time than large ones; hence the currents developed by fulminates of small cells overcome greater and thus more numerous resistances than would fulminates of large cells, and hence produce more convulsion and greater range of convulsion. We have assumed that the nutrition of the cells of the discharg- ing lesion is continuous, and have supposed in effect that the nutrient fluid is comparatively stagnant. But how is this com- parative stagnation brought about ? This brings us to pathology, commonly so-called. We have to distinguish between what I may call the coarse pathology of a case and its immediate pathology. [Tn the remainder of the lecture the production of discharging lesions by tumours and by arterial occlusion was considered.]50 49 The movements, speaking most generally, represented by the cerehrum are, I suppose, numerous different punctuated movements (many and different “ i-mall movements”). Presumably those represented by the cerebellum are, in comparison, few and little different movements, movements as it were gliding into one another (few and similar “ large movements”). It is interest- ing to observe that the structure of the cerebellum is more uniform than that of the cerebrum, and that those of the cells of the cerebellum which are pre- sumably motor are large and of nearly equal size. The movements for bracing up the spine in standing or walking, and the separate movements of the legs and arms in walking, will require comparatively continuous supplies of large quantities of energy. (I believe, however, that the cerebrum and cerebellum are both engaged by contemperation in at least all extensive operations.) See Journal, July 21st, 1888.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24762830_0033.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
