First principles of medicine / By Archibald Billing.

  • Archibald Billing
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: First principles of medicine / By Archibald Billing. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/142 (page 15)
    in disease; moreover we must not forget, and it isa circumstance to be recurred to perpetually both in theory and practice, that the nerves accompanying the arteries throughout control the apparatus. The nerves are whitish threads which are distri- buted to every part of the frame however minute, com- municating with the brain, for the purpose of informing it of what is going forward in different parts, as when any thing touches the hand, tongue, &c.;’and for the _ purpose of conveying the mandates of the will from the head to the muscles of voluntary motion; and again for the purpose of supplying to all parts nervous influence. The nerves do not blend as they unite into larger and larger trunks, but preserve their individuality however agoregated, like threads in a skein or strands in a rope. A variety of circumstances lead us to the conclusion that the NERVOUS INFLUENCE is analogous to or de- pending upon if not identical with the ELECTRIC prin- ciple, or fluid, whatever that be; that the nervous influence is generated or secreted in the cineritious (grey) part of the nervous system, and conducted by the medullary (white) part; the medullary part in the brain being the aggregation of the nerves from the frame. 1. The contraction of muscle by passing electricity along the nerve to it either in the living body or when dissected out. 2. ‘The efficacy of electricity or galvanism in restoring energy to the eye or other parts relaxed or inflamed. 3. The effect of electricity or galvyanism in promoting digestion when passed along the eighth pair of nerves. A, Volition is conducted along the nerves with a speed equalled only by electricrty.