On the anatomical relations of the blood-vessels of the mother to those of the fœtus in the human species / by John Reid.

  • John Reid
Date:
[1840]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the anatomical relations of the blood-vessels of the mother to those of the fœtus in the human species / by John Reid. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    taching one of the posterior columns at this part, (Fig. 3,) we obtain a posterior view of the decussating fibres of tlie pyramidal columns already described, as they pass into the posterior part of the middle columns. If we were restricting our examination to this surfoce alone, we might be led to believe that the decussat- ing fibre brou.n-ht into view formed a decussation between the two middle columns, and it has been described as such. * No doubt, if we describe the middle column as proceeding from be- low upwards, as is now most frequently done, it may be justly said that this is a decussation of part of the fibres of the middle column ; but then it ought to be added, that these decussating fibres do not pass into the middle column of the opposite side, but into the pyramidal column of the opposite side. After the most careful search, we have not been able to find any other de- cussation besides that we have mentioned. With these remarks upon the anatomy of the medulla ohloTHjata^ Ave now proceed to point out the attachments of the various nerves to the different columns. We have stated above, that the olivary columns con- verge towards each other at the lower part of the pyramidal bodies, in consequence of the greater part of the pyramidal co- lumns passing backwards to join the middle lateral columns. If we trace these olivary columns downwards, we observe that they afford attachments to the anterior roots of the first and second cer- vical nerves, (Fig. 5,) and that they continue their course onwards in the line of the other anterior roots of the spinal nerves. We can then have little difficulty in amving at the conclusion, that the olivary is a motor column. On tracing this column upwards, (Fig. 6,) we find that where it embraces the olivary body, the portio dura is attached to its outer margin, and the hypoglossal and abducens nerves are partly attached to its inner margin, and partly to the outer margin of the pyramidal column. On tracing the two roots of the fifth pair, the smaller or motor root can be followed to that portion of the olivary column which proceeds to the optic lobes,—sometimes running down the outer or external edge of the pons to reach the portion of the olivary column al- ready mentioned, as it immerges from the external margin of the pons, at other times its course is obscured by a greater or less number of the transverse fibres of the pons crossing it. The Irochleator nerve is attached to the internal margin of the same band of fibres when it has ascended the processus a cerebello ad testes^ and is about to enter the optic lobes. The larger or sen- siferous root of the fifth, on the other hand, proceeds downwards, and passes beneath a thick mass of the transverse fibres of the pons to reach the middle or rcstiform column, to which it is un- • The Nervous System of the Human Body. By Sir Charles Bell, p. 21», 1836.
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