The nervous system of Lumbricus terrestris / by J. Lockhart Clarke.

  • Clarke, J. Lockhart (Jacob Lockhart), 1817-1880.
Date:
[1857]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The nervous system of Lumbricus terrestris / by J. Lockhart Clarke. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    [From Proceedings of the Royal SociETv/or Jan. 29, 1867.] THE NERVOUS SYSTEM OF LUMBRICUS TERRESTRIS. BY J. LOCKHART CLARKE, Esq., F.R.S. In the summer of 1855, with the view of throwing some light on other researches in human anatomy, in which he was already en- gaged, the author undertook some anatomical inquiries on the nervous system of Invertebrata; but finding, them occupy more time than he could spare, he was compelled to relinquish the pursuit after having made many interesting but desultory observations on various animals. As he had proceeded, however, to a considerable extent with the nervous sj'stem of Lumbricus terrestris, and discovered in it much that is important and was hitherto unknown, he has thought it expe- dient to resume and complete this portion of the subject without further delay. Before treating of the nervous system it was necessary,—in order to show the proper functions of many of its parts,—to give some account of the organs of prehension, deglutition and digestion; and as these are insufficiently explained elsewhere, the author has described them entirely from his own dissections and observation. The first anterior segment is a conical or nipple-shaped projection in- serted behind into the upper fifth of the second segment, or first ring. Its dorsal surface is covered, except in the centre, by concentric laminae and irregular masses of pigment-granules, which are interspersed with large, peculiar and nearly pellucid cells. Its under part forms