The bi-polar cells of the spinal cord and their connections / by Fredk. W. Mott.

  • Mott, F. W. (Frederick Walker), 1853-1926.
Date:
[1890]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The bi-polar cells of the spinal cord and their connections / by Fredk. W. Mott. 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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    right in regarding small fibres as originating from small cells. He has shown that in the anterior roots throughout the dorsal region are numerous fine medullated fibres (leu- centeric). These also are found in the second sacral root, and in the upper cervical region, and form the viscero-vas- cular rami conimunicantes. If his first statement be ac- cepted, that small fibres arise from small cells, the second statement that they originate from Clarke’s column, which undoubtedly agrees in its distribution with this outflow of fine fibres by the anterior roots, cannot be accepted, because the cells of Clarke’s vesicular column are by no means small, measmlng where the column is well deve- loped, 90 /i, -and even the smallest cells (40 /x) are larger than the cells of two other groups, which he admitted might possibly be the source of fine fibres, and which I shall en- deavour to show is much more probable. In fact, although text books state that Gaskelfi has proved that these fine efferent fibres originate in Clarke’s column, the whole evi- dence to support this hypothesis rests upon the assumption that because the cells of this posterior vesicular column are so placed in the cord as to agree in situation with the out- flow of these fibres, therefore they give origin to them. No microscopical evidence tends to support this Hew. Occa- sionally fibres may be seen running from Clarke s column to the anterior cornua ; especially have I noticed this in the mid-dorsal region. But the fibres cannot be traced into the anterior roots, and it may be that some of them pass into the anterior commissure as Bechterew states. Even this does not show that the fibres have originated from the cells of Clarke’s column—in fact, they may be merely fibres > Dr. GasL-ell sums up liis views of the functions of the various groups of the sninal cord (a) Cells of anterior horn = nucleus of efferent nerves to somatic muscles. (V) Large cells of lateral horn = nucleus of efferent ner\es jnSteTspIacchnio (.) Cell, ot Ctorke’e column - holic ('inhibitory') nerves to splanchnic glandular system .and to muscles ot Seri and vnSln. .y.lem, \„) S.llmrj cell, of motor nerves to muscles of viscera, (e) Small cells of lateral horn — nucleus of katabolic (motor) nerves to splanchnic glandular system and to muscles of vasSar eys em.-‘‘ On the Eelation between the Structure, hunction, D s- Ston and Origin of the Cranial Nen-es ; together with a Theory o^ the Origin of the Nervous System of Vertebrata. By \\. H. Oaskell, M.u., JT.ll.S. ‘ Journal of Physiology,’ vol. x.