extensive Occurrence of Unstriped Muscles in the Skin in the Mammalia."* As this paper throws some additional light upon the probable action of the orbital muscle, I append a short abstract of it: H. Müller, after referring to the many puzzling questions which have arisen respecting the function of the sympathetic nerve, and its relations to the muscles supplied by it, proceeds to ask two questions: 1st, Whether and which unstriped muscles are supplied by other nerves than the sympathetic ? 2d, Whether and which transversely-striped muscles are under the influence of the sympathetic? In answer to the first, the action of the oculo-motor nerve upon the unstriped fibres of the iris cannot be doubted; the vagus also acts upon unstriped muscles, and the experiments of Schiff have shown that the greater part of the vascular nerves are not connected with the sympathetic. The second question may be most effectively answered by considering the effect produced upon the eye-ball by division or irritation of the cervical sympathetic. Müller, for this purpose, refers to the experiments of Bernard, R. Wagner, and Brown-Sequard; the general tendency of which is to show, that division of the cervical sympathetic produces narrowing of the palpebral fissure, retraction of the bulb, projection of the nictitating membrane and narrowing of the anterior nares and the mouth. Irritation of the nerve by galvanization, on the other hand, produces increase of the opening of the lids, projection of the bulb, retraction of the nictitating membrane, relaxation of several facial muscles. Respecting the causes which produced these changes there was some difference of opinion. R. Wagner could scarcely conceive that any force, save the contraction of the two obliqui, could produce projection of the eye-ball, and yet, he asks, "how could these transversely-striped muscles receive excito-motory fibres from the sympathetic ?" BrownSequard, again, considered that retraction of the bulb, after * Ueber den Einfluss des Sympathicus auf einige Muskeln, &c. Von H. Müller, " Verhandlungen der Phys. Med. Gesellschaft in Würzburg." section of the nerve, was produced by the active contraction of the retractor and recti, and that its reprojection by subsequent irritation was a reposition. Schiff regarded the projection of the bulb as due to the action of the obliqui: the movements of the lids he considered to be passive, and due to those of the bulb. Remak, on the other hand, believed that the narrowing of the palpebral fissure was due to a relaxation of the levator palpebræ superioris, accompanied by a spasmodic contraction of the orbicularis. Moreover, he conceived that the sympathetic acted upon the voluntary muscles of the lids about the eye. Müller considers that it is now no longer necessary to discuss the various probabilities respecting the influence of the sympathetic upon the voluntary muscles of the eye, as a complete series of unstriped muscles have now been observed, which will serve as a foundation for explaining the movements in question. These muscles consist of three divisions: 1st, In the orbital cavity of mammals, a membrane (membrana orbitalis), consisting of unstriped muscles with elastic tendons, exists, which, by irritation of the cervical sympathetic, projects the contents of the orbit, especially the bulb, forwards. Retraction is produced by the transversely-striped retractor. In man, the orbital muscle is much reduced in size, and the retractor is wanting, so that a distinct projection of the bulb does not follow irritation of the sympathetic, as Wagner and H. Müller himself have observed. 2d, The projection of the nictitating membrane in mammals is mostly due to the retractor bulbi under the influence of the N. abducens. Its withdrawal depends on some unstriped muscles which are under the influence of the sympathetic. In hares, however, the withdrawal is due to a transversely striped muscle, which is not supplied by the sympathetic but by the oculo-motorius. In man, the lid and its muscles are rudimentary. 3d, The upper and lower lid possess in mån, and in very many mammals, unstriped muscles, which have the power of drawing them back. They are more feeble in the upper than the lower lid, so that by irritation of the sympathetic the latter is drawn back in a more marked manner than the former. Narrowing of the palpebral fissure, after section of the cervical sympathetic, depends upon relaxation of these muscles. Yet recession of the eye-ball may depend upon relaxation of the orbital muscle. Müller, then, concludes that the movements occasioned by experimenting on the cervical sympathetic are not such as to entitle us to infer an influence of that nerve upon voluntary striped muscles. He also considers that the movements about the nose and mouth, said by Bernard to be produced by section of the sympathetic, if they do take place, are owing to the presence of unstriped cutaneous muscles. Müller next inquires into the existence of unstriped muscles in the skin of the ear. He has occasionally found, on galvanizing the cervical sympathetic in cats, that a movement of the hairs growing upon the skin at the entrance of the concha has taken place. This experiment has, however, frequently failed both in cats and other animals. A careful examination of the skin of the part did not give any indications of unstriped muscles, but very distinct muscles were seen connected to the hair follicles. He considers these experiments of interest, as they appear to indicate whence the muscles of the hair follicles receive their nerves. Owing to the movement of the hairs being limited to a very small locality, during the irritation of the sympathetic, one must suppose that only a very small part of the unstriped muscular apparatus of the skin of the cat can be regulated by the cervical sympathetic. Notes on the Occurrence of the Musculus Kerato-cricoideus. -In a paper, entitled "Remarks on the Musculus Keratocricoideus (Merkel's Muscle)," read to this Society in January 1860 (see Proc., vol. ii. part 1, page 135), I directed attention to an account which had been given by Dr Carl Merkel of Leipsic (Stimm und Sprach-Organ, 1857), of a hitherto undescribed muscle of the human larynx. Merkel described this muscle as arising from the posterior surface of the cricoid cartilage, and extending obliquely upwards and outwards to be attached to the posterior margin of the inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage. He stated that the muscle was not found in every larynx, and that when present it existed only on one side. In my remarks, I supplemented the description of Merkel with some additional particulars, more especially pointing out, that, although, as a rule, the muscle only occurred on one side, right or left, as the case might be, yet that a double muscle might exist. I figured an example of such a bilateral muscle, which at that time was the only one I had seen. Since then I have met with two additional cases in which a double kerato-cricoid muscle was present. One of these was especially note-worthy, for the muscle, on both sides, was more largely developed than in any previous example that had fallen under my notice. The great size of the keratocricoid muscle was combined with a general laryngeal muscularity. The occurrence of three examples of a double kerato-cricoid muscle, during the last two years, within my own experience, shows that the bilateral arrangements is not so unusual as was in the first instance supposed.* Wednesday; 22d January 1862.-JAMES M'BAIN, M.D., R.N., The following gentlemen were elected Members of the Society :Edward Hargitt, Esq., an Ordinary Member; and the Rev. William Cæsar, Minister of the parish of Tranent, and Daniel Manson Logan, Esq., Seafield Lodge, Leith, as non-resident Members. The following Donations to the Library were laid on the table, and thanks voted to the donors: 1. Report of the United States Commissioner of Patents, 1859. Mechanics, Vols. I. and II.-From United States Patent Office. 2. (1.) Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1859. Washington, 1860. (2.) Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge :-Astronomical Observations in the Arctic Seas, by Elisha Kent Kane, M.D., U.S.N., Washington, May 1860; Tidal Observations in the Arctic Seas, by Elisha Kent Kane, M.D., October 1860.-From the Smithsonian Institution, U.S.A. 3. (1.) Notice of the Indians seen by the Exploring Expedition under the Com * Since the above was written, a specimen of a symmetrical kerato-cricoid has been sent me by Mr H. P. Mallam, who found it in a subject in the dissecting-room of Charing-Cross Hospital. VOL. II. 2 U mand of Captain Palliser, by James Hector, M.D., and W. S. Vaux, M.A. (2.) On the Geology of the Country between Lake Superior and the Pacific Ocean, visited by the Government Exploring Expedition under the Command of Captain Palliser (1857-60), by James Hector, M.D. (3.) On the Physical Features of the Central Part of British North America, and on its Capabilities for Settlement, 1861, by James Hector, M.D., F.G.S., &c. From James Hector, M.D. The Address of Condolence to her Majesty on the death of H.R.H. the Prince Consort, which had been agreed upon by the Council, was submitted to the meeting by Alexander Bryson, Esq. — UNTO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. We your Majesty's loyal and dutiful subjects, the Presidents, Council, and Fellows of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh, humbly desire to convey to your Majesty the expression of our deepest sympathy and condolence for the irreparable loss sustained by your Majesty and the Nation, in the lamented death of your Illustrious Consort His Royal Highness Prince Albert. We beg to assure your Majesty, that we feel the loss of your Royal Consort the more deeply, as he was the enlightened Patron and earnest Student of those Sciences which we are incorporated to advance. May the Almighty God whose works we meet to study, and whose wisdom we adore, give to your Majesty and your bereaved Family that consolation and comfort which ever flow from Him alone. We remain, with the profoundest respect, MADAM, Your Majesty's most faithful subjects and dutiful Servants, Seal. EDINBURGH, 22d January 1862. JAMES M'BAIN, President. The Address was unanimously agreed to; and the Secretary was instructed to forward it to the Right Honourable Sir George Grey, Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, for presentation to Her Majesty. |