A history of nerve functions : from animal spirits to molecular mechanisms / Sidney Ochs.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 367-420) and index.

Print version record.

Recent developments have extended our knowledge of the basic functions of nerves: notably, the demonstration of the mechanism within nerve fibers which transports a wide range of essential materials. In order to understand how this discovery occurred, it is necessary to examine its history. The story begins in ancient Greece when nerves were conceived of as channels through which animal spirits carried sensory impressions to the brain. As science developed, the discoveries of various physical and chemical agents supplanted the agency of animal spirits until the molecular machinery of transport was recognized. In this fascinating and complete history, Sidney Ochs begins with a chronological look at this path of discovery, followed in the second half by a thematic approach wherein the author describes the electrical nature of the nerve impulse, fiber form and its changes in degeneration and regeneration, reflexes, learning, memory and other higher functions in which transport participates.

COVER -- HALF-TITLE -- TITLE -- COPYRIGHT -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- 1 INTRODUCTION: GREEK SCIENCE AND THE RECOGNITION OF NERVE AS A CHANNEL -- THE EARLY CONCEPTION OF NERVE CONFOUNDED WITH TENDONS -- PRIMITIVE ANIMISTIC BELIEF IN SPIRITS ANIMATING THINGS, AS WELL AS LIVING BEINGS -- ANCIENT BELIEF IN POWERS RESIDING IN THE HEAD INDICATED BY TREPANATION -- The rise of Greek philosophy and science -- CONCEPTION OF NERVES AS CHANNELS FOR SENSATION AND MOTION -- PLATONIC TEACHING ON THE BRAIN -- HIPPOCRATIC TEACHING ON THE BRAIN -- THE ATOMISM OF THE EPICUREANS -- STOICISM.

ARISTOTLE: THE HEART AS THE SEAT OF THE SOUL -- CHANNELS FOR SENSATION AND PERCEPTION -- THE ALEXANDRIANS: THE DIFFERENTIATION OF NERVES FROM TENDONS -- 2 GALEN'S PHYSIOLOGY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM -- GALENIC PHYSICS IN RELATION TO HIS PHYSIOLOGICAL THEORY -- THE PRESENCE OF BLOOD IN THE ARTERIES -- TRANSFORMATION OF SPIRITS -- DIFFERENCES IN THE VENTRICLES IN RELATION TO FUNCTION -- VENTRICULAR INTERVENTIONS -- GALEN'S VIEW OF VISION -- GALEN'S ALTERNATE CONCEPTION OF HARD AND SOFT NERVES -- 3 NERVE, BRAIN, AND SOUL IN THE MIDDLE AGES.

TRANSFORMATION OF POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS STRUCTURE IN THE MIDDLE AGES -- CELL THEORY: A SIMPLIFIED REPRESENTATION OF THE BRAIN VENTRICLES -- THE TRANSMISSION OF GREEK LEARNING TO THE WEST -- ISLAMIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO MEDICAL THOUGHT AND THE THEORY OF VISION -- THE RELATION OF SPIRIT TO SOUL DURING THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES -- THE LATER MIDDLE AGES -- 4 RENAISSANCE AND THE NEW PHYSIOLOGY -- THE NEW EXPERIMENTALIST VIEW OF THE WORLD -- CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD: THE OVERTHROW OF (MOST OF) GALENIC PHYSIOLOGY -- 5 NEW PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL MODELS OF NERVE IN THE ENLIGHTENMENT.

DESCARTES' CONCEPTION OF THE MOVEMENT OF ANIMAL SPIRITS IN THE NERVES AND BRAIN -- NERVES COMPOSED OF SMALL HOLLOW TUBULES -- THE PIVOTAL POSITION OF THE PINEAL GLAND IN THE CONTROL OF ANIMAL SPIRITS -- RECIPROCAL ACTION OF MUSCLES -- THE REFLEX -- THE BREAKDOWN OF DESCARTES' MODEL -- WILLIS AND HIS CIRCLE -- WILLIS' CONTRAST OF THE SOUL OF BRUTES WITH THE RATIONAL SOUL OF MAN -- THE MOVEMENT OF ANIMAL SPIRITS IN NERVE -- THE PRODUCTION OF MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS -- PLETHYSMOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE AGAINST AN INFLATION OF MUSCLE CAUSING CONTRACTION.

BORELLI'S MECHANICAL ACCOUNT OF NERVE ACTION AND MUSCLE CONTRACTION -- MALPIGHI AND HIS GLANDS IN THE BRAIN -- NERVE CONDUCTION BY ETHEREAL VIBRATIONS -- NERVE VIBRATIONS -- A MUSICAL INTERLUDE -- 6 NEW SYSTEMATIZATIONS OF NERVE FUNCTION IN THE ENLIGHTENMENT -- BOERHAAVE'S SYSTEM OF NERVE FIBERS -- VON HALLER'S PHYSIOLOGY OF NERVE -- LA METTRIE'S MATERIALISTIC ACCOUNT OF THE BRAIN AND MIND -- FORCES ACTING ON THE BRAIN CAUSING MOVEMENT OF NERVE FLUID -- THE SYMPATHETIC (AUTONOMIC, INVOLUNTARY) NERVOUS SYSTEM -- THE ROLE OF THE GANGLIA -- A MECHANICAL THEORY OF GANGLION ACTION.

English.

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