Book - The Nervous System of Vertebrates (1907)
Embryology - 19 Apr 2024    Expand to Translate
|
|---|
| Google Translate - select your language from the list shown below (this will open a new external page) |
|
العربية | català | 中文 | 中國傳統的 | français | Deutsche | עִברִית | हिंदी | bahasa Indonesia | italiano | 日本語 | 한국어 | မြန်မာ | Pilipino | Polskie | português | ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਦੇ | Română | русский | Español | Swahili | Svensk | ไทย | Türkçe | اردو | ייִדיש | Tiếng Việt These external translations are automated and may not be accurate. (More? About Translations) |
Johnston JB. The Nervous System of Vertebrates. (1907) Blakiston's Son & Co., London.
| Online Editor |
|---|
|
| 1906 Textbook Review by Herrick |
|---|
| "The Nervous System of Vertebrates" by J. B. Johnston, Ph. D., Professor of Zoology in West Virginia University. With 180 illustrations. 12mo., 460 pp. Cloth, $3.00 net. P. Blakiston's Son & Co. (See advertising pages of this Journal.)
Among the contributions of American men of science to morphology, none is more distinctive than the recent elaboration of a functional analysis of the vertebrate nervous system. Beginning with a study of the components of the peripheral nerves, it soon extended to include the unravelling of the central connections of the functional systems found in the cranial nerves. The successful accomplishment of these results in a broad way in the lower vertebrates has made it possible to draw up an entirely new set of schemata for the plan of the vertebrate nervous system — schemata in which the unit is the functional system of neurones. The lower vertebrates are found to conform to a single type with remarkable fidelity, in spite of their great differences in organization. Howfar this type is applicable above the Amphibia has been a matter of speculation, for none of the higher forms have been examined from this point of view. The human brain furnishes a partial exception, though here the analysis has been only fairly successful on account of the bewildering complexity of structure. Starting on the firm foundation of the functional analysis of the ichthyopsid type of brain, as already elaborated. Professor J. B. Johnston lias made an examination of the whole phyletic series from the lowest vertebrates upward and published his results in the form of a manual on the ' Nervous System of Vertebrates ' (see advertising pages of this Journal) which is more than an excellent text-book. It is an important positive contribution to vertebrate morphology and will unquestionablv have a large influence in shaping the course of research in vertebrate neurology, both human and comparative. The earlier works on nerve components and functional divisions of the brain were hard reading. The first step in this work was the elaboration of a new nomenclature in which to clothe the new morphological ideas, and porhaps partly on this account, many neurologists have failed ontirely to get the point of view from which these researches have been undertaken, Johnston's book has opened up this field in a way which should be immediately iruitiul. lie has sketched in bold outlines a picture of the functional divisions of the vertebrate type of brain and of the evolutionary history of each system in detail. For the first time human and comparative neurology have been co-ordinated in a thoroughly practical way. The co-ordination is doubtless very imperfect and many of Johnston's homologies must be accepted merely as suggestions of a [program for future research. But as such they represent not only a pioneer endeavor, but a well thought-out and correlated system of principles which rest on the sure foundation of extensive and controlled study of the lower vertebrates, i'robably few morphologists not directly engaged in the study of the brains of the Ichthyopsida realize what an extensive literature has grown up within the past decade in fish neurology and how completely the functional analysis outlined by Strong in Ib'Jo has been confirmed and reinforced by these exceedingly laborious researches. The extension of this functional analysis into the central nervous system has given the key to many of the most baltiiug problems of comparative neurology. Johnston's book has not only made the results of these researches available to morphologists in general, but he has given to physiologists and psychologists, especially comparative psychologists, and insight into the organization and phylogeny of the vertebrate nervous system which cannot fail to supplement in a helpful way their existing literature. C. Judson Herrick. |
| Historic Disclaimer - information about historic embryology pages |
|---|
|
The Nervous System of Vertebrates
By J. B. Johnston, Ph.D.
Professor Of Zoology In West Virginia University
With One Hundred And Eighty Illustrations
London
John Murray, Albemarle Street, W.
1907
Preface
The attempt has been made in the following pages to give an account of the nervous system as a whole, to trace its phylogenetic history and to show the factors which have determined the course of evolution. This has been made possible by recent studies directed toward the analysis of the nervous system on the basis of function. The functional point of view, which is the chief characteristic of the present book, brings the treatment of the nervous system into close relation with the work of recent years on the behavior of animals. The study of behavior aims to give an account of the actions of animals in relation to the environment. The study of the nervous system aims to describe the mechanism by which actions are directed and adapted to the conditions of life.
A text-book of comparative neurology at the present time must meet the needs of workers of all grades, students, investigators and instructors. Its descriptions should be intelligible to students who have had one year of work in zoology or medicine, including the anatomy and embryology of some vertebrate. On the other hand there should be included all facts which are important for the functional and phylogenetic mode of treatment. How far these difficult conditions have been met only the use of the book can show. Little space is given to mere descriptive anatomy and some descriptive matter which is well presented in the text-books of zoology, anatomy and histology in common use, is omitted. This accounts for the brief treatment of the eye, ear and other sense organs, the distribution of the spinal nerves, etc. On the other hand, every effort has been made to bring out clearly the functional significance and relationships of the structures described, and to interest and train the student in the interpretation of structure in terms of function, adaptation and evolution.
In the preparation of the text considerable time has been given to the review of the Author's earlier work and that of other writers, and to the study of many unsettled questions. In this way much material has been collected which is published here for the first time. The new observations, which are found in nearly every chapter, have to do chiefly with the brains of selachians, ganoids and amphibians, and with the origin of the organs of the sense of taste. The whole discussion of the phylogeny of the forebrain in chapter XVIII may be regarded as a new contribution to the subject, since the account given differs in essential respects from the earlier views of the author and from those of other writers. The proof that taste buds have their origin in the entodermal lining of the pharynx establishes an exception to the statement that all nervous structures are derived from ectoderm. It suggests the further possibility that some of the peripheral plexuses of the sympathetic system may form a second exception.
The nomenclature of the nervous system is in a very unsatisfactory state for want of a guiding principle. It is believed that a guiding principle is furnished by the mode of treatment here attempted. The usual description of the nervous system based upon mere structural relations is quite lacking in life and meaning, and no set of terms has any commanding force. Significance and essential fitness of terms can come only with the study of the nervous system from the point of view of functional relationships. It is not yet time for a general revision of nomenclature on this basis. Accordingly the BNA terms which are now the most generally familiar, have been employed as far as they are adequate. The few new terms that have been introduced are necessary for the description of the functional divisions of the nervous system. InTdescribing brain tracts compound names have been employed which indicate the origin and ending of the constituent fibers. Care has been taken to use as the first part of the compound name the name of the nucleus of origin of the fibers. For the sake of consistency and clearness it is necessary to put the names of most nerve centers and tracts into the Latin form. In many places, however, English equivalents have been used interchangeably with the Latin terms. The object has been to deviate as little as may be from common language in a subject in which technical terms must be so largely used.
The majority of the illustrations are made from original drawings. The drawings have been so constructed that in the case of a transverse section the reader looks at the caudal surface of the section, the dorsal border is uppermost and the right and left sides correspond to those of the reader. In the case of lateral views and sagittal sections the anterior end is placed at the reader's left. For the sake of the true illustration of the results of other workers and because of the peculiar value of good figures, a large number of illustrations have been copied. The author wishes to express his hearty thanks to the writers who have given permission for the use of their figures.
At the end of each chapter is a literature list giving the sources for the bulk of the facts contained in the chapter and the authorities for the facts which support at critical points the general views presented. At the end of each chapter there are given also suggestions for laboratory work. These do not constitute a systematic laboratory course, although they offer the material from which each instructor can arrange a course suited to his conditions. The primary intention of these suggestions is to indicate the best or most easily obtainable material for the illustration of the facts in the chapter. It is hoped that in the near future there may be sufficient demand for courses in comparative neurology to warrant the preparation of a systematic laboratory guide.
The first chapter is intended as a help to prospective investigators in the choice of material and methods for their studies. The beginning student may best pass over all but the last two paragraphs of the chapter.
The author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to the larger books on the nervous system of man and mammals, of which those of Barker and Cajal have been the most useful. The most cordial thanks are due to Professor C. Judson Herrick for many helps, including the loan of numerous books and papers and the engravings for Figures 4, 42, 43, 88, 89 and 90, and most of all for reading and criticizing the greater part of the manuscript.
The Author.
