VIII. On the regeneration of nerves

Abstract

The view expressed by Galen that nerves once divided are incapable of undergoing repair, was that universally accepted until the latter part of last century. It is true that Guy de Chaullac speaks of the perfect restoration of divided nerves, but as he speaks at once of nerves and tendons, it is doubtful whether we can accept his remarks as really referring to nerves. Cruikshank (2) was the first to show that reunion is possible. He divided the vagus of the right side in a dog, and three weeks later excised a portion from the nerve of the opposite side, and the animal made a perfect recovery. Three weeks later he killed the dog, and found both nerves reunited. The results of his investigations were communicated to the Royal Society on 13th June, 1776, but his paper was not printed until nineteen years later. His preparation, however, was placed in Wm. Hunter’s Museum, and was the means of stimulating others to further researches. I found this preparation in the Museum in Glasgow University, and was easily able to identify it from the drawing published with the paper.