Nervous System in the Fibrillar Theory of Giorgio Baglivi

Authors

  • Niko Zurak University Department of Neurology Zagreb University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia

Keywords:

Fibrillar theory, Vegetative nervous system, Neural vasomotor function , Hematoencephalic barrier

Abstract

The drafts,epistles, headwords, and conceptual basis known as the fibrillar theory of Giorgio Baglivi, published in his bool entitled De fibra motrice et morbosa, were analyzed in an attempt to re-evaluate Baglivi's contribution, generally considered quite modest, to the development of scientific thought on the nervous system functions. The analysis revealed Baglivi's identification of the reflex organization, vegetative nervous system funciton and neural aspect of the vasomotor function to be surprisingly valuable. I believe that the lucidity and genuine contemporariness of Baglivi's standpoints arise the question of the historical precedence in the discovery of these functions (it is usually attributed to F.X. Bichat for vegetative nervous system, and to Claude Bernard for vasomotor nerves) In the light of these facts, the need of an exper revision of the history of discovering nervous system function is suggested.     

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Published

2000-03-01

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Section

Articles