History of the Johnstones, 1191-1909, with ... - Electric Scotland

CHAPTER XX.
Johnstone's Books — Death of Lord Lyttelton — Correspondence with Mrs
Montagu— Thomas's Illness—James's Letter— Settles in Worcester— Galabank's
Letter and Death—Edward's Illness— In Edinburgh— Letters from
Drs Cullen and Gregory— In Birmingham—Samuel Johnson and Dr Priestley
—Visit to the Lockharts—Assemblies at Sutton Coldfteld—Mrs Montagu's
Letter— Gordon Riots—The Jail Fever—Death of Young James—His Character—His
Father removes to Worcester—Members of the Literary Society
—The Assize.
THE
result of Johnstone's experiments on the ganglions of the nerves
were at first privately printed and presented to several physicians
among others to Baron Haller, the Swiss medical Principal of the
University of Gottingen, who began a controversial correspondence with the
author which lasted from 1761 to 1775. He was no vivisectionist, for, when
speaking of his experiments with kittens and rabbits, he says they must be
made immediately after the animals are killed ; but with frogs he thought they
could easily be deprived of sensation, and that this should be done before pro-
ceeding further. Dr Lyttelton (brother to Lord Lyttelton), who was Dean of
Exeter and then Bishop of Carlisle, President of the Antiquarian Society, presented
Johnstone's pamphlet to the Royal Society, and, with supplementary
articles, it was printed in Volumes LIV., LVII., and LX. of the Philosophical
Transactions in 1764. Another essay refuting objections appeared in the
Encyclopedia, and both are favourably mentioned by Dr M'Kittrick in his
Commentaries on the Principle and Practice of Physic, and also by Dr Tissot
in his Traite des Maladies Nerveuses. Frederic Casimir seems to have adopted
the whole system in a work published at Mannheim in 1774, and Dr Kolpin,
of Stettin, translated it into German, the work being entitled Versuch uber den
Nnssen der Nervenknottcn von James Johnstone.
Of this book the author wrote: "Solitary and indeed casual study produced
my first sketch on the uses of the ganglions of the nerves, a subject on
which no one had even plausibly conjectured anything probable. From this
arose the little notice taken of it by the anatomists in this kingdom. No one
had any idea of it ; no one could pretend any claim to the discovery ; on this
single subject there was no room for wrangle more anatomico—so one of the
most important discoveries of the age has been but little noticed, at home
especially, yet it is the key which unlocks the functions of the heart."