NEURAL TERMS, INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL.’ By BURTG. WILDER,M. D., Profcssor of Nrurolom, rtc., CornrN Uniucrsity. Introduction, Five conditions have led to the preparation of this article at this time. $1. The American Neurological Association, at its session in Philadelphia, June 5, 1896,unanimously adopted the Report of the Committee on Neuronymy embodying the previous reports of three other American committees and extending the list of Latin terms recommended from eleven to forty ; see $80. 92. The Anatomische Gesellschaft, at its session in Hasel, April 19, 1895, adopted the Keport of its Committee on Ana- tomische Nomenclatur, comprising a list of Latin names for all the visible parts of the human body (see Table VII), and pro- vided for its revision at intervals of three years. Presumably the Gesellschaft sanctioned the declarations of principles which had been published by the secretary of the committee (Krause, ’91,’94; see Part V.)’ The list was published early in the summer of 1895 as a part of an article, t‘I)ie Anatomische Nomenclatur,” by Professor Wilhelm His, constituting a ttSup- plement-Band ” to the ‘I Anatomische Abtheilung ” of the Archiv fiiv Aitatomie uiid Physiologic. Certain principles and certain portions of the list merit high commendation ; others, The more important parts of this article were embodied in a lecture, “The Present Aspects of the Somenclature of the Brain,” delivered at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Aug. 3, 1896. ‘See the Bibliography, Part IX. The date after the name of a writer de- signates the year of publication. The joint works of S. H. Gage and myself ore indicated by W. & G., ’82, ‘86,’89. WILDER,Npural Terns. 2'7 in my opinion, are to be as deeply regretted. Among the least acceptable features are the designations and coordination of the encephalic segments and the assignment of parts thereto; Table VI. $3. In the official action of the Gesellschaft (Part V), and in a recent manual by the president of its committee, Professor Albert von Kolliker are declarations against the efforts of the American committees which may be due in part to ignorance or misapprehension of the facts. As chairman of two of the American committees and as secretary of a third, I may not inappropriately endeavor to remove the impediments to a clear- cr comprehension of our position. I particularly desire to free the committees, their individual members, and the associations which they represent, from responsibilities not yet assumed by them. $4. In the article above mentioned Professor His not only 'evinces a failure to comprehend the aims of the Amer- ican Committees, but also misrepresents what has been done by me as an individual. Such misrepresentations, unless. corrected, might well, especially in Germany, impair the efficiency of my past and present utterances upon An- atomic Nomenclature. A correspondence begun in Dccem- ber, 1895, has failed to adjust our disagreement, and it is most reluctantly submitted to other anatomists. In an experience of thirty-five years this is my first scientific controversy, and I trust it may be the last. $5. During the quarter of a century since my attention was first drawn to the defects of current anatomic terms my convictions may be assigned to five different stages dating re- spectively from 1871, 1880, 1884, 1889 and 1895. Beyond the last I now discern no opportunity for progress except- ing in the elaboration of details. It is my desire to devote the rest of my life to the study of the brain, and this seems to be a fitting time for submitting such statements of principle and suggestions of practice as may facilitate the labors of others upon Anatomic Nomenclature. 218 JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVENEUROLOGY. §6. This article comprises nine parts as follows : I. Definitions of certain terms eniploycd in tlie dis- cussion of Anatomic Xomcnclature. 11. Stages of the writer’s terminologic progress. 111. Report of the Committee on Neuronymy of the American Neurological Association, with commentaries. IV. Discussion of the differences between certain terms in that report and those adopted by the Anatomische Gesellschaft. V. Reply to criticisms offered by the Anatomische Gesellschaft and by its members. VI. Correspondence with Professor Wilhelm His. VII. List of the Neural terms adopted by the Anatom- ische Gesellschaft and of those now preferred by the writer. VIII. Concluding remarks. IX. Bibliography. Part 1. Definitions. $7. It is assumed that all who read this article seriously arc familiar with the parts of the brain referred to, and that they have likewise a “working knowledge” of ancient and modern languages. Hut space will be saved by the employ- ment of certain terms which are rather linguistic than anatomic, and some of which either are comparatively new, or are here used in new or restricted senses ; these are therefore first briefly defined. The definitions of course apply to the Latin forms of the English words ; the adjectives and other derivatives are self-explanatory. §8. Onym-From o*ro~a,same as ~~o,uu,a name. Pro- posed by Coues (’82) in the sense of biologic name. It is seldom needed alone but is the essential element or base (S30) of many derivatives. $9. Toponym.-From onyiiz and rrixo.;, place. A term indicating location or direction; e. g. /atrval, at the side; Interad, toward the side ; tvansrction, cutting across. 1 Definitions may be found also in the more recent English and medical dictionaries. Some of the terms are discussed in my articles, ‘8s and ‘89. WILDER,Neural Terms. 219 QIO. 0vganonym.-The name of a part or organ ; e. g. hziinems. Qr I. Newonym.-The name of a part of the nervous system. 912. Polvonym.-A name consisting of more than one word ; e. g. fissiwa centralis ; vostrunr corporis callosi; plexus chorioidea ventriculi quarti ; ittr a tedo ad qtlnvtu7n uentriduwi. This use of the word QolYonyrn is analogous to that of PO&- andw, polygamy, etc. ; see note to p. 5 r8 of W. & G., '89. $13. Dionym.--A term consisting of two words; e. g. vertebva thoracalis; artcrz'a br-achialis ; gy7-u~mllosalis. Dionyms are perhaps the most common kind of polyonyms. They have a certain analogy with the technical names of animals and plants since the noun often indicates a group of similar or related parts and the adjective designates a specific member of the group. $14. Tribnyrn.-A term consisting of three words ; e. g. zwtebra thovuralis piima. Here, as with the so-called trinom- ials of zoology, the second adjective may be said to designate a subspecies. Q I 5. Mononym.-A name consisting of a single word ; e. g. imula. Strictly speaking a mononym is either a noun or some other word used as a noun. But the application may be conveniently extended as in the next definition. 3 16. Mononymic QuaLz$er.-A qualifying word, (adjective, participle or genitive), coiisisting of a single word ; e. g. the second word in each of the following dionyms : Gyms postcen- tvalis (for G. ctwtralis postenor) ; G. subfrontalis (for G. frontalis iizferior). $1 7. Ordinal Names.-These indicate the ordcr or num- eric location of a member of a series; e. g. costapri'ma; VPY&- bva thoracalis prima.' 1 With any series extending lengthwise of the vertebrate body the member nearest the head is regarded as first The only instance known to me of disre- gard of this conventional assignment is the enumeration of the segments of the brain in the schema of Prof. lli, as adopted by the German Committee. 220 JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVENEUROLOGY. $ I 8. Attributive Names.-These refer, at least in part, to some real or fancied attribute ; e. g. calloswt; oblongata; vagus. $ 19. Silltile Nanws.-These express real or fancied re- semblances to other objects by means of the suffixes fork or oid~s; e. g. yestiformis, ti-apemide~. Most simile names might as well be converted into the corresponding metaphoric names ; e. g. vcstis, tvapeziirm. $20. ,Vic:np/ron'c A'ames. -The names of non-anatomic objects are transferred to parts having some real or fancied resemblance thereto ; e. g. pons, insula, thalamus, fa/%. 92 I. MrtapRovic Dimi?iufizies.-Since many parts are smaller than the more familiar objects whose names have been transferred to them the diminutive form is sometimes used ; e. g. vallicula (from vallis) ; fasciculus (from fascis) ; collicultds (from collis); clazkla (from clnvis). Since, however, size is so variable and unessential an attribute, and since verbal diminu- tives arc commonly longer than their originals, the latter might as well be employed. But this suggestion would not apply to a case where there are two of a general sort differing mainly in size ; e. g. cevebruin and cevebellum ;falx (falx cevebvi) ;fala- la (falx cerebelli) . $22. Polychvestic Word.-One that does duty in many connections ; e. g., occz$italis, which in various combinations aids in designating at least twenty-five different parts. $23. Hoinonym-A name applied to two or more differ- ent parts ; an ambiguous term. An extreme case is that of os as signifying either a bone or an orifice ; the oblique cases and derivatives of course distinguish them. Medulla has been ap- plied to several parts. Ep$/r~szs may designate the end of a bone or a part of the brain. Theoretically objectionable, the context commonly frees homonyms from serious ambiguity. $24. /dionym.-A word which, at least in anatomy, re- fers to but one part; e. g., cevebrllum; thalamus; chiasma; pons ; insula. $2 5. Idioryvzs by Recombirtation. Comir postenits, as em- ployed by most anatomists, is a homonym, designating either a Wr LDER. iVtwyal Trmts. 22 I cavity of the cerebrum or a feature of the myel (spinal cord).