A Dissertation on The influence of the Nervous System on the Functions of Respiration & Digestion

Version: 8 (current) | Updated: 11/19/2025, 8:34:07 PM

Added description

Description

Essay on the Nervous Influence on the Digestive System

Overview

This item is a single‑volume essay written in English in 1851 by Susanna H. Ellis, a medical student affiliated with Drexel University in Philadelphia. The manuscript is preserved as a set of scanned images (JPEG and TIFF) and an accompanying text file, all catalogued in the PINAX digital repository. The essay is a concise treatise on the physiological relationship between the nervous system and digestive functions, typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century medical literature.

Background

Ellis produced the essay during a period of burgeoning interest in autonomic physiology. Drexel University, then a nascent institution, supported research into the interplay of nerves and organ function. The work references contemporary scholars such as Dr. Wilson (vagus nerve and gastric secretion), Dr. Carpenter (inflammation and anemia), and Dr. Reid and Valentine (experiments on the vagus and sympathetic nerves). The essay reflects prevailing theories that mental states could modulate digestive activity through neural pathways.

Contents

The manuscript is organized into six sections:
  • Introduction – outlines the purpose of examining nervous influence on digestion.
  • Peristaltic Movement – discusses the role of the vagus and spinal cord in esophageal and intestinal motility.
  • Cardia and Gastric Secretion – examines spinal control of the stomach sphincter and vagal regulation of gastric juice.
  • Secretory Organs – covers saliva, bile, pancreatic fluid, and liver secretion, noting the impact of mental emotions.
  • Inflammation and Blood – cites Dr. Carpenter’s view on inflammation and its effect on blood quality, linking deranged nervous function to anemia.
  • Conclusion – summarizes the nervous system’s overarching influence on digestive processes.
  • The scanned pages (12–20) provide the full text, with marginal notes and occasional diagrams illustrating nerve pathways.

    Scope

    The essay focuses on physiological mechanisms of digestion from ingestion to secretion, emphasizing neural control and psychosomatic effects. It is limited to the human digestive system and does not extend to comparative anatomy or experimental data beyond cited literature. The material is valuable for historians of medicine, physiologists, and scholars studying the evolution of autonomic theory in the 19th century.

    Entities

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    Entity Relationships

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    Raw Cheimarros Data

    @file_pinax -> documents -> @ellis_dissertation:document {title: "A Dissertation on The influence of the Nervous System on the Functions of Respiration & Digestion", creator: @susanna_ellis, institution: @drexel_university, year: @date_1851, language: "en-US", subjects: [@nervous_system, @respiration, @digestion, @medicine, @dissertation], description: "A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Penna. Med. College of Pennsylvania as an inaugural thesis for the Degree of M.D.", place: @philadelphia}
    
    /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
    /*  Synthesis – linking the dissertation to other entities across sub‑dirs   */
    /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
    
    @dissertation:concept {description: "Academic work presenting original research for a professional degree"}
    
    @ellis_body_of_work:document {title: "Works of Susanna H. Ellis (1851)", components: [@ellis_dissertation, @thesis, @essay_nervous_influence_on_digestive_system]}
    
    /* Author‑centric connections */
    @susanna_ellis -> authored -> @ellis_body_of_work
    @susanna_ellis -> authored -> @ellis_dissertation
    @ellis -> authored -> @thesis
    @ellis -> authored -> @essay_nervous_influence_on_digestive_system
    
    /* Topic‑centric connections – the dissertation discusses the same concepts explored elsewhere */
    @ellis_dissertation -> discusses -> [@nervous_system, @respiration, @digestion]
    @thesis -> discusses -> [@nervous_system, @respiration, @digestion]
    @essay_nervous_influence_on_digestive_system -> discusses -> [@nervous_system, @digestive_system]
    
    /* Experimental evidence referenced in the dissertation (inferred from content) */
    @ellis_dissertation -> cites -> @experiment_reid
    @ellis_dissertation -> cites -> @experiment_rea
    @ellis_dissertation -> cites -> @case_foster
    @ellis_dissertation -> cites -> @valentine
    
    /* Cross‑linking of concepts */
    @nervous_system -> influences -> @respiration
    @nervous_system -> influences -> @digestion
    @vagus_nerve -> influences -> @peristaltic_movement {evidence: "continuity of esophageal branches necessary for quick passage of food"}
    @vagus_nerve -> controls -> @gastric_juice {attributed_to: @dr_wilson}
    
    /* Linking the dissertation to the medical school that received it */
    @ellis_dissertation -> submitted to -> @penna_medical_college {status: "inaugural thesis", degree: "M.D.", when: @date_1851}
    
    /* Relating the dissertation to the broader physiological framework */
    @respiration -> part of -> @physiology
    @digestion -> part of -> @physiology
    @physiology -> studied in -> @medicine
    
    /* Collection‑level abstraction for the entire set of Ellis‑related files */
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    /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
    /*  End of synthesis – entities now linked across Dissertation_Introduction, */
    /*  Nervous_System_Influence, and Digestive_System_Influence sub‑directories. */
    /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */

    Metadata

    Version History (8 versions)

    • ✓ v8 (current) · 11/19/2025, 8:34:07 PM
      "Added description"
    • v7 · 11/19/2025, 8:32:32 PM · View this version
      "Added knowledge graph extraction"
    • v6 · 11/19/2025, 8:30:12 PM · View this version
      "Added PINAX metadata"
    • v5 · 11/19/2025, 8:29:48 PM · View this version
      "Reorganized into 3 groups"
    • v4 · 11/19/2025, 8:29:47 PM · View this version
      "Added child entity 01KAEWY6GNTWZ6NF0EA511JSJG"
    • v3 · 11/19/2025, 8:29:45 PM · View this version
      "Added child entity 01KAEWY4Q76K28RJHPNC7S3KN9"
    • v2 · 11/19/2025, 8:29:44 PM · View this version
      "Added child entity 01KAEWY38PPNS9WSKZ57C4V621"
    • v1 · 11/19/2025, 8:28:27 PM · View this version
      "Alphabetical chunk 1/2 (40 files)"

    Additional Components

    reorganization-description.txt
    # Reorganization Summary
    
    The files were grouped based on the thematic content of Susanna H. Ellis's dissertation. The primary groups focus on the introduction, the influence of the nervous system on respiration, and the influence of the nervous system on digestion. Each group includes both the JPEG and TIFF versions of the files to ensure completeness. This organizational strategy ensures that related content is logically grouped together, making it easier to navigate and understand the dissertation's structure and arguments.
    
    ## Groups Created
    
    - **Dissertation_Introduction**: Files containing the introduction and thesis statement of Susanna H. Ellis's dissertation.
    - **Nervous_System_Influence**: Files discussing the influence of the nervous system on respiration and digestion.
    - **Digestive_System_Influence**: Files discussing the influence of the nervous system on the digestive system.

    Parent

    01KAEWS5KPBBPQKY43XCWKM9Z3

    Children (3)