The distribution of nerves to the arteries of the arm, with a discussion of the clinical values of results

INTRODCCTIOXOur knowledge concerning the vascular nerves of the body is exceedingly scanty.The standard textbooks contain only scattered and incomplete references t o the nerve-supply of bloodvessels.The few isolated papers dealing with the subject are inadequate and do not give clear accounts which can be utilized in clinical practice.For these reasons Mr. Wingate Todd has advised the reinvestigation of the vascular nerves in homo and at his suggestion I have undertaken the dissection of the nervesupply to the arteries in the arm.The importance of the work was first impressed on Mr. Todd by Prof. Elliot Smith of Man-Chester, whose description of a vascular nerve to the axillary artery formed the starting point of the present research and to which reference will be made later.The following is a brief abstract of the statements made in various standard textbooks regarding the nerve-supply of the bloodvessels of the arm : Hamaim, writing in Piersol's Anatomy (1)' mentions (a) the supply of fibers to the subclavian artery and its branches from the ansa subclavia (p.1362), the distribution of filaments (I)) to the volar inter-O S S ~O U S artery from the corresponding nerve (p.1301) and (c) to the ulnar artery in the forearm from thf. palmar cutaneous hranch of the ulnar nerve (p.1305).