Retina impulses

Scope and Content

Figure showing impulses from the retina causing reflection of animal spirits from the ventricle into the appropriate nerve tubes for movement of the arm, taken from Descartes' Traité de l'Homme, 2nd edition, 1677. Annotations on the back read "49/05/30/07 Purser lecture. Jefferson, Descartes fig.4" and "Manchester Royal Infirmary Dept. of Medical Photography".

This image features in the publication, G. Jefferson, 'René Descartes on the localization of the soul', Irish Journal of Medical Science, 1949, 285, pp.691-706. The Purser lecture was delivered by Jefferson on 26 May 1949 at Trinity College, Dublin.