《本草图经》“牛皮胶制作不甚精”实验求证

《本草图经》记载:"牛皮胶制作不甚精。"为求证原因,笔者以北魏《齐民要术》所载煮胶法为基础,分别用鲜牛皮与牛皮鞋制作牛皮胶。结果显示,鲜牛皮制作的牛皮胶出胶率高,胶呈琥珀色,色泽明亮,拍之即碎,断面有玻璃茬,无腥秽气味;而用牛皮鞋制作的牛皮胶出胶率低,胶呈黑褐色,色泽晦暗,不易干燥,拍之难碎,断面无玻璃茬,有轻度腥秽气味。由于北宋的皮革业发展水平远远高于北魏时期,后者鞋履等旧皮多为未经过鞣制的生皮,前者则为经过鞣制的熟皮。因此,《本草图经》记载的"牛皮胶制作不甚精"真实原因可能是煮制过程中使用了充分鞣制过的熟牛皮。     

Rapid Increase in Neural Conduction Time in the Adult Human Auditory Brainstem Following Sudden Unilateral Deafness

Individuals with sudden unilateral deafness offer a unique opportunity to study plasticity of the binaural auditory system in adult humans. Stimulation of the intact ear results in increased activity in the auditory cortex. However, there are no reports of changes at sub-cortical levels in humans. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate changes in sub-cortical activity immediately before and after the onset of surgically induced unilateral deafness in adult humans. Click-evoked auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to stimulation of the healthy ear were recorded from ten adults during the course of translabyrinthine surgery for the removal of a unilateral acoustic neuroma. This surgical technique always results in abrupt deafferentation of the affected ear. The results revealed a rapid (within minutes) reduction in latency of wave V (mean pre = 6.55 ms; mean post = 6.15 ms; p < 0.001). A latency reduction was also observed for wave III (mean pre = 4.40 ms; mean post = 4.13 ms; p < 0.001). These reductions in response latency are consistent with functional changes including disinhibition or/and more rapid intra-cellular signalling affecting binaurally sensitive neurons in the central auditory system. The results are highly relevant for improved understanding of putative physiological mechanisms underlying perceptual disorders such as tinnitus and hyperacusis.