In recent years considerable interest has been aroused concerning the rôle of the depressor nerve in angina pectoris and the possibility of relief through sectioning this nerve. As there is variance in the use of the term "depressor nerve," and as its anatomy is, in general, little understood, this study was made with a view to clarifying the matter.
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
In the literature, the name "depressor" has been given to several nerves of vagal origin, first of all to a nerve occurring in the rabbit, described first by Cyon and Ludwig.1 This nerve has been shown repeatedly to be a depressor by physiologic experiments. Stimulation of the peripheral end of the cut nerve in the rabbit, as a rule, gives negative results, while stimulation of the central stump causes a reflex fall in blood pressure. The name has also been given to the cardiac branches of