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ELECTRICAL FISHES 465 



per prism, this gives us for each single plate an E.M.F. of 



These values are undoubtedly of quite a different order 

 from those given for the E.M.F. of cold-blooded nerves, which 

 is always below 0'025 D. On the other hand, it is a striking 

 and hardly adventitious fact that the figures for the E.M.F. 

 of the discharge from the plate, and the maximal negative varia- 

 tion of the muscle, are not merely of the same order, but are 

 identical, whence Schonlein (I.e. p. 501) concludes that "the 

 substratum at which the discharge of the electrical organ of 

 Torpedo is completed may be identified exclusively with the 

 substratum in which the negative variation of the muscle 

 completes itself." 1 The hypothesis that there is any change 

 of position of preformed electromotive molecules in the dis- 

 charge, seems, however, under all conditions to be excluded, from 

 the fact that the majority of electrical organs are no more 

 than transformed muscles, and that the molecular theory has 

 been disproved in regard to the latter. This is obviously not 

 the place (since we are here concerned solely with the summary 

 of the data so far contributed to the physiology of electrical 

 fishes) to go beyond the intentions of the founder of the 

 alteration theory, and attempt from that standpoint to explain 

 the phenomena. It is, however, permissible to say that, in the 

 opinion of the author, Hermann's theory is as well adapted to 

 cover the new department (which merely, as it were, contains old 

 matter in a new garment) as it proved to be in regard to gland 

 and plant currents. 



From this standpoint the principal interest attaches to 

 chemical processes within the active substance proper of the 

 electrical organ ; it is well, therefore, to subjoin a few remarks 

 on this subject, more particularly as comparing these with the 

 corresponding reaction of striated muscle, since this is the material 

 whence develops the electrical organs. 



That the activity of muscle is correlated with chemical processes 

 is shown inter alia by the fact (first pointed out by du Bois-Eey- 



1 More recently, on the other hand, Schoulein has adopted the view that the 

 electrical plate is a "nerve-ending" (analogous with the motor end-plate). The 

 electromotive substance of the muscle would then have entirely disappeared (which 

 is certainly not the case in Raja). 



VOL. II 2 H 



