234 



IMIYSIOLOUY OK MI'H'I.KS AND NKKVFS. 



f<>re become quite inoperative, or less operative than 

 (lie inner. This injurious influence must be yet more 

 strongly developed on the cross-section, where a layer 

 of crushed, that is, deal muscle-substance, overlies 

 the ]):irts which yet remain operative, Owin^ to all 

 these circumstances, a coating of inoperative but con- 

 ducting substance envelopes the operative muscle- 

 elements, and the distribution of the tensions on the 

 regular muscle-prism is fully explained. And when 

 such a muscle-prism is divided, the conditions al \vavs 

 remain unaltered. Karh part of a miisele-prism mu>t 

 act as would the whole. 



I'l<. . <!l. Dl.Uii: AM i IK AX oill. Kill: t K(S sl-;< HON. 



Our hypothesis is therefore quite able to explain 

 the electric phenomena of a regular muscle-prism. 

 We must now see how it stands in relation to the other 

 facts which we have learned. If the artificial cross- 

 section is made obliquely to the axis of the musde- 

 tibivs, as in a .regular or irregular mnscle-rh unbus, then 

 our a-simied muscle-elements, at the cross-section, will 



be arrane-ed one over tl ther like steps, and are 



clothed by a ];i\er of crushed, and therefore inopera- 

 tive tissue, as is represented in fi-r. (H. o u sncli a 

 cross-section it is evident that separate currents must 

 circulate from the positive 1 m-it udinal section to 

 the ne..-;, in,, cross-section of each individual muscle- 

 clement, and tlie->e combine with (l,e current elicu- 



