FUTURE ANALYSIS OF MEMORY 293 



ity on the orientation of animals and plants and their 

 formation of organs (2). In these cases, a change 

 in the orientation of the organs produces a change in 

 the chemical condition. If the chemical processes in 

 these instances consist in fermentative processes, the 

 amount of the chemical change in the unit of time 

 must be a function of the number of the ferment-mole- 

 cules and of the fermentable molecules that come in 

 contact. If we assume that both are present in dif- 

 ferent morphological constituents of the living cells, 

 that the ferment, for instance, is present in the nu- 

 cleus, the fermentable substance in the protoplasm of 

 the cell, it is apparent that a change in the position 

 of the cell or a pressure upon it will bring new mole- 

 cules of the protoplasm in contact with the nucleus. 

 In this way the metabolic activity may be increased. 

 Such changes in the peripheral nerve-endings of the 

 skin mieht result in innervations and reflexes. But 



o 



this is all so vague that it only indicates the possibil- 

 ity of the chemical character of the process. It seems 

 forced, if not altogether impossible, to apply this 

 theory to the cochlea of the ear. We could imagine 

 that the vibrations of sound produce corresponding 

 vibrations in the endings of the auditory nerve, by 

 which new molecules are brought into contact with 

 each other. But I cannot see how this assumption 

 could account for the different pitches or the phenom- 

 ena of consonance. While a chemical theory is pos- 

 sible or probable for certain sensations, e. g., light, 

 taste, and smell, it is very doubtful whether such a 



