ELECTROMOTIVE PHENOMENA IN GLANDS. 517 



The electrical sign of a part in which katabolism is in 

 excess of anabolism (" absteigende Aenderung " of Hering) 

 is negative as contrasted with that of a " balanced part," 

 more negative still to a part where anabolism is in excess of 

 katabolism (" aufsteigende Aenderung" of Hering) and of 

 course vice versa as regards positivity. 



Thus, it is supposed, differences of potential may be 

 originated in the cell as the result of its vital processes, and 

 the cell current will depend, as regards its direction, upon 

 the predominance of either one or the other process and the 

 relation of the resultant condition to that of the rest of the 

 protoplasm. 



The act of production of the secretion by the cell is one 

 in which katabolic action is in the ascendant, so that that 

 part of the cell in which the secretion is occurring should be 

 negative to the deeper parts with a resultant ingoing current 

 when put in circuit, and upon this hypothesis Biedermann 

 explains the ingoing " current of rest " as being the electrical 

 expression of a continuous and predominantly katabolic 

 activity. Should it be possible to overthrow the balance to 

 the anabolic side a reversal of " rest current " ought to occur, 

 and such a condition is known to be capable of production. 



Biedermann then is of opinion " dass eine und diese.lbe 

 Epithelzelle und zwar in fast gleichem Grade bald in dem 

 einem und bald in dem anderen Sinne elektromotorisch zu 

 wirken vermag," in fact " dass jede Zelle als Sitz von 2 

 verschiedenen chemischen Processen auszusehen ist, die 

 gleichzeitig vorhanden, zur Entstehung gegensinniger 

 Spannungen fiihren. Die jeweils zu beobachtende Ablen- 

 kung wtirde demgemass immer nur die Resultirende aus 2 

 antagonistischen Kraften sein." 



Of the two sets of cell processes, the katabolic (called 

 "negative process" by Biedermann) is considered as less 

 resistant to contra-normal conditions than the anabolic 

 ("positive process"). 



As regards the ultimate nature of the processes, secretion 

 of water is suggested as the katabolic process, since in cases 

 in which a mucous surface is found bedewed with secretion 

 the electromotive force of its " current of rest" is always 



