ELECTRIC FISH 



composed of organic tissue. The nervous system 

 produces chemical action with identical results. The 

 water in which the disks are bathed is decomposed in 

 proportion to the production of electricity. Part of 

 the oxygen remains, absorbed by the tissues for 

 purposes of respiration ; the surplus, with the hydro- 

 gen, passes by diffusion into the digestive tube, and 

 is expelled from it as these bubbles which are seen 

 to leave the eel's mouth when it is hunting down 

 its prey. 



A resemblance of this sort, extending even to details, 

 is in itself remarkable. If we wished to prove the 

 identity of the vital mechanism with that of the physical 

 mechanism, with the production of energy in both cases, 

 we could not find a better or more complete example. 

 Organic nature, far from being in contrast with in- 

 organic nature, behaves in the same way in its processes. 

 It does not matter that the movement which gives rise 

 to these processes is of a different nature, higher and 

 more complex; the same quality of impulse is none the 

 less there. 



What then are these extraordinary organs, these 

 living batteries which, in all the world of organic beings, 

 are found only in fishes, in which they produce such 

 curious effects? Comparative anatomy has an answer 

 ready. They are modified muscles, whose business it 

 is to produce electrical energy instead of the accus- 

 tomed mechanical energy. 



They take the place of normal voluntary muscular 

 tissue. They have the fundamental structure of that 

 tissue. The muscles 1 , or most of them at least, consist 

 of bundles of parallel fibres placed side by side, show- 

 ing transverse striation under the microscope. Hence 

 the name " striated muscles " which is given to them. 

 Similarly, the electrical organs are actually an assem- 

 blage of little parallel columns whose substance is 

 cut up into disks set one upon another. It is not so 

 originally. In the embryo of the torpedo, the rudi- 



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