Researches on the Discharge af the Electric Orj^'an. 



40 



Table XXI. 



0>cillügrani No. S4 (Plate XX.). 



In eacli set of tlie experiments, the ratios of the two modal 

 latent periods were found to be nearly equal. The disagi'eement 

 in tlie third set must have oecurred in virtue of the differences of the 

 interval between the stimuli as shown in t]ie table. So we liave 

 to conclude tliat the temporary fatigue, so far as it is defined by the 

 prolongation of the modal latent period, is not the result of the 

 discliarge. 



In December 1901), Lucas ^"reported tlie same phenomenon in 

 a somewhat different way. According to his paper, experiments 

 were made on the negative variation in the sartorious muscle of the 

 frog. The instrument used by him was a capillaiy electrometer 

 and the curve ol)tained was corrected l)y the method of Burch. As 

 the time of reference he alwa_ys took the latent period /'. e. tlie 

 interval between the stimulus and the commencement of its re- 

 sponse. Even Avhen he measured the interval between the stimulus 

 and the summit of the response curve in his later paper, he sub- 

 tracted a constant value in order to obtain tlie latent period. For 

 my part, to measure on a curve the commencement of the response 



The Journal of Physiology, Vol. 39, p. 331. 



