Eesearclies on the Discharge of the Electric Organ. 77 



small, jind perhaps tlio iinmlxT of disturbaneos in the nerves 

 Avhich can pass through the decrement of nerve-endings or of some 

 altered part in the nerve becomes less ; and when the prolongation 

 does not appear, the smallness of the discharge is caused on account 

 of a small part of nerve fibres in a trunk being excited. Tims 

 tlie phenomenon gives support to the " all or none " theory. 



Summary. 

 Since several new phenomena liave been 1)rought to light 

 after the analyses of the oscillograms, and since at present we have 

 not an opportunity to confirm them by further experiments, we 

 are obhged to leave many problems as not positively decided. 

 We shall conclude this paper, by summarising the results. 



1) A formula expressing the time relation of a simple dis- 

 charge may l)e got from tlie tlieory of prol)al)ility and is expressed 

 by 



.r 

 — li!o(i- 



ij =. A e ' -'0 , 

 where y denotes the electromotive force at time x measured h-om a 

 certain fixed moment, ô^ and Xq being constants. 



2) In the case of the direct stimulus of short duration, the 

 origin of time in tliis formula is in agreement with the instant of 

 stimulation. 



3) When the direct stimulation is of a longer duration, the 

 dischaige in response to it may be analysed into two simple dis- 

 charges corresjionding to the closing and to the opening-stimulus, 

 and eacli of them may be represented l)y the al)Ove formula, having 

 its origin at the instant of the corresponding stimulus. 



4) Taking the value of A as the measure of the excitation, 

 the relation Ijetween the intensity of a stimulating current and the 

 excitation in response forms an S-shaped curve which rises from the 

 zero-stimulus very slowly, then c[uickly, and after passing an 

 inflexion point on its way, finally ap])roaches asymptotically a 

 constant maximal value. 



5) With regard to the relation between the duration of a 

 stimulating current and the excitation in response, Hoorweg's 

 decrement factor seems to hold good. 



