ANIMAL ELECTRIdTV, 



LECTURE V. 



109 



sheath and core It has its exit from sheath where it 

 Hberates the positive ions (base, hydrogen), and its 

 entrance into core where it Hberates the negative 

 ions (acid, oxygen, &c.). Leaving the nerve by the 

 kathode, the current passing from grey core to white 

 sheath has its exit from the core and its entrance 

 to the sheath, and consequently positive ions are 



Fig. 47. — Diagram illustrating the theory that extra-polar currents of medull- 

 ated nerve are due to electrolysis at the interface between sheath and axis. 

 Following the direction of the polarising current from copper to zinc through the 

 nerve fibre we have : 



(i) Anode to sheath Acidic electrolysis. 



(2) Kathode from sheath 



(3) Anode to axis 

 5 (4) Kathode from axis 

 t (5) Anode to sheath. 



(6) Kathode to sheath 



liberated in the former, negative ions in the latter. 

 The counter-current from these liberated ions 

 weakens the original current, is in fact tantamount 



