CoGiTic Evolution of Man 609 



ated glands. Here then the sensory or cognitic centers and 

 their nerves, such as the eye, the ear, the skin, and their nerve 

 endings remain intact for hours or days it may be, while all 

 mental acts are equally continued. In time these only col- 

 lapse through gradual destruction of biotic flows of energy, that 

 thus starve and then exhaust the two higher forms. Examples 

 are found in the mineral and various organic acids, in snake 

 poisons, and in some ptomaines. 



The possible explanation in all of these cases may be that 

 such poisons can act chemically on the molecules of the proto- 

 plasm or some food constituent of it, so as to rapidly disinte- 

 grate its complex molecular or energized machinery, and thereby 

 retard alike the continued flow and the storing of biotic energy. 

 The more complex cognitic and cogitic cell substances may 

 from their greater molecular complexity and so higher ener- 

 gized condition be able to resist these more perfectly, till broken 

 down by failure of biotic material to recoup the waste going on. 



Again, the action of the alkaloid curarine seems to be spe- 

 cially on the sensory or cognitic nerves, so that the voluntary 

 muscles presided over by these nerves become paralyzed, the 

 eyes and other sense centers become dull and unresponsive, 

 even though the involuntary muscles and associated organs 

 continue their function, and an excited state of the higher 

 nervous or cogitic centers may be observed at least at first. 

 Here then the curarine seems so to alter the chromatin or cog- 

 nitic substance in particular, and so retards the flow of cognitic 

 energy, that paralysis of the appropriate main centers for its 

 expression is speedily effected. 



Ether and chloroform, in their action on plants and animals, 

 are liquids that retard cognitic and cogitic flow, but in man 

 and higher animals each first and quickly acts on the nerve 

 centers for the latter, and later for the former. So correlated 

 sensation and mental balance are first interfered with, mem- 

 ory next is lost, then the sense centers become paralyzed, and 

 eventually the biotic or vegetative system alone remains active. 



Accepting at least for the moment the foregoing conclusions 

 as aiding toward the explanation, on a purely chemico-physical 



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