Method of Regulation in Behavior and in Other Fields. 489 



example at regulative changes in the chemical activity of the 

 organism, such as we see in acclimatization to poisons, in responses 

 to changes in temperature, or in the adaptation of the digestive 

 juices to the food. What is the material from which the regulative 

 changes may be selected ? One of the general results of modern 

 physical chemistry is expressed by Ostwald ('02, p. 366) as 

 follows: "In a given chemical structure all processes that are 

 possible, are really taking place, and they lead to the for- 

 mation of all substances that can occur at all." Some of these 

 processes are taking place so slowly that they escape usual obser- 

 vation; we notice only those that are conspicuous. But in 

 its enzyms the body possesses the means of hastening any of these 

 processes and delaying others, so that the general character of 

 the action shall be determined by the more rapid process. Such 

 enzyms are usually present in the body in inactive forms (zymo- 

 gens), which may be transformed into active enzyms by slight 

 chemical changes, thus altering fundamentally the course of the 

 chemical processes in the organism. 



It is evident that the organism has presented to it, by the con- 

 dition just sketched, unlimited possibilities for the selection of 

 different chemical processes. The body is a great mass of the 

 most varied chemicals, and in this mass thousands of chemical 

 processes in every direction — all those indeed that are possible — 

 are occurring at all times. There is then no difficulty as to the 

 sufficiency of the material presented for selection, if some means 

 may be found for selecting it. The process which will relieve 

 any unfavorable condition, if any such process is possible, is actually 

 occurring in an infinitesimal way, and needs only to be hastened. 



Further, it is known that interference with the physiological 

 processes does result in many changes in the internal activities 

 of the organism, as well as in its external movements. Intense 

 injurious stimulation causes not only "excess" movements of the 

 body as a whole, but induces marked changes in circulation, in 

 respiration, in temperature, in digestive processes, in excretion, 

 and in other ways. Such marked internal changes involve, 

 and indeed are constituted by, alterations of profound character 

 in the chemical processes of the organism. These chemical 

 changes are sometimes demonstrated by the production of new 

 chemical substances under such circumstances. Furthermore, 

 it is clear that the internal changes due to interference with the 



