124 GERMINATION 



than the endolymph, or secondary winding. As regards 

 the first the maximum supply of blood, and consequently of 

 energy, is directed to the base of the cochlea, where, as it 

 lies on the outside, the perilymph would be directly affected 

 and charged. The second condition, i.e., that of sectional 

 area is not quite as clearly borne out, except in the cochlea, 

 where the endolymph is restricted to the cochlear duct, 

 and so lies in a narrow canal between the underlying scala 

 tympani and the overlying scala vestubiH, both of which 

 contain perilymph. 



However, as we shall presently see, other means are 

 adopted to obtain the desired result. 



The neuro-electrical potential of the perilymph and 

 endolymph must be the same, because it is the potential 

 of the blood. Moreover, exact equilibrium — the one thing 

 imperative in all natural processes — between them is main- 

 tained, as, I believe, by their ganglia. The perilymph is 

 contained in the bony labyrinth. Inside that, and of 

 approximately the same shape, is the membranous labyrinth, 

 filled with endolymph, so that in the cochlea the convolu- 

 tions of the induction coil are to some extent carried out, 

 and we may reasonably suppose the membranous substance 

 to sufficiently insulate the weak natural current to render 

 induction possible. 



There is, obviously no room in the cranium for an 

 induction coil of the familiar type, and owing to the absence 

 of many turns of fine wire the intensification of the 

 secondary circuit of such a coil is not obtained. All that we 

 can see clearly up to this point is that anything tending to 

 alter the resistance of the perilymph must of necessity tend 

 to alter, by induction, the resistance of the endolymph, and 

 if we were content to leave the matter there we need only 

 postulate that as the fibres of the auditory nerves connect 

 with the endolymph, the neuro-electrical waves set up by 

 differences in resistance would, of course, in a sensory 

 system, be conveyed to the brain. 



But we should be overlooking the fact that intensification 

 is, in all probability, called for, and disregarding what is an 



