in Lacteal Absorption and Nutrition. 41 



indicates them to be in opposite electric states ; we cannot refer 

 these effects to the combinatiun of the chyle with the intestinal 

 fluid to account for the direction of the current, and assume that 

 the chyle is acid; it may, however, be urged that the blood is 

 positive to the intestinal secretions, as we have already shown in 

 our former series of experiments, and that the effects are due in 

 these experiments to the electric condition of the blood being 

 conducted by the mesentery. We do not deny that the eifects 

 may be partly due to these circumstances; but if they were en- 

 tirely due to them, how is it that no effect ensued when the chyle 

 and the blood were formed into a circuit ? would not this indi- 

 cate that they are both iu the same electric state ? 



We do not think it necessary to bring forward any physio- 

 logical reasons to point out the analogy between the two organic 

 actions, secretion and lacteal absorption, as M'e prefer allowing 

 our conclusions to iTst upon the experimental evidence we have 

 now adduced, rather than on any a priori argument, except for 

 the purpose of confirming our deductions. 



§ 3. On the manifestation of Current Force during nutrition in 

 the Muscular and Nervous Tissues^-. 



The researches of Matteucci establish this important fact, that 

 when the inner and external surfaces of a muscle in a live animal 

 are formed into a circuit, current force is produced; and the in- 

 ference which Matteucci draws from this fact is the following, 

 that this current depends upon the vital action of nutrition. He 

 also states, " we must never forget the analogy between the mus- 

 cular electromotor element and the Voltanian element : the zinc 

 is represented by the discs of the muscular fibre, the acid liquid 

 by the blood, the platinum by the sarcolemma. Whatever be 

 the conducting body with which the zinc is made to communi- 

 cate with the platinum, the current is always in the same direc- 

 tion The chemical actions of nutrition evolve electricity f." 



Reasoning from these facts and the results we had obtained in 

 the former series of expermicnts, it appeared desirable to ascer- 

 tain what would be the effect if we applied one electrode in con- 



* The following ex])eriments were performed previous to our knowledge 

 of Du Bois Reymond's researches. As we do not wish to enter into the 

 disjmte which has arisen between Matteucci and Du Bois Reymond, and 

 witli our present knowledge of the researches of the latter exjierimentalist, 

 we are anxious that the experiments should appear as originally presented 

 to the Royal Society. Those who wish for further informatiou in reference 

 to this controversy, we must refer to the origiuid pa])ers of these two authors, 

 a list of which nuiy he found in a note apjjended to a ])a])er ])ublishe(l in 

 tlu: Philosophical Magazine for September 1855, entitled, " On the Force 

 evolved during Mu.scular Contraction.'' 



t Phil. Trans. 1845, p. .'iOl. 



