244 



RESEARCHES ON SECONDARY ELECTROMOTIVE 



With weaker currents and the same arrangement, negative 

 kathodic polarisation outweighs positive anodic, so that the current 

 led off from the whole intrapolar tract is negative, of which an 

 example may be given : 



Descending current. 4 Daniells. Closing time 5 sees. Transmission time -026 sec. 

 to -034 sec. 



After such experimental results no one will be disposed to 

 maintain that the entire intrapolar tract is internally polarised in 

 the same direction. The utmost that could be supposed with 

 regard to that matter, is that one half undergoes internal positive 

 the other internal negative polarisation, or that both are positively 

 and negatively polarised at the same time, but in such a manner 

 that the positive is in excess at the anodic half, the negative at 

 the kathodic half of the intrapolar tract. This would be a totally 

 different kind of polarisation of the intrapolar tract from that 

 assumed by du Bois-Reymond. 



Admitting, however, the existence of an internal polarisation 

 in opposite directions of the two halves of the intrapolar tract, 

 it can be conclusively shown that such a polarisation could not be 

 generated by the current within the intrapolar tract, but must be 

 caused by a change of the muscle substance propagated from the 

 anodic or kathodic spots to the intrapolar tract. For if the anodic 

 spots of the muscle which showed strong positive anodic polarisa- 

 tion be destroyed, without making any other alterations in the 

 arrangement of the apparatus, and if then the same stimulating 

 current be again sent through in the same direction, there is no 

 positive but at the utmost weak negative anodic polarisation on 

 breaking the current. 



I have performed this experiment in various ways, and always 

 with the above result. For instance, the stimulating current was led 

 through the bones to the horizontally extended sartorius, and one 



