ON LIVING MALAPTERURUS. 413 



It was certainly in the highest degree improbable, that the fresh 

 organ of the Malapterurus should have an amphichromatic reaction, 

 and that of the Torpedo, an acid one. In order to explain Max 

 Schultze's statement, I therefore ventured the suggestion, that the 

 electrical organ might, like muscle, become more acid by con- 

 tinuous exertion. It is easy to conceive that Torpedos, from the 

 moment of their capture until they reach the observer's hands, are 

 exposed to a multitude of annoyances, to which they respond by 

 shocks, so that they themselves bring their organ into the con- 

 dition of the muscles of guinea-pigs and frogs which I had 

 tetanised to exhaustion (see Collected Papers, vol. ii. pp. 26 ff. and 



This suggestion has only been verified in part. Moreau found 

 that the organ of the Torpedo had a neutral reaction 1 ; Boll an 

 alkaline one ; thus in any case, Max Schultze is mistaken in regard 

 to the reaction of the fresh organ in a state of rest. After the 

 lapse of 6-1 o hours, Boll saw that the organ of the Torpedo had 

 become acid. According to him, however, it does not become acid 

 like muscles, through exertion 2 , and thus it remains uncertain how 

 Max Schultze was misled. ' 



1 Annales des Sciences naturelles, etc., loc. cit. p. 6. 



2 Archiv fur Anatomic, etc., 1273, pp. 99, 100. 



