514 LIVING TORPEDOS IN BERLIN. 



i. e. to zero, and hence these formulas, in which the irreciprocal 

 resistance is left out and regard had only to polarisation, sufficiently 

 represent the facts of the case, as now presented to us. 



The result comes under the same form, if we put the positive 

 polarisation P independent of / instead of proportional to it ; this 

 corresponds better with the hypothesis, according- to which it is 

 only the after-effect of a shock, for in this case we have simply 



without additional resistance, and 



11 



with such resistance and many Groves. The first expression is 

 positive, the second approximates to zero as W increases. 



Consequently, according to the observations up to the present 

 time, in spite of all appearance, it is not necessary to assume 

 irreciprocal resistance in order to explain how the fact stands. It 

 is so improbable, that the absolutely and relatively positive polari- 

 sation by the homodromous current could effect an increase of 

 this current in comparison with the heterodromous in the ratio of 

 100 : 13*3 (see above, p. 507), that the decision sought for cannot be 

 arrived at in this way, and we must seek for it in another experi- 

 mental field. 



10. Measurements of the resistance of the electrical organ 

 of the torpedo. 



Quite apart from all other questions attaching to the subject, it 

 was naturally of great interest to ascertain something about the 

 conduction of the organ in comparison with the other tissues. The 

 mode of procedure was given by the experiments which I performed 

 in 1871 in connexion with the resistance of the muscle of the frog, 

 that of physiological rock-salt solution and of clay prepared with it 1 , 

 in which I made use of the contrivance employed first by Ranke, 

 viz. to enclose the tissue, liquids, etc. in glass tubes of equal 

 dimensions, in order to give them a prismatic form, equal length 



1 Gesammelte Abhandlungen, vol. ii. p. 373 f. 



