APPENDIX 53 



inherent stability of their tissue, from occurring in 

 excess." What is here called "inherent stability" 

 sets a limit to affectability : evidently Dr. Mercier's 

 " stability " is what I have named inertia. Else- 

 where (p. 304) Dr. Mercier writes : " the molecules 

 fall back into their old positions " the idea of 

 inertia is latent here. 



APPENDIX 



Professor Bose in his book on " Plant Response/' 

 published in 1905, analyses in a very interesting way 

 the factors which are causal in the production of 

 rhythm. On page 311* we read: " We have thus 

 obtained some insight into that very obscure pheno- 

 menon which is known as the after-effect. By the 

 inertia of the organism there is a certain loss of time 

 before response begins to take place, and this deter- 

 mines the latent period. But when the stimulus 

 has already initiated movement, the responding 

 organ will, through the same inertia, continue to 

 show this movement even when the stimulus has 

 ceased to act." 



It is satisfactory to me to find so able a biologist as 

 Professor Bose adopting my views and almost my 

 own words on "inertia of the organism," a synonym 

 for functional inertia, even although according to him 



* " Plant Response as a^ Means of Physiological Investigation," 

 1905-3*1 



