CHAPTER III 



FUNCTIONAL INERTIA EXHIBITED AS POST-STIMU- 

 LANT AND POST-MORTEM ACTIVITY 



IN the last chapter I reviewed evidence showing 

 that the possession of inertia on the part of proto- 

 plasm was variously manifested by latent periods, 

 refractory periods, insusceptibilities of all kinds, 

 and the establishment of limits to the amount and 

 potential of activity phenomena capable of being 

 grouped under inertia of rest, anabolic inertia ; 

 we now pass on to a group of phenomena comple- 

 mentary to these. The push has been given, the 

 inertia of rest overcome, and now, if the stimulus- 

 push be stopped, the great door continues swinging 

 on through a certain angle action outliving stimulus. 

 Biologically, post-stimulant action is the counter- 

 part of this swing after ceasing to push. 



Post-stimulant activity is due to katabolic inertia. 

 A case of this is illustrated by Ehrlich's theory * 

 of the overproduction of free receptors so as to give 

 rise to antitoxin in the blood of the immunised 

 animal. The presence of the toxin in the blood of a 

 susceptible animal stimulates the tissue-cells, which, 



* Hill and Co-writers, "Recent Advances in Physiology and 

 Bio-chemistry/' p. 443. (Arnold, 1906.) 



