ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE 53 



This, I think, brings us more or less up to date, and 

 leaves the so-called science of electro-physiology in a 

 somewhat hopeless condition. No two sets of observers 

 are in agreement, and, as a matter of fact, the general 

 medical practitioner has in his heart about as much respect 

 for electro-physiology as he has for manifestations of the 

 occult. 



All this appears to be very extraordinary and difficult 

 of explanation. How is it that these great men of science 

 were not only unable to agree but really discovered very 

 little of service to humanity ? The reasons are not far to 

 seek. 



In the first place they were not, any of them, trained 

 submarine-cable electricians, specialists in their work, 

 whose business it is to acquaint themselves with the 

 conditions under which tests of such extreme delicacy and 

 difficulty must be conducted. For this branch of research 

 a specialist electrician is imperatively called for. 



The causes of the confusion, the sources of error in the 

 past, lie, in the main, in three factors which have never been 

 taken into consideration, for the reason that they were 

 not discovered. These three factors are 



(1) The constant electro-chemical generation 'of nerve- 



force in the human body. 



(2) The presence in that body of great conductive and 



inductive capacity ; and 



(3) The conductive and inductive capacity of every 



liquid and every moist substance or object. 



Let us see how these factors come into play as sources 

 of error. 



That the human body generates static electricity by 

 muscular movement is well known, but this charge can 

 be dissipated in a few moments by placing the body 

 preferably by the palms of the hands in contact with an 

 earth plate of low resistance. That it possesses electro- 



