BIONOMICS 233 



shall look increasingly to biological factors, such as reciprocal 

 differentiation, for purposes of discrimination, i.e., deter- 

 mination of the biological adequacy of food substances. "Love- 

 foods " are so ideally organised that their energies are 

 capable of being transmitted in the most beneficial and direct 

 manner to the animal; whilst colloids not specially organised 

 frequently can be assimilated only indirectly, partially and 

 precariously, leaving dangerous residual energies, which prove 

 a disturbing factor in the physiological economy and integrity 

 of the animal. A somewhat similar sequence obtains in the 

 nutrition of plants. They suffer as soon as the principle of 

 symbiotic feeding is seriously infringed. 



The next chapter will provide ample evidence to show the 

 danger of food residues and the injuriousness of certain groups 

 of colloids; as detrimental as many crystalloids or alkaloids, 

 such as are not specially organised for food, but often indeed 

 for quite opposite purposes, i.e., prevention of ingestion. 



Our position as regards " in-feeding " is thus becoming 

 increasingly clear. Evidently indiscriminate use of colloids, 

 as here involved, cannot have the same beneficial effects on the 

 developments of taste and smell, or as regards possibilities of 

 metabolic response as has cross-feeding. 



That in the case of in-feeders the prevailing diathesis and 

 failure of stimulation of important nerve centres may easily 

 concur to facilitate pathogeuetic transformation of nerve-force 

 into electricity now becomes much more evident. Electric fish, 

 like the Torpedo and Gymnotits, represent a " pathogenesis " 

 which is the reverse of symbiogenesis. The facts are easily 

 interpreted on my diagnosis. To satisfy their morbid feeding 

 habits, all that these animals require is an occasional sudden 

 pathogenetic production of force. This is possible so long as 

 they can precariously replenish their losses by what I call ill- 

 gotten gains of "explosive" substances. 



It is also clear that with increasing indulgence morbid 

 cravings must increase rather than otherwise, and that in such 

 cases quantities excessive for ordinary physiological purposes 



