168 PRINCIPLES OF PHYSIOLOGY 



mud-fish of the Nile, Malopterurus electricus, 

 is a modification of glands of the skin. 



92. Further, it would appear that modern 

 views as to the nature of solutions, in relation 

 to electrical and other actions, must also be 

 applied to the living tissues. Thus salts may 

 act not as salts, but in solution the elements 

 may exist separately as ions, related to either 

 the positive or negative poles of a current, 

 or carrying electrical charges, and that 

 physiological activities may vary according 

 as the anion (positive pole ion) or the kation 

 (negative pole ion) comes into play. There are 

 thus in living matter subtile phenomena of 

 which we yet know very little. 



