SCIENCE AND MAN. 353 



and in such a case we may safely conclude that death 

 is painless. 



The experiences of common life supply us with 

 copious instances of the liberation of vast stores of 

 muscular power by an infinitesimal ' priming ' of the 

 muscles by the nerves. We all know the effect pro- 

 duced on a ' nervous ' organisation by a slight sound 

 which causes affright. An aerial wave, the energy of 

 which would not reach a minute fraction of that neces- 

 sary to raise the thousandth of a grain through the 

 thousandth of an inch, can throw the whole human 

 frame into a powerful mechanical spasm, followed by 

 violent respiration and palpitation. The eye, of course, 

 may be appealed to as well as the ear. Of this the 

 lamented Lange gives the following vivid illustration: 



A merchant sits complacently in his easy chair, not 

 knowing whether smoking, sleeping, newspaper reading, 

 or the digestion of food occupies the largest portion of 

 his personality. A servant enters the room with a tele- 

 gram bearing the words, ' Antwerp, &c. . . . Jonas and 

 Co. have failed.' ' Tell James to harness the horses! ' 

 The servant flies. Up starts the merchant, wide awake; 

 makes a dozen paces through the room, descends to 

 the counting-house, dictates letters, and forwards des- 

 patches, lie jumps into his carriage, the horses snort, 

 and their driver is immediately at the Bank, on the 

 Bourse, and among his commercial friends. Before an 

 hour has elapsed he is again at home, where he throws 

 himself once more into his easy chair with a deep-drawn 

 sigh, * Thank God I am protected against the worst, 

 and now for further reflection/ 



This complex mass of action, emotional, intellectual, 

 and mechanical, is evoked by the impact upon the retina 

 of the infinitesimal waves of light coming from a few 



