392 BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS 



worn-out and effete materials which have " borne the brunt " 

 of organic tear and wear, and which now must be removed, 

 to prevent auto-toxis, and " make way " for a new mole- 

 cular distribution of nutritive plasma. All which is 

 accomplished by the unaided efforts of organic textures 

 innervated by the sympathetic system, and, very slightly 

 only, supplemented by the systemic, and mainly at the 

 points of exit of the excretionary organs only or where 

 the conjoint action of the two systems is necessary for 

 the orderly and unopposed operation of the eliminatory 

 machinery, and the communal recognition of mutual 

 obligation. In the mutual discharge of the communal 

 functions of the two nervatures, a somewhat elaborate set 

 of mutually understood signs and warnings are constantly 

 in use by them, a true knowledge of which constitutes a 

 not unimportant part of human education, and power to 

 meet the functional emergencies and ever-recurrent neces- 

 sities of everyday life, and which may " make or mar," to 

 a considerable extent, the sum of human happiness, as 

 well as of bodily comfort and health. 



The clinical bearings of this latter fact, that the two 

 nervatures maintain their frequent union of function, by 

 means of mutually understood signs, and also become 

 a physiological instrument, which, rightly used, may be 

 fraught with great therapeutic power, in the hands of 

 the observant and resourceful physician, when engaged 

 in the routine of his daily work, and in estimating the 

 nature, and strength, of the pathological factors to 

 which he is opposed, are obvious. 



As the systemic nervous system somewhat suddenly, 

 and precipitately, resigns its burden to the care of its 

 nervine colleague, the sympathetic, at the entrance of 

 the alimentary canal, so does the sympathetic resign its 

 burden, to be finally disposed of by its reasoning and 

 alert partner, the systemic, and, if there should be any 

 failure to understand, or appreciate, the language of the 

 signs, by the latter, or any inability to meet the obli- 

 gations, then the blame must be apportioned to the latter, 

 and the way to prevent any recurrence of such a con- 

 tingency must be sought for in the rectification of its 

 intrinsic faults, by the application of appropriate remedies. 



