Chap, vi.] SOME OTHER SENSATIONS. 1065 



dition possess a similarly feeble general sensibility, but it sup- 

 poses that the muscular sense is merely a development of gen- 

 eral sensibility not a special sense, like that of touch. We 

 have no positive reasons for this supposition, and arguments 

 based on the analogy of the skin oppose it. We have seen rea- 

 son to regard the cutaneous sensations of pressure and tempera- 

 ture as wholly distinct from those of general sensibility, that is 

 to say of pain ; and we may conclude that the muscular sense is 

 similarly a special sense, similarly distinct from affections of 

 common sensibility in either muscular fibres or their connective 

 tissue appendages. 



We ought therefore probably to conclude that the muscular 

 sense though based in part on impulses derived from the mus- 

 cles, and further from the muscular fibres themselves as well as 

 from the tendons, is also, and possibly to a large extent, based on 

 impulses derived from the joints, though we cannot as yet assign 

 accurately the relative share. If this be so the 'muscular' 

 sense is not a wholly appropriate term ; but it would be unde- 

 sirable, at present at least, to attempt to replace it by a new one. 



This muscular sense, using the term in its broad meaning, 

 enters largely into our life. By it we are not only enabled to 

 coordinate and execute adequately the various movements which 

 we make, but through it we derive much of our knowledge of 

 the external world. Through it we are also conscious of the 

 varying condition of the several parts of our body even when 

 the muscles are at rest; the tired and especially the paralyzed 

 limb is said to ' feel heavy.' In this way the state of our mus- 

 cles and other tissues largely determines our general feeling of 

 health and vigour, of weariness, ill health and feebleness. 



The fact that the Pacinian bodies are found around joints 

 has led to the suggestion that these serve as the terminal organs 

 of the muscular sense ; but especially bearing in mind what has 

 just been said, the argument which we used against considering 

 the touch corpuscles as the terminal organs of touch may, with 

 perhaps still greater force be applied against regarding the 

 Pacinian bodies as the terminal organs of the muscular sense. 



