THE GENERAL EFFECT OF STIMULATION 75 



excitation or depression produced by a stimulus as an alteration 

 in rapidity in the specific vital process of a given organism, we 

 are thereby expressing the same fact which Johannes Milller has 

 termed "specific energy." We give, however, the doctrine of 

 specific energy a more general application in so far as it com- 

 prehends not only the increase but likewise the decrease of activity 

 in response to stimuli. Johannes Miiller's doctrine of specific 

 energy of the living substance at all times has been the subject 

 of most animated discussion. When I refer here to the specific 

 energy of living substance, it is with the knowledge that Johannes 

 Milller did not use this expression of "living substance" in this 

 connection. He was already acquainted, however, as we have 

 seen, with the fact of the existence of the specific energy of all 

 living structures. For appertaining to the muscle he says : "This 

 is universal in all organic reaction." The reason why the doc- 

 trine of sense energy has become of importance in the discussion 

 of the specific energy of the living substance, is in consequence of 

 the theoretical interest, resulting from its connection with the 

 nature of the specific energy of our sense substances. The con- 

 troversies on this subject are still far from settled.^ Indeed, 

 according to the special philosophical standpoint taken by an 

 observer, the existence of a specific energy of the senses is 

 acknowledged or disputed. For any one acquainted with the 

 general physiological reaction to stimuli, such a discussion is 

 wholly without purport. The sense substances have as a matter 

 of course in common with all living substances their specific 

 energ}', that is, the influence of stimuli can produce an increase 

 or decrease of their specific vital processes. "Specific energy" of 

 "sense substance" in this sense is like that of all other living sub- 

 stances, a fact. In that the psychical capability of these sense 

 substances, in which we include not only the peripheral, but also 

 the central portion, are dependent upon their specific vital pro- 

 cesses, it must be self-evident that the excitation and the sup- 

 pression of sense sensation can be brought about by adequate and 



1 Compare: Rudolf Weinmann: "Die Lehre von den specifischen Sinnesenergien." 

 Hamburg 189S. 



Further: Eugen Minkowski: "Zur Mullerschen Lehre von den specifischen Sinnes- 

 energien." In Zeitschrift f. Sinnesphysiologie, Bd. 45, 1911. 



