INTRODUCTION 9 



found also that these changes were diminished by de- 

 pressing the activity of the brain by administering 

 morphia or nitrous oxide during the application of 

 the stimuli. In other words, the stimuli of mere 

 consciousness and the stimuli of injury, of fear, or of 

 infection cause these fundamental lesions; morphia 

 and nitrous oxide diminish them ; sleep cures them. 



The foregoing data offer an explanation of the 

 identical phenomena which are attendant upon cer- 

 tain forms of external and internal activation, but 

 they are insufficient to explain the uniform and, to a 

 large degree, exclusive participation of certain organs 

 -the brain, the adrenals, the liver, the thyroid and 

 the muscles in the production of the phenomena. 

 We must infer, however, that these organs bear the 

 brunt of the transformation of potential into kinetic 

 energy and the neutralization of the consequent acid 

 by-products in the body and that they have been 

 evolved for that purpose. They merit therefore the 

 distinction of being termed the Kinetic System. 



According to the evidence we shall present the 

 functions which these organs are presumed to per- 

 form in the process of transforming energy are as fol- 

 lows : The brain is the initiator of response, being 

 activated by the environment within or without the 

 body ; acting like a storage battery, it contributes the 

 initial spark and impulse which drives the mechanism. 

 The adrenals act as oxidizers, making possible the 

 transformation of energy and the neutralization of the 

 resulting acid products. The liver is the chief fabri- 

 cator and storehouse of the carbohydrate fuel by which 

 muscular action and heat are produced. The liver 



