THE KINETIC SYSTEM 189 



ucts of the normal interaction of the brain and the 

 muscles, and the cooperation of these organs is essen- 

 tial to the transformation of the potential energy of 

 the body into heat or motion. 



Effect upon Energy Transformation of Decreased Activ- 

 ity of Certain Organs of the Kinetic System 



A system of organs that cooperate to accomplish 

 a specific function should show as a mark of that co- 

 operation an alteration in the sum total of its activities 

 as a result of any alteration in the condition of any 

 organ in the system. In other words, if the brain, the 

 liver, the thyroid, the adrenals and the muscles cooper- 

 ate as a system whose chief function is the transfor- 

 mation of energy, then loss or impairment of the function 

 of any one of these organs should result in a loss or 

 impairment of the power of the entire organism to 

 transform energy for the production of heat or motion. 

 In like manner, increased activity of the brain, the 

 adrenals, the thyroid or the muscles should result in 

 an increased production of heat or motion. 



Convincing evidence on this point is found in the 

 fact that adrenin alone, thyroid extract alone, brain 

 activity alone and muscular activity alone are capable 

 of causing the body temperature to rise above normal. 

 The functional activity of no other organ or gland 

 of the body, alone, and the secretion of no other gland 

 of the body, alone, can cause a comparable rise in body 

 temperature, that is, a comparable increase in the 

 power of the body to convert potential into kinetic 

 energy. No active principle derived from the kidney, 

 the liver, the stomach, the pancreas, the hypophysis, 



