8i 



CHAPTEE X 



EESPONSE IN METALS 



Is response found in inorganic substances? Experiment on tin, block 

 method Anomalies of existing terminology Response by method of 

 depression Response by method of exaltation. 



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WE have now see that the electrical sign of life is not 

 confined to animals, but is also found in plants. And 

 we have seen how electrical response serves as an index 

 to the vital activity of the plant, how with the arrest of 

 this vital activity electrical response is also arrested 

 temporarily, as in the case amongst others of anaes- 

 thetic action, and permanently, for instance under the 

 action of poisons. Thus living tissues both animal 

 and vegetable may pass from a responsive to an irre- 

 sponsive condition, from which latter there may or may 

 not be subsequent revival. 



Hitherto, as already said, electrical response in 

 animals has been regarded as a purely physiological 

 phenomenon. We have proved by various tests that 

 response in plants is of the same character. And we 

 have seen that by physiological phenomena are gene- 

 rally understood those of which no physical explana- 

 tion can be offered, they being supposed to be due to 

 the play of some unknown vital force existing in living 

 substances and giving rise to electric response to stimu- 

 lation as one of its manifestations. 



G 



