INORGANIC RESPONSE 



127 



Increased response after continuous stimulation. 

 We have seen that re- 

 sponses to uniform sti- 

 muli sometimes show a 

 staircase increase, ap- 



parently owing to the 

 gradual removal of mole- 

 cular sluggishness. Pos- 

 sibly analogous to this 

 is the increase of re- 

 sponse in nerve after 

 continuous stimulation 

 or tetanisation, observed 

 by Waller (fig. 79). Like the staircase effect, this 



a T b 



FIG. 79. THE NORMAL RESPONSE a IN 

 NERVE ENHANCED TO b AFTER CON- 

 TINUOUS STIMULATION T (WALLER) 

 The normal response in nerve is recorded 

 ' down.' 



yyyyyyu 



Before T After 



FIG. 80. ENHANCED RESPONSE IN PLATINUM AFTER CONT INUOUS STIMULATION T 



contravenes the commonly accepted theory of the dis- 

 similation of tissue by stimulus, and the consequent 

 depression of response. It is suggested by Waller that 



