MECHANICAL PHENOMENA. 45 



out exception in female cats were almost as constantly 

 wanting in male cats. Accompanying this was always a 

 difference in the behavior of the cats when bound into 

 the holder for observation. While the females would lie 

 quietly and purr, the males would fly into a rage and 

 struggle to get free. The following observation showed 

 the direct connection between the mental state and the 

 movements of the gastro-intestinal tract. A male cat 

 which had been fed an hour and a half previously was tied 

 into the holder. The waves were passing regularly over 

 the stomach at the rate of six a minute. This had not 

 lasted long when the cat fell into a rage and all movement 

 in the stomach ceased at once. 



A similar relation exists between the mental state and 

 the movements of the intestine. This is not surprising 

 when it is remembered that the nerves which are distributed 

 to these two portions of the alimentary tract are the same. 

 Whenever a cat becomes enraged and for some time after 

 it is again pacified the movements of the small and large 

 intestine cease entirely. Even when an animal is only 

 slightly restless in the holder no intestinal movement may 

 be apparent. In a continuously 

 fretful cat this may continue for 

 an hour. Between the periods of 

 excitement the intestinal move- 

 ments go on in a normal manner* 

 When the segmenting movements 

 in the small intestine cease, the 

 segments of food coalesce to form 

 a single long string. In Fig. 14, FIG. 14. 



A, is shown the appearance of the (Copied from CANNON: Ameri- 

 large intestine when the anti-per- can Journal of Physiology, 

 istaltic waves are running nor- 1902 > VI > P- 275 ) 

 mally, and in Fig. 14, B, how the same region of the intestine 

 looks when the anti-peristaltic waves are inhibited through 

 excitement. Interesting is the fact that the tonic contrac- 



