The Organisation of Matter 



immediately indicated by the needle of the 

 galvanometer, and may be measured by the 

 degree of its deviation. The necessary apparatus 

 is provided for recording photographically the 

 indications of the galvanometer and repre- 

 senting the results of the experiments by means 

 of curves. On the other hand, various means 

 are employed for producing the excitation. 

 One extremity of the body under experiment is 

 struck, twisted, subjected to variations of 

 temperature or treated by chemical re-agents, 

 while the other extremity is left untouched. 

 In each case the galvanometer gives the 

 " electric response " to the excitation. The 

 proceeding is not new; but Bose deserves the 

 credit of having generalised its employment and 

 carried it to its logical consequences. In the 

 absence of the diagrams supplied by him, which 

 offer the most convincing of all demonstrations, 

 we shall merely explain, in a general manner, the 

 results obtained. 



The fundamental fact is the generality of 

 the electric response; it had been previously 

 observed only in the living muscle, and its 



abolition by death had appeared to supply a 



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