350 



ELECTRO-rHYSIOLOGY 



CHAP. 



towards the tendon, and may be derived from the inner half of 

 the externally situated dipolar molecules. When the parelectro- 

 nomic layer consists of a whole series of dipolar molecules 

 arranged in columns a " parelectronomic tract " results. Bern- 

 stein (13) has recently modified du Bois' molecular theory in 

 certain essential particulars, endeavouring to give it a new basis 

 as the " electro-chemical molecular theory!' According to him the 

 living fibres must be presumed " to consist of a longitudinal series of 

 molecules, aggregated into fibrils of a finite diameter, lying in a 

 congruent fluid, from which they derive their nutrition (para- 

 plasma)." They are linked together by forces, " which may be 

 regarded as identical with, or akin to, chemical affinity," and 

 consist of a nucleus of complex chemical constitution, identical 

 with Pfliiger's living molecule of albumen. The long sides of 



(c) If} 



(c) (c) 



(c) (c) 



M \0 



(c) (c) 



(c) (c) 



FIG. 111. 



the molecular nucleus (M), conceived as a prism (as in Fig. Ill), 

 the end-surfaces being linked together loosely by atoms of oxygen, 

 are described by Bernstein as " laden with oxydisable non-nitro- 

 genous groups of atoms, comparable with fine platinum wires, 

 dipping into an atmosphere of hydrogen." " The rows of mole- 

 cules, bathed in nutritive fluid, constantly draw out of it the 

 charges essential to metabolism." " If these are regarded as 

 electro-positive in relation with the molecular nucleus, the oxygen 

 atoms on the other hand as electro-negative charges of the same, 

 the current of rest in the muscle (and nerve) results when the 

 longitudinal surface is connected with an artificial cross-section. 

 It may also be assumed that on making an artificial section the 

 tearing apart of the chain of molecules sets free assimilated 

 oxygen, which would be negative in potential to the molecular 

 nucleus." The parelectronomic condition of the ends of tendon 

 would be explicable on this theory, if it is assumed " that each such 



