28 BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS 



automatic regulator of intra-cerebro-spinal tension and 

 pressure, as well as a caloric regulator, and as an insulating 

 agency, but more especially as affording a medium by, 

 and through which the nerve stimuli operate both in their 

 initiation and transmission of nervine molecular changes, 

 or currents, its chemical composition, physiological char- 

 acter, and intra-spatial ubiquity, insuring an ever-available 

 environment of the nervous system, in its entire extent, 

 of the required conditions in, or for, the most elementary, 

 as well as in, or for, the most complex, states, or processes, 

 of nervine and intellectual activity. 



To accomplish these varied and important offices it will 

 be at once apparent that a certain physical consistence, as 

 well as a certain chemical and physiological composition 

 of nervine structure and psychological balance, described 

 in classic phrase as mens sana in corpore sano, is to be 

 maintained, and, therefore, that there is here displayed 

 a wide field for the exercise of the constantly needful 

 potency of mental, moral, and material hygiene. In short, 

 into this great debatable region and peripheral ' ' lone 

 land" surrounding the empire and citadel of our inner 

 life and being it is of the most vital importance that we 

 should allow nothing wrong to enter, and that we should 

 permit nothing wrong to remain. 



The analytical tables compiled by the exponents of 

 organic chemistry will afford a means of comparing the 

 chemical composition of the various forms of lymph and 

 some other fluids, which may be said to be largely, if 

 not entirely, derived from lymph, and will show that a 

 common chemical basis insures and determines a more or 

 less common physiological character of composition, the 

 generic differences of the various fluids being due to the 

 addition of a specific or particular chemico-physiological 

 agent, or substance, the product of a particular secretory 

 structure, agency, or gland. 



We think a casual glance at, and comparison of, the 

 analyses of lymphoid fluids by different analysts will afford 

 the most ample justification for the advancement of the 

 opinions that all the fluids of the body, being of common 

 origin, 'have a comparatively similar chemical composition, 

 and that the chemico-physiological activities of the various 



