Vital and Physical Motion. 143 



charge arid relaxation which follows, and which continues 

 until it again gives place to discharge and contrac- 

 tion ? Is it that the rhythmical vital motion in oscilla- 

 tofia, in vibratile cilia, in pulsating vacuoles, and in 

 other cases, is to be explained by supposing that the 

 oxygen in the water near the rhythmically acting body 

 keeps this body in a state of charge, expansion, and rest 

 until it is used-up, that then the failing charge brings 

 about discharge and contraction by means of the instan- 

 taneous currents of high tension which are then de-, 

 veloped, and that this motion restores the state of charge 

 and expansion a'nd rest by bringing the moving parts 

 into relation with water containing fresh supplies of 

 oxygen, and so on and on as long as the machinery 

 continues in order and the supply of oxygen in duly 

 kept^up ? That it may be so is the natural inference- 

 from th6 premises, and, so far as I know, there is no 

 good reason why it may riot be so. At first sight, perhaps, 

 it may seem that there" is reason to the contrary in the 

 opposite movement of the auricles and ventricles of the 

 heart, but d little reflection will serve to show that the 

 auricular movements in the case may be resolved in the 

 main into passive consequences of the ventricular move- 

 ments, the auricular diastole coinciding with the ventri- 

 cular systole because the flow of blood from the auricles 

 into the ventricles is stopped and forced back at this 

 time by the closure of the auriculo-ventricular valves^ 

 the auricular systole coinciding with the ventricular 

 diastole because at this time the blood is suddenly 

 sucked away from the auricles into the ventricles. 



And as in rhythmical vital motion so also in rigor 

 mortis there is no occasion to change the point of view 

 in order to find the key to the facts. For in-rigor mortis 

 the case appears to be simply, this that the charge 



