124 APPENDIX I. 



necessarily moves, points in the proper direction. 

 The initial velocity of the stone, then, can never 

 exceed that of the hand, or the velocity of the 

 hand, on throwing the stone vertically, must have 

 been equal to that with which the falling stone 

 passes through the horizontal plane from which 

 it started. This reasoning leads to the result 

 put down in the table, and it may safely be con- 

 jectured that the same figure also applies with 

 tolerable accuracy to the motion of the fist when 

 striking a blow. 



The arterial wave, which in more superficial 

 arteries is felt as pulse, travels only about three 

 times more slowly than the nervous agent, according 

 to Professor E. H. Weber's observations.* 



By the velocity of the muscular contraction, we 

 understand the rate at which the wave of contraction 

 runs along the fibre, when one end of the muscle is 

 stimulated. This rate has been ascertained by 

 Professor Aeby, now of Berne, by experiments 

 made on the muscles of frogs poisoned with Curare, 

 in order to exclude the co-operation of the nerves, 

 and by means of a myographion, on whose cylinder 

 two styles marked their track. The lever bearing 

 each style rested on the muscle with a sort of 

 crutch, and, when the wave of contraction passed 

 under the crutch, it was raised by the thickening of 

 the muscle. Two curves were thus obtained, whose 

 horizontal distance was equal to the distance of the 

 styles, plus the distance corresponding on the 



* De pulsu, resorptione, auditu et tactu. Annotationes 

 anatomies et physiologies, &c. Lipsise, 1831. 4, p. 2. 



