The Whole Organism a Great Protoplasmic Plexus 41 



one another, but also the nervous system itself with all 

 its fibers and fibrils in so far as it is developed. This 

 leads to the conclusion that in the adult organism the 

 ordinary nervous currents passing along the various 

 nerves as a result of ordinary nervous discharges con- 

 stitute only momentary intensifications of permanent 

 nervous currents which pass continually through these 

 nerves. 



The great frequency with which conductors of nuclear 

 stimuli in general and intercellular bridges in particular, 

 are found in both animal and vegetable kingdoms, is 

 as we have said, even by itself a very strong support for 

 the hypothesis proposed by us of a nervous circulation 

 or distribution throughout the whole organism. 



In this hypothesis we approach, even though only in 

 certain respects, the most recent theories of some botan- 

 ists and physiologists who in consideration of this 

 striking general protoplasmic connection between the 

 different cells, regard the multicellular organism not as a 

 mere assembly or colony of cells, but rather as a single 

 voluminous protoplasmic body in which the nuclei are 

 inserted at different intervals as centers or foci of 

 energy, (synergids of Sachs), and in which the mem- 

 branes and other intermediate structures have produced 

 only incomplete divisions and serve merely as supports 

 of the organism. For example, according to Sedgewick 

 the body of the adult animal would be only an immense 

 syncytium whose nuclei or centers of force are dispersed 

 throughout a single protoplasmic network binding 

 together the whole organism. 18 



We approach especially the conception which Oscar 



18 Adam Sedgwick: The Development of the Cape Species of 

 Peripatus. P. 205 206. 



