Composed of Specific Potential Elements 77 



ifications in the general distribution of nervous energy 

 of the organism. If we consider the law of Haeckel in 

 its first degree of approximation, we must suppose as we 

 have already said, that this distribution of nervous energy 

 constitutes by itself at each ontogenetic stage a system in 

 dynamic equilibrium, because the same distribution of 

 this energy was in equilibrium in the corresponding an- 

 cestors. To provoke the transition from one dynamic sys- 

 tem to the other, it is necessary that at each ontogenetic 

 stage there become active in the central zone a new spe- 

 cific energy, which disturbs the dynamic equilibrium 

 which has just been formed and effects the transition to 

 a new dynamic equilibrium. 



This leads to the supposition that the germinal sub- 

 stance may be constituted by a number of material par- 

 ticles of which each would be able to activate only the 

 corresponding specific nervous energy. We can desig- 

 nate each of these particles by the term specific potential 

 element. 



We must here provisionally postulate the possibility 

 that there may be substances capable of containing in the 

 respective potential condition, not only definite forms of 

 energy but also different specific modes of the same form 

 of energy. We shall take up the question again later in 

 order to make it clearer and to handle it more thoroughly. 

 It may be remarked here, however, that a chemical analy- 

 sis of the material particles of the nucleus, which actually 

 contain the hereditary mass, could hardly throw much 

 light upon the eventual differentiation of the different ma- 

 terials which compose the entire germinal substance. 

 For, at least for the moment, it can give only the com- 

 position of the possibly homogeneous residue into which 



