Explanation of Assimilations: The Vital Element 343 



respective charges and so of repose, one of them instead 

 of becoming discharged into another circuit, becomes re- 

 placed by a third accumulator whose charge is different 

 from the other two now equalized charges, the result will 

 be the same. And the impulse given to the process of 

 oscillation will be greater the greater the difference be- 

 tween the charge or electro-motive force of the new 

 accumulator and of the old one replaced. In other words, 

 to make use of biological expressions : the rejuvenescence 

 of the specific potential elements formed by the pair of 

 accumulators will be proportionally greater, the more 

 quantitatively unequal are the two half elements which 

 have become thus mutually fecundated. 



If we substitute for the conception of electro-motive 

 force that of nervo-motive force, our hypothesis concern- 

 ing the nature of the vital process in each specific potential 

 element will consist simply in supposing that the latter is 

 comparable to this pair of accumulators inserted with in- 

 verted poles in the same elemental oscillating circuit, 

 which we would call intra-nuclear circuit, but in which 

 there enters into play instead of the alternating electric 

 induction current, general thermal energy in the same 

 way. 



Assimilation, the new formation of living substance, 

 would then be dependent, according to the hypothesis, 

 upon a kind of oscillatory charging and discharging flux, 

 upon a kind of intra-nuclear oscillatory discharge which 

 becomes provoked by the extra-nuclear or functional 

 nervous discharge in consequence of the disturbance of 

 the equilibrium between the nervo-motive forces of the 

 two accumulators opposite each other. The vital element 

 would thus be conceived of as only a double specific 



