PHYSIOLOGY. 445 



2692. The muscular motion is an electrical process, a 

 motion of blood in the Solid. 



2693. Through the polarization of the fibres the 

 muscle is formed from the arteries. The muscle is 

 therefore an individual biconical piece of fibre, having 

 unequal cones. Oxydation takes place at the muscular 

 extremity ; here, therefore, originates the sinew or tendon. 



2694. A fleshy cyst or heart which includes an 

 osseous bladder, must subdivide into several fibrous 

 cones or muscles. One reason of this is the " fore and 

 aft," another is the quantity of the essential vascular 

 branches. 



2695. The muscle contracts upon application only of 

 a stimulus. 



2696. Every stimulus induces motion only as a result 

 of polar excitation. Every stimulus polarizes ; for even 

 the gentlest contact is like the friction, and produces 

 electrical antagonism. It therefore amounts to the same, 

 whatever stimuli, whether mechanical, chemical, or 

 spiritual, have been applied to the muscle. One acts 

 like the other. 



2697. If no motion supervene upon, or is even sup- 

 pressed by, the contact of a body, the nature of the 

 body must then be indifferenciny . 



2698. Relaxing, laming, life- destroying matters, are 

 indifferencing, or cause a suppression of the poles. 



2699. Overcharging principles, e. g. lightning or 

 strong electric sparks may also produce relaxation. These 

 destroy the function of the fibres, and act therefore worse 

 than the in differencing matters. 



3. Functions of the Nervous System. 



2700. The function of the point- substance is also that 

 of the nervous system, for this is only the point-sub- 

 stance, fashioned and arranged into stalk and branches. 



2701. But even on this account the nervous tension 

 proceeds only according to a determinate line, while 

 before it penetrated through the whole mass. 



2702. The nervous tension takes place in a nervous 



