168 TV1USCLE WORK DONE BY INDUCED ACTION. 



easily converted. He rejects the term electro-magnetic, and 

 would substitute ' galvano-magnetic." The currents which act 

 upon the galvanometer are produced in three ways, viz., by- 

 chemical action, by magnetic current, and by heat. These he 

 would designate chemico-galvanic, magneto-galvanic, and 

 thermo-galvanic (" Mathematical Principles of Physics," 1873). 



Therefore, I think it would be better to speak of the 

 influence in question as nerve force, or vis nervosa, or 

 neuric force, and adopt the terms neurolysis and neuric 

 induction to express the functions corresponding to elec- 

 trolysis and electric induction, if such exist. I do not 

 think psychic force is a happy term, for that implies* 

 something mental, while mental action only expresses 

 itself through this very nerve force, which can exist 

 quite well without mind. 



Now, if we admit the theory of Beale, that the- 

 muscular fibre is passive, and the whole work of ani- 

 mals is done by a current force analogous to electricity 

 acting through that passive fibre, we come to a some- 

 what remarkable conclusion. When we consider the 

 kiiown modes in which work is done by the forces 

 generally called electric, we perceive that all mechani- 

 cal work is done by induced action. The telegraph, 

 and all electro-motive machines, are so worked. While 

 no direct work is done by galvanism, except chemical 

 decomposition. Supposing the nerve force to be 

 similar, this would be represented in the living body 

 by the statement : All action of the nerve force as a 

 stimulus within the nerve circuits, corresponding to 

 electrolysis, or neurolysis, as it might be called, in- 

 volves a vital change, while all 'mechanical work of 

 the nerve force is by induction of a merely physical 



