Maitteucci’s Lectures on Living Beings. 393 
‘ Anatomists, and especially Bowman, have lately demonstrated, 
that the elementary muscular fibres are immediately continuous 
With the tendinous fibres, and that the sarcolemma which invests 
the muscle, ceases abruptly where the tendon begins. We may, 
then, with some probdbility, consider the tendon as being in the 
same electric condition as the interior of the muscle, and there- 
fore, when we form, by means of a good conductor, a circuit or 
communication between the tendon and the sarcolemma, we put 
into circulation a portion of the muscular current.’ 
Lecture eleventh is occupied with the physiological action of 
gravity, light and color. Lectures 12 and 13 treat of the physio- 
logical action of the electric current; Lectures 14, 15, of the 
ments, one was performed ona horse. ‘We employed a very 
delicate galvanometer; the nerve was exposed for a considerable 
extent of its course, and I could traverse it with the platinum 
extremities of the galvanometer, by passing from a distance of two 
or three centimeters to that of fifteen or twenty. We never 
obtained distinct signs of the derived current, and in a constant 
direction, even when the muscles of the animal were violently 
contracted. I may add that from what we know of the proper- 
hes of electricity, and of the laws of its propagation, it is im 
sible to conceive the existence of a current circulating in the 
nerves. In order that an electrical current should pass from one 
extremity of the nervous system to the other, it would be neces- 
ry to compare the nerve to a metallic wire varnished or other- 
Wise insulated, an assumption which is not in accordance with 
act. An electric current which, subjected to the will, would set 
out from the brain to reach the muscles, by traversing the nerves, 
could not be stopped in its course by the ligature of the nerve ; 
Whereas we well know, that the propagation of the nervous force 
18 prevented by that proceeding. Lastly, its circulation in the 
nerves requires that the nervous system should form a closed cir- 
cuit; but the labors of anatomists are very far from having prov~ 
ed such an arrangement, especially in the ultimate ramification in 
the muscles where it would be especially necessary.’ 
‘This unknown force of the nervous system is therefore not 
electricity, and still less is it the electric current. But what con- 
hection exists between it and electricity, or the electrical current ? 
order to reply to these questions, I will here sum up, in a few 
Wordsy the only positive result that my lengthened investigations 
- scette- physiological phenomena of animals have permitted me 
uce.’ 
