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by a stimulus the sensation is most intense at the junction of 
the affected and unaffected parts (as when the foot is dipped 
into hot water). But all attempts to get any similar results 
with other stimuli than heat failed; and an experiment in 
which the upper part of the body was raised in temperature 
while the legs were not affected, shewed a great diminution of 
reflex action in the spinal cord. 
‘Raising the temperature of the spinal cord would naturally 
be expected to raise (for a time at least) rather than to lower 
the reflex excitability—but the author has been led by other 
experiments to conclude that one has to deal here not with 
simple rise of temperature but with effects of supplying the 
spinal cord with blood heated above the normal (and therefore 
possibly carrying in it abnormal products). 
The lowering effect of heated blood is shewn by immersing 
brainless frogs tetanized with strychnia in water at from 30° to 
35°C. Ina short time all tetanus disappears, and the animal 
-becomes perfectly flaccid, though both muscles and nerves are 
thoroughly irritable. On removal the tetanus speedily returns, 
and may be again removed by re-immersion. 
The absence of reflex action of the brainless frog immersed 
in gradually heated water is due to the fact that the gradually 
heated water is but a comparatively feeble stimulus for the 
production of reflex action, and before the skin has become 
sufficiently affected to cail forth a reflex action, the spinal 
cord has become so lowered by the heated blood that it fails 
to respond by any movement to the stimulus coming from 
the skin. But inasmuch as a feebler stimulus is needed to 
awaken consciousness than to produce a mechanical reflex 
action, the frog possessing a brain begins to move in the heated 
water at a very early period; and as each movement increases 
the stimulating effect of the heated water, the movements 
soon become very general. 
The PRESIDENT in proposing a vote of thanks said that the 
