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known form of force? Do the actions, such as secretion, nutri- 
tion and absorption, which take place in an organised body, 
differ from those which occur in the laboratory of the chemist ? 
Reference is then made to the well-known conjecture and 
experiment of Wollaston which occurred so far back as 1806, 
and originated at the time Davy made his celebrated discovery 
of the decomposition of chemical compounds by means of the 
voltaic battery. In Wollaston’s experiment, a weak solution of 
common salt was used and the soda made to transude through 
a membrane, the metals employed being zinc and silver, form- 
ing an elementary circle. “The efficacy of powers,” says 
Wollaston, “so feeble as are here called into action, tends to 
confirm the conjecture that similar agents may be instrumental 
in effecting the various animal secretions which have not yet 
been otherwise explained.” Wollaston’s conjecture was so far 
true, but it is necessary to be acquainted with Faraday’s views 
in regard to the origin of the power in the voltaic circle; the 
current not being the cause of the power, but a manifestation 
of the chemical action that is taking place. Allusion is then 
made to Becquerel’s experiments to show that metals are not 
necessary to obtain current force; ordinary chemical actions, 
such as the combination of an acid with an alkali, will pro- 
duce it. 
The author then refers to the results of his own experiments 
with regard to secretion, first in the stomach and ‘intestines ; 
secondly with the diary secretion ; thirdly with urinary secre- 
tion, and fourthly with mammary secretion. In all these cases 
the electrode in contact with the venous blood flowing from the 
part was positive to the electrode in contact with the secreted 
product. To account for these results according to Becquerel’s 
experiments we should be obliged to assume that the venous 
blood was acid to the secreted product, and not only that, but that 
just after the separation had taken place a combination occurred 
between the secreted product and the blood. As this reasoning 
