E.. Frankland on the Source of Muscular Power. sa: 
power is derived exclusively from the mutual chemical action 
of the food and atmospheric oxygen; but opinions differ a 
whether that food must first be converted into the actual orga 
ized substance of the muscle, before its oxydation can give ri 
to mechanical force, or whether it is not also possible that mus- 
cular work may be derived from the oxydation of the 
which has only arrived at the condition of blood and not of or- 
ganized muscular tissue. 
The importance of this problem can scarcely be overrated ; it 
is a corner-stone of the phymclogiea) edifice, and the key to the 
phenomena of the nutrition of animals. For ae isi tee so- 
lation the following data require o be determined : 
e amount of force or actual pieces generated by the 
ae of a given amount of muscle in the body. 
The amount of enagtilig force exerted by the muscles 
of the body during a given 
3d. The quantity of eda iad in the body during the 
same time. 
If the total amount of force involved in muscular action, as 
measured by the mechanical work performed, be greater than 
that ioe ye could possibly be generated by the quantity of muscle 
oxydized during the same time, it necessarily follows that the 
power of the muscles is not derived ae from the oxyda- 
tion of their own substance. 
As regards the first datum to be determined, it is necessary to 
agree upon some unit for the measurement of mechanical ag 
The unit most commonly adopted is that represented by the 
lifting of a kilogram wei sht to the height of one meter. The 
researches of Joule and Mayer have connected this standard 
cal power, 425 te ean gain, if a man parses 64 
oe grams climbs to a height of 1,000 meters, the ascent of his. 
follow the example of the Registrar-General in abbrovisliag the French 
ink, gramme to Be 
Am, Jour. So1.—Srconp Srrizs, Vou. XLII, No. 126.—Noy., 1906. 
51 
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