Composed of Specific Potential Elements 977 
ifications in the general distribution of nervous energy 
of the organism. If we consider the law of Haeckel in 
its first degree of approximation, we must suppose as we 
have already said, that this distribution of nervous energy 
constitutes by itself at each ontogenetic stage a system in 
dynamic equilibrium, because the same distribution of 
this energy was in equilibrium in the corresponding an- 
cestors. To provoke the transition from one dynamic sys- 
tem to the other, it is necessary that at each ontogenetic 
stage there become active in the central zone a new spe- 
cific energy, which disturbs the dynamic equilibrium 
which has just been formed and effects the transition to 
a new dynamic equilibrium. 
This leads to the supposition that the germinal sub- 
stance may be constituted by a number of material par- 
ticles of which each would be able to activate only the 
corresponding specific nervous energy. We can desig- 
nate each of these particles by the term specific potential 
element. 
We must here provisionally postulate the possibility 
that there may be substances capable of containing in the 
respective potential condition, not only definite forms of 
energy but also different specific modes of the same form 
of energy. We shall take up the question again later in 
order to make it clearer and to handle it more thoroughly. 
It may be remarked here, however, that a chemical analy-\s 
sis of the material particles of the nucleus, which actually”. 
contain the hereditary mass, could hardly throw much - d 
light upon the eventual differentiation of the different ma- 
terials which compose the entire germinal substance. / 
For, at least for the moment, it can give only the com- 
position of the possibly homogeneous residue into which 
