Explanation of Assimilations: The Vital Element 343 
respective charges and so of repose, one of them instead 
of becoming discharged into another circuit, becomes re- 
placed by a third accumulator whose charge 1s different 
from the other two now equalized charges, the result will 
be the same. And the impulse given to the process of 
oscillation will be greater the greater the difference be- 
tween the charge or electro-motive force of the new 
accumulator and of the old one replaced. In other words, 
to make use of biological expressions: the rejuvenescence 
of the specific potential elements formed by the pair of 
accumulators will be proportionally greater, the more 
quantitatively unequal are the two half elements which 
have become thus mutually fecundated. 
If we substitute for the conception of electro-motive 
force that of nervo-motive force, our hypothesis concern- 
ing the nature of the vital process in each specific potential 
element will consist simply in supposing that the latter is 
comparable to this pair of accumulators inserted with in- 
verted poles in the same elemental oscillating circuit, 
which we would call intra-nuclear circuit, but in which 
there enters into play instead of the alternating electric 
induction current, general thermal energy in the same 
way. 
Assimilation, the new formation of living substance, 
would then be dependent, according to the hypothesis, 
upon a kind of oscillatory charging and discharging flux, 
upon a kind of intra-nuclear oscillatory discharge which 
becomes provoked by the extra-nuclear or functional 
nervous discharge in consequence of the disturbance of 
the equilibrium between the nervo-motive forces of the 
two accumulators opposite each other. The vital element 
would thus be conceived of as only a double specific 
