THE ACTIVE FORCES OF LIVING ORGANISMS 75 



electricity plays an essential and regular part in the 

 complicated processes of metabolism. 



As already mentioned, chemical action — that is to 

 say, the agitation of atoms— could not take place in the 

 tissues without affecting the ether surrounding them, 

 and the influence they thus exert, if their action be 

 regular, must of necessity be so also ; so that we have 

 only to suppose electricity to be a mode of motion of 

 the ether, and to conceive a difference of electrical 

 potential as existing between the molecules on one 

 side of a capillary wall, or a membrane and those on 

 the other side, together with the usual conditions of 

 heat, motion, and ethereal tension, and variations in 

 the amount of oxygen, carbonic acid, and of the The 



trsjH sport 



constituents of other chemical bodies, in order to pf atoms 



in an 



explain the nature of the factors in metabolism. As electrical 



. cell and in 



regards the actual transport of atoms, this process is the body, 

 so strikingly analogous to that which is now generally 



takes place in the capillaries. In consequence of the incessant 

 chemical mutations which are effected in the tissues and the 

 vessels, electrical currents are produced. The capillary is elec- 

 trized negatively on the exterior and positively in the interior of 

 its wall. The oxygen traverses the wall, and is deposited on the 

 external surface. As to the globules, they enter into contact with 

 the positive internal wall. The oxygen once filtrated into the 

 tissues oxidizes them, and gives rise to the production of carbonic 

 acid, which the electrical current tends to impel into the interior 

 of the capillary. In other terms, and leaving aside the old 

 notion of the two electric fluids, there is between the contents 

 of the capillary vessels and the histological elements of the 

 tissues a circular current — an electrical cncuit — which carries 

 the oxygen to the outside of the vessels and brings back the 

 carbonic acid.' 



