40 CURKENT FORCE CHAP. IV. §. II. 



additional evidence has been obtained of the mani- 

 festation of current force during secretion. 



Before passing on to other secretions, I shall now 

 notice ,the fallacy of supposing that the stomach and 

 liver form poles similar to those of a galvanic battery, 

 an idea that has been entertained by several indi- 

 viduals. No evidence could be obtained to shew 

 that the stomach forms the positive and the liver the 

 negative electrode of a circuit similar to those of a 

 voltaic circle. It may just as well be supposed, that 

 the lungs and the stomach, or the lungs and the 

 kidneys, or the liver and the lungs, or the kidneys 

 and the lungs, are similarly related, if we are to be 

 guided by the mere circumstance of their relative 

 connections in regard to the circulation of the blood 

 through these different organs. Each organ, the 

 stomach and liver, would appear to have, however, 

 its own elementary circle, if I may so express it; 

 but no evidence exists to shew that these two organs 

 are so mutually related as to form one circle. There 

 is one fact which is of some interest, and deserving 

 of notice, it is this ; the blood, from which the biliary 

 secretion is formed, has previously undergone some 

 most important changes during its passage through 

 the coats of the stomach and intestines, and thus an 

 important relationship must necessarily exist be- 

 tween these two organs; and the question may 

 naturally arise. Is not the blood during its passage 

 through the coats of the stomach and intestines, and 

 especially by the stomach, thus deprived of most of 



