CHAP. Vr. §. I. IN THK MUSCDLAB TISSUE. 63 



that this law does not hold good in its entire gene- 

 rality, that the current was not always obtained when 

 the so-called natural transverse section (viz. the 

 tendon) and the longitudinal section were formed 

 into a circuit, he was led to suppose that a layer, 

 which he denominated the para-electronomie layer, 

 exists, and which might fully account for the occa- 

 sional non-appearance of the current. For my own 

 part, I have never been able to satisfy myself of the 

 existence of this layer or its necessity ; but there can 

 be no doubt about the fact, that when the divided 

 surface or artificial transverse section and the longi- 

 tudinal section or surface are formed into a circuit, 

 that then the so-called muscular current is obtained. 



Previous to any knowledge of Du Bois Ketmond's 

 researches, I was led, from the results that I had 

 already obtained in regard to secretion, to believe, that 

 if the tissue, the muscular, was formed into a circuit 

 with the venous blood, I might perhaps obtain 

 some evidence of 'a current, as I had already done 

 in regard to secretion. I was further strengthened 

 in this supposition, by finding that Mattedcci 

 explained the results he had obtained by repre- 

 senting the muscular fibre as similar to a zinc plate 

 in a voltaic circle. He says, " We must never forget 

 the analogy between the muscular electro-motor 

 element and the voltanian element : the zinc is 

 represented by the discs of the muscular fibre, the 

 acid liquid by the blood, the platinum by the sarco- 

 lemma. Whatever be the conducting body with 



