CHAP. VI. §. I. IN THE MUSCULAR TISSUE. 65 



the positive state of the surface of the muscle prevents 

 that of the blood from becoming manifested, these 

 two parts, in fact, presenting the same electric con- 

 dition. 



I need not relate other experiments proving the 

 conclusion, that we can obtain evidence of current 

 force being manifested when the muscular tissue 

 and the venous blood are formed into a circuit. 

 The effects, it is true, are but small, but nevertheless 

 definite ; and the question now arises, can they be 

 referred to nutrition ? 



Although it may perhaps be difficult at first sight 

 to see that the effects can be referred to nutrition, 

 nevertheless, when we bear in mind the strong 

 resemblance that exists between secretion and 

 nutrition, this apparent difficulty will be removed. 

 Nutrition differs from secretion in this ; in nutrition 

 the secreted product (the tissue) remains behind, 

 and is not carried off as in ordinary secretion. Not 

 only does the tissue (the secreted product) remain 

 behind, but it also retains its peculiar electric 

 negative state, and may be considered as the g,nion 

 of the circuit, wrhilst the cation exists and passes on 

 in the blood. The electric state is not only pro- 

 duced by nutrition, but maintained by it. We have 

 no right to suppose that the blood is acid in order to 

 account for the effects ; and it would appear, according 

 to Liebig's researches, that lactic acid is developed in 

 the muscular tissue. 



I am not going so far as to suppose that nutrition, 



F 



