92 POLABIZED CONDITION OF THE CHAP. IX. 



The question may now arise, Can the muscular 

 contraction of a limb be considered as evidence of an 

 increase of the polarized state or condition of the 

 nerve going -to that limb ? Previous to considering 

 this question, let us endeavour to ascertain whether 

 any increase occurs in the muscular or the nerve 

 current under these circumstances. 



Maeianini'', imder the supposition that electricity, 

 in these experiments, accumulated in the tissues, 

 says, " En appliquant avec soin les fils du galva- 

 nometre aux fibres palpitantes ou aux nerfs adherens, 

 on pourrait, peut-etre, detoumer en partie ces 

 coxirans, et les faire passer par le galvanometre ; 

 mais les experiences que j'ai faites jusqu'a present 

 sur ce point aussi delicat ne me permettent pas 

 encore de rien aflBrmer avec assurance." 



Matteucci" adds, " How is this tetanic action 

 produced? It is easy to convince one's self, if any 

 doubt could be entertained upon the subject, that 

 there is no electricity rendered latent either in the 

 nerves or in the muscles by the passage of the inverse 

 current. My endeavours to discover signs of any, 

 by the aid of the condenser, have been entirely 

 fruitless. Likewise there are no signs, on opening 

 the circuit, of any electric current in circulation. 

 I have made myseK quite certain of this fact by 

 means of the galvanometer, employing at the same 

 time a pile of tetanized frogs.'" 



^ Annates de Chimie et de Physique, torn. Ivi. p. 387, 1834. 

 " Phil. Trans. ]848, part ii. p. 236. 



