CHAP. XIII. CONCLUSION. 179 



osmose ; the similarity is too great to be overlooked. 

 Secretion and nutrition may be considered as instances 

 of organic exosmose, ■whilst absorption {lacteal and 

 lymphatic) may be considered as cases of organic 

 endosmose ; the prefix organic will serve to mark 

 sufficiently their differential characters. My object, 

 however, is not to enter so much into a minute 

 comparison of all these actions, as to point out their 

 general characters, and more especially their marked 

 characteristics ; to shew, in short, that they are polar 

 phenomena ; and I shall now proceed to detail some 

 of the consequential results which may be deduced 

 from these investigations. And, First, in regard to 



The Blood. We find that during secretion and 

 nutrition the blood is in an opposite electrical state 

 to that of the secreted product, as well as to that of 

 the muscular or nervous tissue; it is in a positive 

 state, and this electrical condition is produced and 

 maintained by these actions. We find no difference 

 between the arterial and venous blood in regard to 

 their electrical properties, they both present the 

 same positive state. Possessing this peculiar elec- 

 trical character, there can be no doubt that a great 

 many of the phenomena associated with the blood, 

 and manifested during its circulation in the animal 

 body, and which have been termed vital, are referable 

 to this electrical condition. A further knowledge of 

 this electrical state of the blood is requisite both to 

 the physiologist as well as to the pathologist. 



Secondly. In regard to the secretions and the 



