14 Mr. H. F. Baxter on Nerve Force. 



4thly. That the electric state of the nerve may be considered 

 as one of the properties of the nerve, but not its essential pro- 

 perty. And 



othly. That nerve force is a higher form of force than electric 

 force — a force sui generis. 



Although the foregoing conclusions lead to the inference that 

 nerve force is not so dependent upon the electric state of the 

 tissue as to be considered as cause and effect, we must not over- 

 look the fact that an intimate connexion exists between these two 

 forces, as manifested in the development of the force in the fish. 

 Here, however, the connexion is not so immediate as to indicate 

 a conversion of nerve force into electric force, as there is reason 

 to believe, from some experiments of Matteucci*, that the electric 

 force pre-exists in the organ. And with regard to the muscular 

 tissue, the force which is evolved during muscular contraction 

 will be found, I believe, to arise from the force preexisting in 

 the muscular tissue, rather than from a conversion of nerve force 

 into electric force. It is of the utmost importance, in discussing 

 questions respecting the " connexion of forces " or " the correla- 

 tion of forces/' to ascertain how far the manifestation of the 

 forces are independent of each other, before we can apply the 

 term conversion to their explanation. A connexion may be fre- 

 quently shown to exist between the forces where we may feel 

 some difficulty in applying the term conversion, and consequently 

 the employment of the former term may in many instances be 

 the most appropriate. 



As the principle of M conservation of force " is now being 

 applied to organic phenomena, it behoves us to endeavour to 

 obtain clear views regarding the origin of the various forces that 

 are manifested in the living organism; and although it may 

 be snfely asserted that, whatever forces are manifested in the 

 living organism, they are greatly if not entirely dependent upon 

 nutrition for their origin and maintenance, it nevertheless 

 becomes necessary to examine into the mode of their production. 

 And here I would observe that in speaking of forces the term 

 maybe employed in an abstract or concrete sense; and although 

 it may frequently be more convenient to employ it abstractedly, 

 I do not consider forces as entities, but rather as properties con- 

 nected with the various tissues. Now with regard to the origin 

 of nerve force, the following question arises, Is it generated in 

 any particular part of the nervous system ? or is it associated 

 with the nervous matter wherever formed ? 



§ II. On the Origin of Nerve Force. 

 The late Dr. Todd was the first, I believe, who distinctly 

 * Proceedings of the Royal Society, Nov. 1860. 



