502 
MR. F. GOTCH ON THE ELECTROMOTIVE PROPERTIES 
Torpedo : the difference amounted to + ’0062 R; it was left until the next day, being 
kept in the cold and surrounded with other fragments of organ to keep it moist. 
When examined after 24 hours, the difference was found to be very small—indeed 
hardly perceptible. It was now wholly immersed for two seconds in hot water, and 
the difference was examined. It amounted to -f- '0195 R ; in three minutes it sank 
to + '013 R, then to + '008 R, + '006 R, + '005 R, + '0043 R, + '0036 R, &c., 
the difference being compensated every three minutes. 
It has been observed that the difference following injury is of such a character that 
it declines at first rapidly and then more slowly. 
Experiments were made to ascertain the rate of this decline. For this purpose the 
effect was recompensated at regular intervals ; the results of three series are now given 
with strips led off by their dorsal and ventral skin ends :— 
Time after 
preparation. 
Cut strip 40 millims. long. 
Cut strip 15 millims., 
immersed for 2 minutes 
in hot water. 
Cut strip 15 millims., 
immersed for 2 minutes 
in hot water. 
minutes. 
2 
cliff, -f--0275 R, 
-f- ‘02*55 R. 
+ •0226 R. 
3 
+ -0230 
+ -0180 
+ •0175 
4 
+ '0205 
+ •0135 
+ •0145 
5 
+ •0180 
+ •0125 
+ ■0135 
6 
+ •0160 
+ •0117 
+ •0112 
7 
+ -0140 
+ •0110 
+ •0106 
8 
+ -0126 
+ ■0102 
+ ■0100 
9 
+ •0117 
+ -0095 
, , 
10 
+ ■0110 
+ •0090 
11 
+ •0100 
+ •0086 
, , 
12 
+ -0092 
+ '0083 
13 
+ •0087 
+ •0081 
. # 
14 
+ -0082 
+ •0078 
15 
+ •0076 
16 
+ •0071 
# # 
17 
+ -0068 
18 
+ •0065 
, # 
19 
+ ■0062 
# # 
20 
+ -0059 
21 
+ •0056 
. # 
# # 
22 
+ •0053 
. # 
23 
+ •0050 
. # 
24 
+ -0048 
25 
+ •0046 
# # 
26 
+ '0045 
, # 
27 
+ -0044 
• • 
The effect is seen to decline rapidly at first and then slowly. This is a very 
characteristic feature of the organ-current, and, apart from its obvious resemblance 
to the demarcation-current observed in cardiac tissue, is strongly suggestive of the 
excitatory nature of the whole phenomenon. A point of great interest in this 
connection is the influence on the rate of the decline of a nerve-organ response. 
The experiments which were made on this subject were not, however, satisfactory, 
