508 
MR. F. GOTCH ON THE ELECTROMOTIVE PROPERTIES 
Excitation 12 millims. from organ. 
O 
Closure . . . . 
•007"--008" 
•008"-009" 
•009"-01" 
Deflection 
0 
+ 60 
+ 650 
Another preparation was made from the organ of the opposite side of the same 
fish, of same character and dimensions. It was examined four hours after the first 
preparation had been begun, and gave the following results :— 
Excitation 25 millims. from organ. 
Closure .... 
o 
o 
GO 
if 
o 
h-J 
•01"--012" 
•01"--0125" 
Deflection 
0 
0 
+ 255 
0 
Excitation 12 millims. from organ. 
Closure .... 
•008"--01" 
•008 / '--011" 
Deflection 
+ 20 
+ 195 
In the fresh preparation the commencement of the electromotive change in the 
organ occurs xinro ^ earlier when the excitation of the nerve is 13 millims. nearer the 
organ. The excitatory process in the nerve thus travels at a rate of 6'5 metres per 
second. As the total electromotive change is less when the nerve is excited at the 
point nearer the organ, the actual commencement of the response may be too small to 
be observed; if there be any such error, it would imply that the above transmission 
rate is too rapid. 
The second experiment, made four hours later, gives a transmission rate of 
5'2 metres per second. 
In another experiment on a nerve-organ preparation, made from the organ of a 
large Torpedo, the organ was kept at 5° C., whilst the nerve was kept at the 
temperature of room, 12° C. 
Excitation of nerve 23 millims. from organ. 
Closure .... 
•016"-017" 
•017"--018" 
•018"--019" 
•019"--02" 
Deflection 
0 
+ 90 
+ 340 
+ 480 
0 
