Adulation

“ First therefore, if we consider the manner of the progress of the pulse, it will seem rational to conclude, that that part or end of the pulse which precedes the other, must necessarily be somwhat more obtunded, or impeded by the resistance of the transparent medium, than the other part or end of it which is subsequent, whose way is, as it were, prepared by the other; especially if the adjacent medium be not in the same manner enlightned or agitated. ”

“ I have in previous chapters explained that the direct application of stimulus gives rise in different organs to contraction, diminution of turgor, fall of motile leaf, electro-motive change of galvanometric negativity, and retardation of the rate of growth. I have also shown that indirect stimulation (i.e. application of stimulus at some distance from the responding organ) gives rise to a positive or erectile response of the responding leaf or leaflet (indicative of an increase of turgor) , often followed by normal negative response. The positive impulse travels quickly. ”

“ Under pressure my body reacts, preparing me to fight or flee. My adrenals pump hormones into my bloodstream, stimulating my heart and my sympathetic nervous system, making glucose more available to my muscles. ”

“ The fluid, which is propagated hence through one class of nerves, returns in an altered state through another, and the nature of that fluid is spiritual, though not immaterial, any more than, as I before remarked, light or electricity are so. ”

“ The phenomena of Accumulation may on some occasions depend upon the absolutely increased quantity of the substance in the body, as in the instance of mercurial action, while in others they may perhaps arise from the system becoming more and more sensible to its stimulus. ”

“ We have already seen that the intensity is dependent upon the amount of energy produced by the disintegration of the molecules following the stimulus, that is, upon the amount liberated in a definite space in a definite time. The question which now arises is this: What form of energy is produced146 by the stimulus at the point of stimulation, which acts upon the neighboring molecules? The conduction of excitation is a property of all living substance, and we may presume that this occurs in all living systems in the same manner. ”

“ Bose next pointed out that there remains, for every response, a certain residual effect. A substance, which has responded to a given stimulus, retains, as an after-effect, a 'latent impression' of that stimulus and this 'latent impression' is capable of subsequent revival by bringing about the original condition of excitation. The impress made by the action of stimulus, though it remains latent and invisible, can be revived by the impact of a fresh excitatory impulse. ”

“ In the preceding illustration, I have spoken of a tube, as constantly pouring in fresh fuel, because it was not easy otherwise to convey a familiar idea of the power which all living systems possess of renewing their excitability, when exhausted. The excitability is an unknown somewhat, subject to peculiar laws, some of which we have examined, but whose different states we are obliged to describe, though, perhaps, inaccurately, by terms borrowed from the qualities of material substances. ”

“ Neither do I find the efficient cause of the pulse aptly explained by this philosopher, when with Aristotle he assumes the cause of the systole to be the same as that of the diastole, viz., an effervescence of the blood due to a kind of ebullition. For the pulse is a succession of sudden strokes and quick percussions; but we know of no kind of fermentation or ebullition in which the matter rises and falls in the twinkling of an eye; the heaving is always gradual where the subsidence is notable. ”

“ The grate will represent the human body; the fuel in it the life or excitability, and the tube behind, supplying fresh fuel, will denote the power of all living systems, constantly to regenerate or produce excitability; the air machine, consisting of several tubes, may denote the various stimuli applied to the excitability of the body; the flame produced in consequence of that application, represents life; the product of the exciting powers acting upon the excitability. ”

“ We have now presented some evidence that nervous energy is discharged by the adequate stimulation of one or more of the various receptors that have been developed in the course of evolution. In response to an adequate stimulus, the nervous system is integrated for a specific purpose by the stimulated receptor, and but one stimulus at a time has possession of the final common path— the nerve mechanisms for action. The most numerous receptors are those for harmful contact; these are the nociceptors. ”

“ Very feeble stimulus thus induces an ac­cel­er­ation and strong stimulus a retardation of growth. I have frequently obtained positive mechanical and electrical responses under sub-minimal stimulation. As chemical substances often act as stimulating agents, the opposite effects of the same drug in small and large doses may perhaps prove to be a parallel phenomenon. ”

“ It is more precise, however, to speak of conductivity of excitation, for it is not the primary influencing external stimulus which is conducted in the living substance, but the excitation which it has produced. I have intentionally considered only the excitating effects of stimulation, and not those of the depressing reactions, as only excitations, not depressions, are conducted by the living substance. ”

“ I have in the preceding paragraph described an experiment where under a given intensity and duration of exposure the excitations of the proximal and distal sides bring about neutralisation, the organ assuming a dia-phototropic position. If the intensity or duration of the stimulating light be further increased, it is easy to see that while excitation transmitted to the distal side is being increased, the excitatory contraction on the proximal side may, at the same time, be decreased owing to fatigue brought on by over-stimulation. ”

“ No Disease is more difficult to cure than the Epilepsy or Falling- Sickness; yet several Instances have occurred where the most violent Degrees of it, have been cured, even in grown Persons, by taking a Dose of this Medicine regularly every Night and Morning for a considerable Time. The Dose must be regulated according to the Age of the Patient, as mentioned in the General Direction, Page 11. If a Pain is felt in any Part of the Head, the AETHER must be applied to that Part occasionally, and it must be previously shaved, if necessary. ”

“ In order to explain the phenomena of electric response, some physiologists assume that the negative response is due to a process of dissimilation, or breakdown, and the positive to a process of assimilation, or building up, of the tissue. The modified or positive response in nerve is thus held to be due to assimilation; after continuous stimulation, this process is supposed to be transformed into one of dissimilation, with the attendant negative response. ”

“ Direct stimulation induces a retardation of the rate of growth which may culminate into an actual contraction. The after-effect of direct stimulus of moderate intensity is an enhancement of the rate of growth. ”

“ If instead of direct stimulation of the pulvinus, stimulus be applied on the petiole at a certain distance from the motile organ, then an excitatory impulse is transmitted through the intervening distance. The time-interval between stimulus and response will now be longer than under direct stimulation; the latent period of the pulvinus and the length of transmission afford sufficient data for the determination of the velocity of excitatory impulse in the plant, which I have shown elsewhere, is analogous to the nervous impulse in the animal. ”

“ It is moreover possible to exactly balance the effect of one by that of the other, a slight increase or decrease of either producing an immediate upset of the balance in one direction or its opposite (p. 206) .
3. Molecular Response common to Electric Radiation, Light and Mechanical Vibration
1. The molecular effect induced by stimulus can be detected in all cases by the methods of conductivity or of electromotive variation.
2. Substances exhibit quick recovery after moderate stimulation; the recovery becomes protracted in consequence of overstrain caused by intense stimulation. ”

“ The A-effect, usually induced by sub-minimal stimulus, finds outward expression, by induced expansion, increase of turgor, enhancement of the rate of growth, galvanometric positivity and increase of electrical resistance. ”

“ Certain agents induce excitation in living tissues, the excitatory change being detected by contraction, or by electromotive variation, or by change of electric resistance, and in growing organs by the retardation of the rate of growth. ”

“ We are, therefore, in the fortunate position in the case of the medullated nerve of having a substance to study, which, depending upon conditions which are under our control, may become a type in which conductivity occurs with or without the presence of a decrement. ”

“ Everything tends to a more violent motion. If the sensation be an agreeable one, all these parts will acquire a higher degree of harmonious activity; the heart’s beat will be free, lively, uniform, the blood will flow unchecked, gently or with fiery speed, according as the affection is of a gentle or violent description; digestion, secretion, and excretion will follow their natural course; the excitable membranes will pliantly play in a gentle vapor-bath, and excitability as well as sensitiveness will increase. ”

“ If, under these circumstances, any person blows smartly through the tube a, the effect will vary according to the position of B within A. If B be so turned that the three holes d and e e correspond with the tubes a and b b, the breath entering at d will force out the contents of B through the tubes b b, and powder the lips of the person blowing, as in the case of the magic whistle. ”

“ Maximum stimulation.—By bringing the radiator sufficiently near the inorganic receiver, a maximum effect was observed, the deflection being 230 divisions. Before the substance could recover to any extent, a second stimulus was superposed. This produced no further deflection, but when the second stimulus was applied after recovery, then the second deflection was the same as the first, i.e., 230 divisions. ”

“ It has been shown that under prolonged unilateral stimulation, excitation becomes internally diffused; this gives rise to an effect similar to that of external diffuse stimulus. Under strong light the shaded side becomes concave, and thus press against the ground or the support; this will be the characteristic response of creeping stems in which the shaded side is the more excitable. ”

“ If we assume that the summation of sub-threshold stimulation, by increasing excitation, brings about a state of equilibrium from below, as it were, so also inhibition may be assumed to be the reverse, the level of equilibrium being reached from above, as it were, by decrease of the primary excitation from strong stimulation. ”

“ It remains for us to obtain data concerning the cycle of excitation processes in the living substances by the aid89 of the combined employment of the most varied kinds of physical as well as chemical indicators. If we use the most varied types of living substance of widely differing properties, showing us the greatest variety of vital manifestations, we may hope by the use of comparative physiological methods, even though with difficulty, to separate more and more the essential details of the general processes of excitation. ”

“ The current will divide in strict accordance with law, its power to produce light being solely limited by its strength. The process of division closely resembles the circulation of the blood; the electric main carrying the outgoing current representing a great artery, the water-pipes carrying the return current representing a great vein, while the intermediate branches represent the various vessels by which the blood is distributed through the system. ”

“ Minimally effective stimulus becomes effective by summation of stimuli. A maximum effect is produced, determined by the intensity of individual stimulation.
9. Hysteresis is exhibited in cyclic curves. The forward and return curves tend to coincide after several cycles. Previous annealing reduces hysteresis, and after one or two cycles the wire assumes a constant sensitivity.
10. Chemical reagents may profoundly modify the electric excitability. Some of them increase the excitability, while others depress or abolish it. ”

“ It was also explained that every stimulus gave rise to dual reactions, positive and negative, and that in a highly excitable tissue the positive is masked by the predominant negative. The positive, or A-effect, is generally described as a “building up” process. By choosing a sub-tonic specimen, I have been able to unmask the positive, A. In the case of sub-tonic growing organs the positive, A, is literally a building up process, giving rise to an ac­cel­er­ation of growth. ”

“ Volition is simply a peculiar molecular action of a nervous centre of motion reflected upon consciousness—translated into a state of consciousness—symbolized in consciousness. The mental part of the phenomena—the volition—being simply a state of consciousness—a consciousness of the molecular action—then, the molecular action is a condition precedent to that state of consciousness which is a symbolical representation of it. ”