Page:Life Movements in Plants.djvu/160

130 In the experimental arrangement employed, the hetrodromous [sic] current is obtained by making the electrode on the spine cathode and that on the tendon anode. The depressing influence of the anode in this case may be expected to lower, to a certain extent, the normal excitability of the responding muscle. Conversely, with homodromous current, the tendon is made the cathode and under its influence the muscle might have its excitability raised above the normal. These anticipations are fully supported by results of experiments. Sub-maximal stimulus of equi-alternating induction shock was directly applied to the muscle and records taken of (1) response under normal condition without any current, (2) response under heterodromous current, the tendon being the anode, and (3) response under homodromous current, the tendon being now made the cathode. It was thus found that under heterodromous current the excitability of the muscle was depressed, and under homodromous current the excitability was enhanced.

The effect of current on response to direct stimulation is thus opposite to that on response to transmitted excitation, as will be seen in the following Table.

The passage of a current, therefore, induces opposing effects on the conductivity of the nerve and the excitability of the muscle, the resulting response being due to their differential actions. Under heterodromous current a more intense excitation is transmitted along the nerve, on account of induced enhancement of conductivity. But this intense excitation finds the responding muscle in a state