General physiology of muscles and nerves

Front matter

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I

I i

Preface

is presented. From the experience gained by teaching during more than fifteen years, I believe that I have acquired sufficient clearness of expression, even in treating of more difficult matters, to be intelligible when studied carefully even by those who are not specialists. In certain cases it has been impossible to avoid somewhat long explanations of physical and, especially, of electric phenomena. But these have been confined to the narrowest possible limits, and I must refer those wdio require further details to my EleJctricitdtslehre fur Mediciner (Berlin, Hirschwald). It has also been unavoidable in giving an account of one branch of Physiology to indicate the connection with other branches, though it has been impossible to enter into the details of these. To those who feel inclined to follow these matters further, I recommend the study of Huxley’s ‘ Elementary Physiology.’ Certain details, which would have detained the course of the text too long, I have relegated to the Notes and Additions at the end of the book.

In accordance with the title of the book, I have omitted too scientific proofs, references, &c. The names of men of science to whom the discovery of the facts is due have only been occasionally introduced. In this matter no fixed rule has been followed, but it did not seem right to omit occasional mention of the names of the chief founders of this branch of knowledge— Ed. Weber, E. du Bois-Keymond, and H. Helmholtz.

Erlangen: Ap?'il 15, 1877.

PREFACE

Contents

PASS

. vii

Chapter I

1. Introduction : Motion and sensation as animal characteristics ; 2. Movement in plants ; 3. Molecular motion ;

4. Simplicity of the lowest organisms ; 5. Protoplasmic motion and amoeboid motion; 6, Elementary organisms and gradual differentiation of the tissues ; 7, Ciliary motion 1

Chapter II

1. Muscles, their form and structure ; 2. Minute structure of striated muscle-fibres ; 3. Connection of ' muscles and bones ; 4. Bones and bone-sockets ; 5. The law of elasticity ;

6. The elasticity of the muscles 12

Chapter III

1. Irritability of muscle; 2. Contraction and tetanus; 3. Height of elevation and performance of work ; 4. Internal work during tetanus ; 5. Generation of heat and muscle-tone ; 6. Alteration in form during contraction . . 28