Human Electro-magnetism
Professor Bain, another eminent authority, tells us: "The structure of
the nervous substances, and the experiments made upon the nerves and
nerve-centres, establish beyond a doubt certain peculiarities as
belonging to the force that is exercised by the brain. This force is of
a current nature; that is to say, a power generated at one part of the
structure is conveyed along an intervening substance and discharged at
som
other part. The different forms of electricity and magnetism have
made us familiar with this kind of action."
Professor Draper, another eminent authority, says: "I find that the
cerebrum is absolutely analogous to in construction to any other nervous
arc. It is composed of centripetal and centrifugal fibres, having also
registering ganglia. If in other nervous arcs the structure is merely
automatic, and can display no phenomena of itself, but requires the
influence of an external agent--the optical apparatus inert save under
the influence of light, the auditory save under the impression of
sound--the cerebrum, being precisely analogous in its elementary
structure, presupposes the existence of some agent to act through it."
Prof. M. P. Hatfield has said: "The arrangement of the nerve-envelopes
is so like that of the best constructed electrical cables that we cannot
help thinking that both were constructed to conduct something very much
alike. I know that there are those who stoutly maintain that nerve force
is not electricity, and it is not in the senses that an electrical
battery is not the same thing as a live man; but, nevertheless,
nerve-force is closely allied to that wonderful thing that for want of a
better and clearer understanding we agree to call 'electricity.'"