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It was of course a familiar fact that nerves may he temporarily paralysed by the direct action of pressure,, cold and other agents upon them. But, so far as I am aware, it had not been known that the tissues generally are liable to be thrown into a state of suspended vital energy by injurious influences.
An experiment upon another form of tissue seems so illustrative of this subject that I am induced to relate it in detail. It was an attempt to study the effect of warmth upon the ciliated epithelium of the frog s tongue. It was easy to obtain the material for examination by gently scraping the surface of the organ and diffusing the product in a drop of water. Individual isolated cells were then to be seen with their cilia in motion, which might continue for a considerable period. But special arrangements were necessary in order to avoid killing them with the warmth, to which, as we have seen, the tissues of the frog are peculiarly sensitive. I succeeded by arranging them in a film of water between two delicate cover-glasses, the whole mass being so thin that it could be very quickly heated and as rapidly cooled. The object being placed under the microscope, I interposed a small cautery at a low black heat between the reflector and the stage and watched the result. The ciliary motion, which had been somewhat languid, became at once increased in rapidity, but resumed its former rate if the cautery was at once withdrawn. If, however, the application was somewhat longer continued, the active motion soon gave place to a state of complete
