Abstract
Further studies were made on the accelerating interaction between Lillie's nerve models from various aspects. The results obtained can be summarised as follows:
1. If two cores I and II are activated one after the other with a short interval in between, the activation wave in I makes the conduction velocity of the wave in II always larger than usual, as was previously ascertained, and that
a) The action is strengthened if many, instead of one, cores are activated simultaneously to cooperate together as accelerators, and
b) The action gets weakened, if a single accelerator has many cores to affect on, instead of one.
2. The intensity of the accelerating action depends on the distance between the cores, i.e., it is the stronger, the smaller the distance is
.3. The direction of the activation wave as an accelerator is insignificant.
4. The accelerating action lasts for a few minutes in general, the intensity being strongest directly after the sweep of the accelerating wave, then dropping acutely to a low value, and then getting weaker and weaker slowly with time.
We don't know yet whether such an accelerating action as observed in the model, does take place in nerve in situ or not. It is obvious, however, that all the results obtained are due to electric interaction, and we know, on the other hand, that there is, in nerve, the “action current, ” an electric event quite similar to the activation current in the model. We shall have to bear in mind, therefore, that there would sometimes occur an accelerating interaction between nerve fibres in situ, too, although it is not clear at all at present how strong it will be.
