There seems to be a new emerging theory about the way information is transmitted in the human nervous system. I'm not sure I fully understand the theory, but it seems to predict that information is carried using soliton sound waves that travel down the nerve instead of electric pulses.
They make some compelling arguments in these articles, like pointing out that olive oil is very similar to the chemicals believed to be carrying the sound wave, and most anesthetics have in common the trait of being soluble in olive oil. (Raising or lowering the boiling point of a substance, by dissolving something in it, would affect how sound travels through it. )
On the other hand, the existing electrical theory is supported by the fact the nerves are clearly observed to give off electrical pulses whenever they transmit information.
http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/physi...ely-12738.html
http://matpitka.blogspot.com/2008/02...i-soliton.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soliton