CONTENTS.
| PART I. | |
| PAGE | |
| OF THE NATURE AND GENERAL PROPERTIES OF GALVANISM. | |
| Proposition I. Muscular contractions are excited by thedevelopment of a fluid in the animal machine, which isconducted from the nerves to the muscles without the concurrenceor action of metals | [3] |
| Prop. II. The Galvanism excited, in the preceding experiments,is not owing to the communication nor to the transfusionof the general electricity, but to an electricity peculiarto animals, which acts a very distinguished part in theanimal economy | [6] |
| Prop. III. Galvanism develops itself in a powerful manner,independently of metals, by means of the human animalmachine | [8] |
| Prop. IV. Muscular contractions can be excited, undercertain conditions, without establishing a continued arcfrom the nerves to the muscles | [11] |
| Prop. V. The effects of Galvanism, in the preceding experiments,do not depend on the action of any stimulant,which occurs in performing the experiments, and ought notto be confounded with the effects of that action | [12] |
| Prop. VI. Galvanism is excited in the animal machine withoutany intermediate body, and merely by the applicationof the nerves to the muscles | [14] |
| Prop. VII. The heterogeneity of metals contributes, in agreat degree, to excite muscular contractions with morefacility, but is not absolutely necessary to their production | [19] |
| Prop. VIII. The Leyden flask, the Voltaic pile, and animalsubstances, have the faculty of absorbing principles fromthe atmospheric air in an insulated plenum | [21] |
| Prop. IX. Flame prevents the action of the Leyden flask,as well as that of the pile, and also muscular contractions | [27] |
| Prop. X. Certain fluids, applied to the whole surface ofthe pile, or of animal parts, do not prevent the action ofGalvanism | [29] |
| Prop. XI. Mere electrization, by means of the commonkinds of apparatus, does not increase the action of Galvanism | [32] |
| Prop. XII. The Galvanic action is increased by employingas part of the arc the apparatus of Volta, or theelectrified Leyden flask | [34] |
| Prop. XIII. Galvanism, in animals and in the pile, traverseslarge spaces with the same rapidity as the electricfluid | [36] |
| Prop. XIV. The muscular contractions, which, accordingto the observations of Galvani, are produced by an electricatmosphere whether natural or artificial, correspond entirelywith those produced by the pile, or by similar kindsof apparatus | [37] |
| Prop. XV. Opium, cinchona, and other stimulants of asimilar kind, which exercise a powerful action on the animalmachine, contribute also to excite the action of thepile | [41] |
| Prop. XVI. If the general relation between Galvanism andelectricity be examined, such a correspondence will be foundbetween them, as tends to confirm the analogy alreadystated | [44] |
| Prop. XVII. The hypothesis of an animal pile, analogousto that formed artificially, seems well calculated to explainthe sensations and contractions in the animal machine | [47] |
| PART THE SECOND. | |
| ON THE INFLUENCE WHICH GALVANISM HAS ON THEVITAL POWERS | [53] |
| Section I. Galvanism applied to various quadrupeds,birds, and other warm-blooded animals | [54] |
| Section II. Experiments made on human bodies afterdeath | [67] |
| PART THE THIRD. | |
| ON THE POWER OF GALVANISM AS APPLIED TO MEDICINE | [97] |
| Sect. I. Advantages which the medical administration ofGalvanism has over that of common electricity | [99] |
| Sect. II. Application of Galvanism to the organs of hearingand of sight | [101] |
| Sect. III. Application of Galvanism in cases of asphyxiaand drowning | [110] |
| Sect. IV. Galvanism applied to the cure of melancholymadness | [113] |
| Sect. V. General reflections on the action and influencewhich Galvanism, considered in a medical point of view,exercises on the animal œconomy | [123] |
| Dissertation on animal electricity, read in the Instituteof Bologna in the year 1793 | [133] |
| Second Dissertation on animal electricity, read in theInstitute of Bologna in the year 1794 | [155] |
| Conclusion | [186] |
APPENDIX | [189] |
| No. I. An account of the experiments performed, byJ. Aldini, on the body of a malefactor executed atNewgate Jan. 17, 1803 | [ib.] |
| No. II. Report presented to the Class of the Exact Sciencesof the Academy of Turin, 15th August 1802, in regardto the Galvanic experiments made by C. Vassali-Eandi,Giulio, and Rossi, on the 10th and 14th ofthe same month, on the bodies of three men a short timeafter their decapitation. By C. Giulio | [204] |
| No. III. Account of an experiment made at Calais, on thetransmission of Galvanism through an arm of the sea | [217] |
AN ACCOUNT
OF THE LATE
IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANISM.
A just tribute of applause has been bestowed on the celebrated Professor Volta for his late discovery; and I have no desire to deprive him of any part of that honour to which he is so justly entitled; but I am far from entertaining an idea that we ought, on this account, to neglect the first labours of Galvani. Though these two philosophers pursued different routes, they concurred to throw considerable light on the same points of science; and the question now is, to determine which of them deduced the most just consequences from the facts he observed; and then to ascertain whether the facts established by Galvani lead to the theory of Volta, or whether those discovered by Volta are connected with the theory of Galvani. For my part, I am of opinion that these two theories may serve in an eminent degree to illustrate each other.
Last year Professor Volta announced to the public the action of the metallic pile. I here propose to exhibit, according
to the principles of Professor Galvani, the action of the animal pile.
Such is the plan I have conceived in order to reconcile the systems of these two illustrious philosophers: it forms the object of the present work, which is divided into three parts. In the first I shall exhibit the action of Galvanism independently of metals, and explain some of its general properties. The second will contain experiments on the power of Galvanism to excite the vital forces. In the third I shall propose some useful applications of it to medicine, and explain the principles on which the new medical administration of Galvanism is founded. To render the work as methodical as possible, I have endeavoured to arrange the experiments in such a manner that they may serve as proofs to a series of general propositions, which, it is hoped, will be of use to physiology and to the doctrine of the animal economy.