An Account of the Late Improvements in Galvanism / With a Series of Curious and Interesting Experiments Performed Before the Commissioners of the French National Institute, and Repeated Lately in the Anatomical Theatres of London

by Giovanni Aldini

When Professor Aldini left this country, the manuscript, written in French, together with two printed Latin Dissertations, was put into the Editor’s hands, in order that they might be prepared for the press. A translation of these forms the principal part of the work: and an Appendix has been added, containing the author’s experiments on the body of a malefactor executed at Newgate; experiments of a similar kind on the bodies of three criminals decapitated at Bologna; and an experiment lately made at Calais, which

seems to show that Galvanism is susceptible of being conveyed to a very considerable distance through the water of the sea.

The Editor thinks it necessary to observe, that the principal experiments, of which an account is given in this work, are illustrated by proper engravings, and that the title page is embellished with a representation of the gold medal presented to the Author, as a mark of their respect, by the medical professors and pupils of Guy’s and St. Thomas’s Hospitals.

London,
May 12th, 1803.

CONTENTS.

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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]

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