ON ANIMAL SECRETIONS. 137 



the idea, that the animal secretions may be produced by produced by 

 the same means. To prosecute this inquiry with every ad- elecncuy. 

 vantage, requires a knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and 

 chemistry, rarely to be met with in the same person. I 

 have therefore availed myself of the assistance of the dif- 

 ferent members of this Society, the object of which is the 

 improvement of Animal Chemistry. Their intimate ac- 

 quaintance with these branches of science renders them 

 peculiarly fitted for such an undertaking. It is oue of the 

 most important subjects to which Mr. Davy's discoveries 

 can be applied, and he has given it the consideration it 

 ' deserves. 



The Voltaic battery is met with in the torpedo and elec- Galvanic bat. 



trical eel ; and although it is given only as a means of catch- ter J in the J or " 



J pedo and elec- 



ing their prey, and defending themselves, and therefore not trical eel 



I was led to the present investigation, while preparing my lectures 

 on the Hunterean ^Museum, in which the secretions in different ani- 

 mals are to be considered. In September last, I engaged Mr. William 

 Brandeto assist me in prosecuting the inquiry. In November, I com- 

 municated my opinions to Sir Joseph Banks, and stated, that I should 

 bring them forward in my lectures; and at that t'm«s Dr. Young's 

 Syllabus was not published, and Dr. Wollaston's opinions were un- 

 known to me. 



Dr. Berzelius, Professor of Chemistry at Stockholm, published a 

 work on Animal Chemistry, in the year 1806, in the Swedish language, 

 in which he states, in several places, that he believes the secretions 

 in animals to depend upon the nerves, although he is unable to ex- 

 plain how the effect is produced. In proof of his opinion, the fol- 

 lowing experiment is adduced. 



" Trace all the nerves' leading to any secretory organ in a living ani- 

 " mal, and divide them, being careful to injure the blood-vessels 

 «* and the structure of the organ itself, as little as may be : notwitb- 

 " standing the continue circulation of the blood, the organ will as lit* 

 " tie secrete its usual fluid, as^an eye deprived of its nerve can see, or 

 " a muscle the nerve of which has been divided can move. We may 

 " therefore easily conceive, that any trifling alteration in the nerves 

 " of a gland may maternally affect its secretion, the supply of blood 

 il being in every way perfect." 



He says, the agency of the nerves in secretion ha6 generally been 

 disregarded, because our attention is only called to their secret mode * 

 of acting, when we discover the inrufficiency of all otber explanation. 

 Dr. Berzclius's work was shown to iae by Mr. Davy, while this paper 

 was in the press. 



immediately 



