ELECTRICITY AND LIFE. 535 



of the nervous and muscular systems devoted to the functions of nu- 

 tritive life. Electricity by induction, applied to these muscles, causes 

 contraction in them at the point of contact with the poles, while the 

 part situated between the poles remains without motion. Continuous 

 currents produce, at the instant of closing the circuit, a local contrac- 

 tion at the junction with the poles, and then the organ becomes quiet; 

 if it is previously in action, motion ceases. In the case of the intes- 

 tine, for instance, peristaltic movement is checked; and by means of 

 electricity contractions of the uterus may be suspended in an animal, 

 during parturition. In general, the fluid suppresses spasms of all the 

 involuntary muscles. 



All these facts relating to electric action upon the muscles and 

 nerves have been the occasion, particularly in Germany, of laborious 

 investigations, with which are connected the names of Dubois-Rey- 

 mond, Pfltiger, and Remak. The doctrines of these learned physiolo- 

 gists, regarding the molecular condition of the nerves in their various 

 modes of electrization, are still very much disputed. It must be said 

 that they are not supported by any experimental certainty, and per- 

 haps the ideas developed by Matteucci supply better means for the 

 general solution of these difficulties. This eminent experimenter op- 

 posed, to the German theories about the electrotonic faculties of the 

 nerves, cei'tain evident phenomena of electrolysis, that is, of chemical 

 decompositions effected by the currents. He supposed that the modi- 

 fications of excitement in the nerves, brought about by the passage 

 of electricity, depended on the acids and the alkalies resulting from the 

 separation of the salts contained in animal tissues. To this first class 

 of phenomena may be added those electro-capillary currents lately 

 observed by Becquerel. Here must be sought the deeper causes of 

 that complicated and as yet obscure mechanism of the strife between 

 electricity and life. 



The effects of electricity on plants have been much less studied, 

 experiments made on this subject being neither accurate nor numerous 

 enough. We know that electricity causes contractions in the various 

 species of mimosa, particularly in the sensitive-plant, that it checks 

 the flow of sap in certain plants, etc. Becquerel has studied its ac- 

 tion on the germination and development of vegetables. Electricity 

 decomposes the salts contained in the seed, conveying the acid ele- 

 ments to the positive pole, and the alkaline ones to the negative. 

 Now, the former injure vegetation, while the latter benefit it. Quite 

 lately, the same experimenter has made a series of researches upon the 

 influence of electricity on vegetable colors. Employing strong dis- 

 charges obtained from friction-machines, he has noticed very remark- 

 able alterations of color, usually due to the rupture of the cells con- 

 taining the coloring-matter of the petals. This matter, freed from its 

 cellular covering, disappears on simply washing with water, and the 

 flower becomes almost white. In leaves showing two surfaces of dif- 



