Htnls on the Subject of Animal Secretions, J 1 1 



In this experiment, the coagulation of the blood was not 

 materially affected by the electrical power alluded to. 



Experiment l\» 8th of February, 1809. 



Finding it necessary to submit perfectly fluid blood to 

 the action of electricity, the following experiment was un- 

 dertaken with a view of keeping it the longest possible time 

 in that state. 



A deer having been pithed, the abdomen was immediately 

 "Opened into, and a length of about four inches of a large 

 vein in the meso-colon was detached from the neighbouring 

 parts. Two small platina wires, connected in tlie usual 

 way with forty three-inch double plates, were inserted into 

 this detached portion of vein, and secured by ligatures, 

 having their points at a distance of about one inch from 

 each other. The communication with the battery was kept 

 up for one quarter of an hour, a third ligature was then 

 tied in the centre of the detached vein, in order to cut off 

 the connexion between the positive and negative ends. On 

 removing the portion of the vein included by the ligatures, 

 and containing the conductors, it was found that the gaseous 

 products had forced out nearly the whole of the blood, at 

 the part through which the wires were inserted ; alkaline 

 and acid matter were readily detected^ but no new product 

 could be discovered. 



Finding the coagulation of the blood an insurmountable 

 obstacle to the long-continued electrical action, the serum 

 only was employed in the following experiments. 



Experiment Ml, lOth of March, 1809. 

 The conductors from one hundred and twenty four-inch 

 double plates, highly charged, were brought within two 

 inches of each other, in some recent serum of blood, ob- 

 tained free from the colouring matter, by carefully pouring 

 it off from the coagulum. Coagulated albumen was rapidly 

 separated at the negative pole, and alkaline matter evolved : 

 at the positive pole, a small quantity^ of albumen was gra- 

 dually deposited, and litmus paper mdicated the presence 

 of acid. These are the effects produced by a high electrical 

 power upon serum. 



Experiment \Y , 14th of April, 1809. 



Was undertaken to ascertain the effect of a low power : 



a battery was employed, consisting of twelve four-inch 



double plates of copper and iron. In this case, there was 



at fir$t no appearance of coagulation at either pole ; in fivt 



minutes' 



