ANIMAL ELECTRICITY.— LFXTURE I. 2"] 



In 1794 (the date of its publication) Galvani was 57 years 

 of age, professor of obstetrics and rector of the University — 

 having previously held the chair of Anatomy, and published 

 the following memoirs: de Ossibus 1762; de Rcnibus 1767; 

 de Manzoliniana Supellectili 1777; de Volatilium aure 1783 ; 

 and de Viribus Electricitatis in motu musculari Commentarius 



1791. 



While at the same date Aldini his nephew, who had long 

 been a member of his household, was 32 years of age, and 

 professor of physics in the University. In 1792 he published 

 his Dissertation " De animalis electrical theoria^ ortu atque 

 incrementis." In 1796 it is he who demonstrates the new 

 electrical experiments to Napoleon during his Italian cam- 

 paign, and it is to Aldini, not to Galvani, that all Volta's 

 controversial correspondence was addressed. 



Matteucci's contributions to the subject are numerous and 

 scattered — in Italian, French and English literature of the 

 time, 1830-50. His " Essai sur les Phenomenes electriques 

 des Animaux," Paris, 1840, placed by Mliller in the hands of 

 du Bois-Reymond, was the starting-point of the latter's life- 

 long labours. This " Essai '' was expanded to a " Traite des 

 phenomenes electro - physiologiques des Animaux," Paris, 

 1844, and to his "Cours d'Electrophysiologie," Paris, 1858. 

 Matteucci's permanent legacy to the subject is " the Second- 

 ary Contraction " described by him in the Philosophical Trans- 

 actions of the R. S. for 1845, under the title of " The induced 

 contraction," and referred by du Bois-Reymond to an excita- 

 tion of the secondary nerve by the negative variation of the 

 primary muscle. 



The differing points of view of the two men are thus given 

 by du Bois-Reymond in the Preface of his " Thierische Elek- 

 tricitat": "According to him [Matteucci] there are no elec- 

 " trical currents in the nerve. The muscle-current circulates 

 " in the muscle only after certain modifications due to pre- 

 " paration, and is in no relation with its contraction. The 

 " so-called nervous principle is to him from first to last a 

 " special hypothetical mode of motion, which he chooses to 



