I, ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. IC5 



*' ftrong fpark fuddenly pafled from one end to 

 *' the other, the whole were killed almoft inftan- 

 " taneoufly, and any that furvived died very 

 " foon. The Leyden phial was not required ; a 

 " fpark from the conduftor, without any more 

 " apparatus, was fufficient. 



" I was curious to learn what happened at the 

 *' moment of the fhock, and difpoled my Aider 

 " fo as to obferve the animaicuia. After a vio- 

 " lent fhock, they were always in agitation. 

 " Some were immediately reduced to granuli, a. 

 " mode of death to which yoii know thefe ani- 

 " mals are very fubjed : Polypi, which in the 

 " manner of multiplication refemble them fa 

 ^' much, often perifli in the fame way. The ani- 

 " malcula remaining entire, revolved a few fe» 

 " conds in the liquid, then flopped at the bot- 

 " tom, and died on the fpot, without any change 

 '' of figure. 



" The fpark is fatal, though they are In a 

 " greater quantity of water. I filled a glafs tube 

 "two lines in diameter and four inches long with 

 " water full of animaicuia. Five or fix very 

 " ftrong fparks drawn through it killed them alL 

 " But the confequence was different, on taking; 

 " tubes four or five lines in diameter. The 

 " eleiStric fluid, difperfed in fo great a fpace, is 

 " not of that denfity to lacerate the body of ani- 

 " malcula. 



" One 



