NATURAL HISTORY. 



799 



means of water contained in basons, 

 properly disposed between them for 

 that purpose. This curious and con- 

 vincing experiment is thus related by 

 Monsieur Seignettc, mayor of La 

 Rochclle, and one of the secretaries 

 of its academy; published in the 

 French gazettes, for the month of 

 October in the above year. 



A live torpedo was placed on a 

 table : round another table stood five 

 persons insulated: two brass wires, 

 each thirteen feet long, were sus- 

 pended to the ceiling by silken 

 strings. One of these wires rested 

 by one end on the wet napkin on 

 which the fish lay ; the other end 

 was immersed in a bason full of wa- 

 ter, placed on the second table, on 

 which stood four other basons like- 

 wise full of water. The first person 

 put a fin£;er of one hand in the ba- 

 son in which the wire was immersed, 

 and a finger of the other hand in a 

 second bason. The second person 

 put a finger of one hand in the last 

 bason, and a finger of the other in a 

 third, and so on successively, till 

 the five persons communicated with 

 one another, with the water in the 

 Masons. In the last bason cue end 

 of the second M'ire was immersed, 

 and with the other cud Mr. Walsh 

 touched the back of the torpedo, 

 when the five persons felt a commo- 

 tion which diiiered in nothing from 

 that of the Leyden experiment, ex- 

 cept in the degree of force. Mr. 

 Walsh, who was not in (ho circle of 

 conduction, received no shock.— 

 Tliis experiment was repeated seve- 

 ral timea, even with eight persons, 

 and always v.ith the samo success. 

 The action of the torpedo is com- 

 municated by the same medium as 

 the electric lluid. 'Jhe bodies which 

 intcrcfpt the action of the one inter- 

 cept likewise the action of the other. 



The effects produced by the torpedo 

 resemble in every respect a weal^ 

 electricity. 



This exhibition of the electric 

 powers of the torpedo, before the 

 academy of La Rochelle, was at a 

 meeting held for the purpose, in 

 my apartments, on the 22d of July, 

 1772, and stands registered in the 

 journals of the academy." 



Mr. Walsh, in his paper on this 

 subject, in the Philosophical Trans- 

 actions, thus continues the account 

 of these interesting experiments : 



" The effect of the animal, in the 

 above experiments, was transmitted 

 through as great an extent, and va- 

 riety of conductors, as almost at any 

 time we had been able to obtain it, 

 and the experiments included ncarly 

 all the points in which its nnalogv 

 with the Leyden phial had been ob- 

 served. These points were stated 

 to the gentlemen present, as were 

 the circumstances in which the two 

 cffecls appeared to vary. It was like- 

 wise represented to them, that our 

 experiments had been almost wholly 

 with the animal in air ; that its ac- 

 tion in water was a capital desidera- 

 tum, that indeed all as yet done was 

 little more than opening the door to 

 inquiry; that much remained to bo 

 examined by the electrician, as well 

 as the anatomist: that as artificial 

 electricity had thrown light on the 

 natural operation of the torpedo, 

 this might, in return, if well consi- 

 dered, throw light on artificial elec- 

 tricity, particularly in tliose respecJs 

 in which, they now seemed to differ. 

 The torpedo, in these experiments, 

 dispensed only the disticct, instanta- 

 neous stroke, so well known by the 

 electric shock. That protracted but 

 lighter sensation, that torpor or 

 numbness which lio at times induces, 

 and from which he takes liis name, 



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