4* Rtfort on Vaffali-Eandif G'lulio, and Roffl's 



Metre. 

 The diameter of the zinc plates was - 0*043 

 Their thicknefs _ _ _ 0*0035 



The pile employed for the experiments on the 15th of 

 Auguft was compofed of fifty plates of pure filver, and 

 twice that number of plates of zinc and pieces of pafteboardj 

 the latter moiftened in a folution of muriate of foda. 



Metre. 



The diameter of the filver plates was - 0*038 

 Their thicknefs - _ _ o*ooi 



The dimcnfions of the pieces of pafteboard were the fame. 



Metre. 



The diameter of the zinc plates was - 0*04 

 Their thicknefs _ _ _ 0*001 



By making the negative extremity of the pile to commu- 

 nicate, by means of refpeftive conduftors, with the fpinal 

 marrow, or merely with the mufcles of the back or breaft, 

 laid bare, and the pofitive extremity immediately with the 

 heart, inftantaneous and violent contraftions were obtained ; 

 and the contraftions were produced alfo when the heart was 

 made to communicate with the negative extremity of the 

 pile, and the fpinal marrow with the pofitive extreniity. 



We fliall obferve, in regard to contradions of the heart, 

 that of all its parts the apex is the moft fufceptible of motion, 

 and th.e moft fenfible to the Galvanic influence : we muft 

 obferve alfo, that the contraftions produced by communica- 

 tion with the pile were not only ftrong, but that they conti- 

 nued a long time even after all the communication was re- 

 moved. 



A very remarkable circumftance is, that the heart, which 

 of all the mufcles retains longeft, in general, its contra6lility 

 in regard to mechanical ftimulants, is the firft to become in- 

 fenfibte to the Galvanic influence. The mufcles of the arms^ 

 and thofeof the back and breaft, continue to be excitable by 

 Galvanifm for whole hours ; and the heart had loft its ex- 

 citability about forty niinutes after death. 



The experiments made yefterday in the anatomical theatre 

 exhibited nearly the fame refults in regard to the heart a$ 

 thofe already mentioned. The great arteries, fuch as the 

 aorta and fome of its branches, being jnjeded with water 

 raifed nearly to the fame temperament as tnat of the blooii 

 in the living individual, when fubjc£led to the Galvanic ac- 

 tion exhibited contraftions. But it is probable that they 

 will appear ftronger when trials of this kind ftiall be made 

 on bodies endowed with a higher degree of vitality than t)iofe 

 ©f yefterday, and when the interval between the period of 



decapit.atioii 



