5M " PfrtaUt Tlltltrkttl Mmhiiif 



Thus tMs'Iirtlemacliinc is capable of affording much amuicmcnt, and even of trying en- 

 periments with, bcfides its being adapted for medical purpofcs ; and, which is not the fniall- 

 clt recommendation, may be manufactured at a fmall expence, compared with the larger 

 machines. But, fmall as it is, I h.ivc frequently fired ardent fpirits with it, and have fecn 

 its power fuch as to caufe 35 inches of coating to difchar^e at a quarter of an inch ftrllcing 

 clidancc 2t every third revolution; and at fourteen or fifteen revolutions it will, when in 

 good order, difcharge at half an inch. A fecond machine of this condruflion, which I 

 Iztely made for a fricn;', contains 42 inches of coated furi^aec, with a cylinder of the f.mic 

 fi«e as the one already defcribed, and is better adapted for making experiments, the box 

 being larger, and the infulation more perfedl ; but is not fo portable. * 



Before the former machine was completed, I apprehended that the proximity of the 

 ■wood to the coUedlor would take off much of the fluid ; but it does not appear that 

 this is the cafe at all in giving fhocks, nor even in taking fparks, unlefs tlie diftance of the 

 body to be eleftrificd from the ball ufed be greater than the diftance from the collcftor to 

 the wood, or rather from the adjufting fcrews to the wood, for here the tendency to ef- 

 capefeems to be thegrcateft. On this account the parts of the box where tiie fluid has the 

 greateR tendency to efcape, arc varnilhcd' with fcveral coats qf fealing-wax melted in fpirits 

 of wine. How far baked wood would be preferable to mahogany in its working ftjte for 

 the front and ends of the bov, 1 have not attempted to afecrtain. 



' As this machine is calculated to keep out the humidity of the air, when the hole for the 

 tube is corked, and all the glafs, or infulating parts, well varnifhed with proper eletlrical 

 varnifli ; the exciting power of the cylinder, when packed in good order, will remain but 

 Ihtle impaired for fcveral hours, and fometimes days if kept in a dry room, without frclh 

 amalgam. And what may appear rather remarkable, as the ftool is near the cylinder when 

 packed, if the chains and tube be firll properly fixed, and the drawer removed, a fliock may 

 be adniiniftered with the ftool fcrewed on, as well as when off, and to all appearance in as 

 powerl^ul a manner : hence the ftool may be ufed as a prefervalive againft humidity in the 

 open air, in cafes of neceffity. 



-■ fter what has been faid of the conftruftion and ufes of this little machine, it "may be 

 alked : " Has its efficacy ever been brought to the teft ?" I anfwer. Yes. A gentleman, 

 who is a near relative of the writer of this article, was feized with a paralytic affedlion, dur- 

 ing breakfaft, on September 15, 1797, which totally deprived him of the ufeof any part of 

 his left fide, but which was not attended with p.iin. The bcft medical afliftance was re- 

 curred to for nearly a fortnight, without producing any apparent alteration. The appe- 

 tite and tendency to fleep remained nearly as ufual ; but the dlftortion of one fide of the 

 mouth rendered the fpeech fo inarticulate as to be nearly unintelligible. On the 27th of 

 the fame month I was permitted to adminifter partial fliocks through different parts of the 

 affected fide, which I began at the ftriking diftance of one-eighth of an inch with the ma- 

 chine already defcribed, while the patient was extended on a fofa ; the firft two or three 

 fhocks fcnt through the hand, were fcarcely if at all felt ; by and by a fenfation was per- 

 ceived ; a few larger fhocks at one-fixth were then adminiftered, which convulfed the hand 

 a little, and were fcnfibly felt ; a great many more, at the fame ftriking diftance, were then 

 fcnt through moft of the joints of tlie difeafcd fide 5 laftly, a few more, at the diftance of 



one-fourth 



