C 301 1 



L. Report gkrn in to the Clafs of the Mathematical and 

 Vbyfical Sciences of the French National Injlitufe on the 

 Experiments of' Folta, made the 2d of December 1800 *. 



X HE firfl: galvanic phaenomena confifted of mufcular 

 contraftions excited by the contaiil of a metallic arc. Gai- 

 vani and fcveral other philofophers confidered them as pro- 

 duced by a peculiar ele(Stricity inherent in animal parts. 

 Volta firfl; announced that the animal arc introduced into 

 thefe experiments ferved only to receive and manifell the in- 

 fluence, but very little, or not :it all, to produce it. The muf- 

 cular irritation, which was at firfl fuppofed to be the import- 

 ant part of the phasnomenon, was, according to him, only 

 an eftciil of the ele(Slric adlion produced by the mutual con- 

 tact of the metals of which the exciting arc was formed. 

 This opinion, which found partifans as well as opponents, 

 caufed the experiments proper for fupporting or combating it 

 to be multiplied j and, as is always the cafe in the infancy of 

 difcoveries, there appeared, along with fafts, a number of 

 fingular anomalies, which rendered it more difficult to trace 

 out their connection, and whicli vvere then even inexplicable, 

 becaufe thev arole from very delicate circumftancesj the in- 

 fluence of which was not well known. 



Such was the flate of this branch of philofophy when the 

 commiUion delivered in to you its firfl: report : its objedt had 

 been to determine with accuracy the conditions proper for 

 calling forth and modifying the galvanic etfefts ; it did not 

 attempt to explain them, and confined itfelf to prefentinf 

 them in that order which fecmed mofl proper. At that pe- 

 riod we were not acquainted with the refearches by which 

 C. Volta, purfuing the path he has opened, endeavoured to 

 connect with his lirfl difcovery all the phitnomena exhibited 

 bv galvamfm. He has fince made known a great many 

 others, equally important, which he has conne£ted together 

 by a very ingenious theory; and if any thing flill remains to 

 be done to determine with exadlnefs the laws of this fingular 

 aftion, and to fulijetSl it to rigorous calculation, the principal 

 f:i6ts at kafl, which ought to lerve as the balls, feem to be 

 invariably fixed. , 



Your commifnon propofes at prefent to give an account of 

 thcle fundamtutal experiments, and the method in which 



♦ The commiffion charged witli tliis report confificd of Lapbce, Coa- 



lomb, iirtiic. Moin'i. - F. iiri:r<,;, \'.-. vyai-K;! . Ptll ■.:;:), Chir!.;i, n.-ifT^'ii), 



Sat>u;hicr, Guyiv:. 



Volta 



