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V, Account of Dr. PERKlNS'sDlfcovery of the Influence of Me- 

 tallic Tractors, in removing many of the Difeafes of the Human 

 Body. 



X H I S difcovery has made fome noife in America, and, 

 like every novelty, has its advocates and its opponents. 'The 

 fon of the inventor, now in London, has published a fmali 

 work on the fubjecr, to introduce it to the notice of medical 

 men in this country, from which we extract the following 

 particulars : 



Galvani, the celebrated profeffor at Bologna, was the 

 firfb who announced fome curious phenomena, obferved 

 from an accidental application of metallic fubftances to the 

 nerves and mufcles of animals. The fubjec~f. immediately 

 engaged the attention of philofophers throughout Europe, 

 and the public, in confequence, were foon favoured with a 

 confirmation of Galvani's affercions, by the publication of 

 the experiments of Valli, Volta, Fowler, Monro, Cavallo, 

 &c. The refult of thefe various refearches proved that 

 *' the influence is not peculiar to a few animals only, but 

 feems to be a property of all." Although the living animal 

 is mod fufceptible of the influence, yet, from a combination 

 cf different metals, the nerves and mufcular fibres, long 

 after every appearance of vitality was removed, have been 

 excited to powerful action. 



From the difcovery of a new law '•', acting fo important a 

 part in the animal ceconomy, it might rationally be expected 

 that attempts would be made to afcertain how far this prin- 

 ciple could be applied in a remedial point of view to human 

 difeafes. This has been the particular enquiry of Doctor 

 Perkins. 



* The term animal electricity, which arofe from (he many ana- 

 that were obferved between the influence difcovered by Galvani 

 and electricity, has by later Writers given place to Galvanism, a com- 

 pliment well merited by the ingenious dii'eoverer. 



Several 



