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Notices respecting New Books. 227 
Was easy, has varied from five minutes to a quarter of an hour, 
I speak of its application in as great a degree as the patient 
could bear without complaint. For this effect | generally found 
from eight to sixteen four-inch plates of zinc and copper, the 
fluid employed being one part of muriatic acid,” and twenty of 
water, sufficient, Some require more than sixteen plates, and 
a few vannot bear so many as eight; for the sensibility of dif- 
ferent individuals to galvanism is very different. It 1s curious 
and not easily accounted for, that a considerable power, that 
perhaps of twenty-five or thirty plates, is often necessary on first 
applying the galvanism, in order to excite any sensation ; yet 
after the sensation is once excited, the patient shall not perhaps, 
particularly at first, be able to bear more than six or eight plates. 
The stronger the sensation excited, the more speedy in general 
is the relief. I have known tlie breathing instantly relieved by a 
very strong power. I have generally made it a rule to begin with a 
very weak one, increasing it gradually at the patient’s request, 
by moving one of the wires fait one division of the trough to 
another, and moving it back again when he complained of the 
sensation being too strong. It is convenient for this purpose to 
charge with the fluid about thirty plates. 
“<The galvanism was applied in the following manner. Two 
thin plates of metal about two or three inches in diameter, dipped 
in Water, were applied, one to the nape of the neck, the other 
to the pit of the stomach, or rather lower.. The wires from the 
different ends of the trough* were brought into contact with 
these plates, and, as observed above, as great a galvanic power 
maintained, as the patient could bear without complaint. In 
this way the galvanic influence was sent through the lungs, as 
much as possible, in the direction of their nerves. It is proper, 
constantly to move the wires upon the metal plates, particularly 
the negative wire, otherwise the cuticle is injured in the places 
on which they rest. The relief seemed much the same, whether 
the positive wire was applied to thenape of the neck, or the pit of 
the stomach. ‘The negative wire generally excites the strongest 
sensation, Some patients thought, that the relief was most 
speedy, when it was applied near the pit of the stomach. 
‘* The galvanism was discontinued as soon as the patient said 
that his breathing was easy. In the first cases in which I used 
it, [ sometimes prolonged its application for a quarter of an hour, 
or twenty minutes, after the patient said he was perfectly relieved, 
in the hope of preventing the early recurrence of the dyspnoea 5 
but I did not find that it had this effect. It is remarkable, that in 
several who had laboured under asthmatic breathing for from ten 
* I found a trough of the old construction answer better than the im- 
proved pile, which is so much superior for most purposes, 
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