274 Report on Zantedeschi and Favio's Memoir 



{chhnisme) of the organic and animal life which resides in the 

 substance of the organs and tissues. 



In order to distinguish these currents, they apprise us that 

 we should not take as the electro-chemical current in relation 

 with life, that which is obtained by sounding {sondant) the dif- 

 ferent products and the different secretions of the organs; such 

 a current is named the common electro-chemical.^ whilst the vi- 

 tal electro-chemical current is that which is developed in the 

 internal animal chemism, which is not subject to the common 

 chemical laws ; a current which they are not willing to sup- 

 pose to be the cause of life, but which may be regarded as the 

 special effect which life alone can produce. 



By this it is evident that the common electro-chemical cur- 

 rent is obtained by simply placing the stylets in contact with 

 the secretions, or with the surfaces of the organs moistened 

 with heterogeneous products. 



The second, on the contrary, is only obtained by penetra- 

 ting with stylets even into the intimate assemblage of the or- 

 ganic tissues, and by exciting in them a strong reaction by 

 means of this deep perturbation. 



Consequently, if we look upon this last current either as 

 drawing its origin from the chemical and proper action of life 

 on matter, or as the index and the measure of this active 

 principle, agent of life, whether it be considered chemically 

 in the first case, whether it be considered physiologically in 

 the second, we must always conclude that the vital electro- 

 chemical current either is the same thing as that which has 

 been called neuro-electric, or electro-vital ; or even if a differ- 

 ence should exist between them, in the present state of phy- 

 sical and physiological knowledge, we cannot point out with 

 certainty any character which distinguishes them. 



The third kind of current arises from the different degree 

 of temperature of the different parts of the animal which is 

 subjected to the operation. It is for this reason that the name 

 of thermo-electric current has been given to it. It is derived 

 from nothing else but a disturbance of calorific equilibrium ; 

 on this account it is reckoned amongst the phsenomena of 

 matter, and has no essential connexion with life. Besides, 

 this current is, so to say, null or of very small importance, 

 since physicists have proved that the temperature of animals 

 is nearly equal in every part of their system. 



The authors again inform us that the deviations of the 

 needle of the galvanometer indicating the currents, were al- 

 ways measured by them, reckoning from the first excursion 

 which the needle makes at the moment when the second stylet 

 is thrust in, that is to say, at the moment when the circuit is 



