160 Experiments on the Gymnotus Electricus. 



other hand, a brass chain, fastened to a thick piece of 

 wire; the ends of the two pieces of wire being rounded 

 off, were made to approach within less than the hun- 

 dredth part of an inch, but without touching, and se- 

 cured at that distance. This experiment did not 

 succeed now, though we attended to it, with great pa- 

 tience. But though we had not the pleasure of see- 

 ing a spark between the two wires, we had the satis- 

 faction of knowing that none ought to have been seen, 

 because no shock passed through the wires ; for the 

 persons who held them always declared, they felt the 

 shock in that hand only which touched the fish or 

 water. 



Experiment 14. Instead of the wires, placed at a 

 small distance from each other, in the last experiment, 

 we made about a quarter of an inch of a line of gild- 

 ing on a book serve for part of the circuit ; but could 

 not make a shock pass through it, and, consequently, 

 saw no appearance of electricity. 



Several other experiments were often repeated, and 

 always with the same success ; amongst which were 

 the following. 



If a single person takes hold of the fish, with both 

 hands, placing one near either extremity, he receives a 

 shock through both arms, and sometimes feels it across 

 the breast likewise. If he touch it with one hand 

 only, he never feels it further than in that hand and 

 arm ; generally in the hand only. 



