ACTION OF ELECTRICITY UPOX THE XERVES. 105 



servations by Lombard, showing an elevation in the tem- 

 perature of the head during mental exertion. 1 The same 

 facts have lately been observed by Schiff, 2 who has also 

 shown a slight elevation of temperature in nerves during 

 the conduction of an artificial stimulus. 8 







Action of Electricity upon the Nerves. A great deal has 

 been written upon the effects of electricity upon the nervous 

 system, and facts elicited by experiments upon this subject 

 are highly important in their bearing on physiology and 

 pathology. Still, there are numerous observations upon 

 this subject which have but little importance, in a purely 

 physiological sense, except that they are curious and inter- 

 esting. These we do not propose to discuss elaborately ; 

 but shall confine ourselves chiefiy to those points which bear 

 directly upon our knowledge of the properties and functions 

 of the nerves. 



The first important fact to which we have already al- 

 luded is, that electricity is the best means that we have of 

 artificially exciting the nerves. Using electricity, we can 

 regulate with exquisite nicety the degree of stimulation ; 

 we can excite the nerves long after they have ceased to re- 

 spond to mechanical or chemical irritation ; the effects of 

 different currents can be noted ; and, finally, this mode of 

 stimulation produces a peculiar and interesting condition of 

 the parts of the nerve not included between the poles of the 

 battery. For these reasons, it seems proper to devote some 

 consideration, in this connection, to the effects of the appli- 

 cation of this agent to the nerves. 



So long as the nerves retain their irritability, they will 

 respond to an electrical stimulus. Experiments may be 

 made upon the exposed nerves in living animals or in ani- 



1 See vol. in., Animal Heat, p. 415. 



2 MORITZ SCHIFF, Recherche* sur Vechauffemeni des nerfs et des centres nerveux 

 it la suite des irritations semorielles et sensitives. Archives de physiologic, Paris, 

 1870, tome iii., p. 5, et seq. 



3 Ibid., 1869, tome ii., pp. 157 and 330. 



