ELECTRICITY. 



507 



Descriptive. 

 Electricity. 



E flirts of 

 electricity 

 on dead ani- 

 mal bodies. 



electrified one of them positively for 10 hours, "the se- 

 cond negatively for 10 hours, while the third remained 

 unelectrified. They were then left in the same apart- 

 ment, and in the same temperature. Next day, the 

 two electrified pieces were tender, but had no bad 

 smell. On the fourth day, the electrified beef had a 

 fetid smell, which was almost intolerable ; while the 

 unelectrified piece had only begun to smell a little. 

 When the experiment was repeated with boiled veal, 

 the electrified piece had an acid smell, and an unplea- 

 sant taste, on the following day ; while the unelectri- 

 fied piece continued sweet for three days, and did not 

 begin to emit an acid smell till the fourth day. 



M. Achard next extended his experiments to ani- 

 mals killed by electricity. Having killed several birds 

 by the electric shock, and others by sticking a needle 

 through their heads, he exposed them all to the same 

 temperature, and preserved them from insects by 

 means of glass covers. The birds killed by electricity 

 corrupted much sooner than the others, and the pu- 

 trefaction was more rapid in proportion to the magni- 

 tude of the shock. The same effect has been observed 

 in the bodies of persons killed by lightning. The bo- 

 dy of a farmer, who liad been killed at five or six 

 o'clock in the evening, emitted a smell perceptibly 

 fetid next morning, and before 24 hours had elap- 

 sed the smell was intolerable. From these facts, M. 

 Achard concludes, that putrefaction is accelerated by 

 electricity, and that the corruption of flesh, and other 

 animal bodies, arises from an accumulation of electric 

 matter in the atmosphere. Achard supposes that the 

 vessels which contain the animal fluids are destroyed 

 by an electric shock, or bj lightning ; and that tliese 

 fluids accelerate putrefaction, by being diffused through- 

 out the b(nly. 



See the History of Electricity, p. 418, col. 2, and 

 . VI 9, cd. 1. Giovani Vivenxio, Istoria dell El- 

 tlricila Medica, Nupoli, 4to, 1784. Muuduyt, Me- 

 wiirc sur let diffetentes Maniacs if Administrer /' l'-i> - 

 Iricile, 1784, p. 2 66'. C'hifotc.-ui, Journal de Medicine, 

 Mars, 1784. Boze, Phil. Trans. 1~45, vol. xliii. 

 419. Nollet, Jlechi'iches, &c. page 366. Van 

 Marum, TtrceJc Vcrvolg tier Procfnecmingen gedtian 

 met Teei/lcr's Elect. Mach. Haarlem, 1795, 4to. or 

 in TiDoch'a Phil. Mag. vol. viii. p. 194, 195,318. Ca- 

 vendish, Phil. Trans. ) 776. Yolta, in Gilbert's Jour- 

 nal, vol. xiv. p 207- Robison's System of Mechanical 

 Philosophy, vol. iv. now in the press. Henley, Phil. 

 Trans. 1776, p. 463. Achard, Mem. .lead. Berlin ; or 

 Tilloch's Phil. Mag. vol. iii. p. 51. 



SECT. V. On the Effects of Electricity upon Vegetables. 



E 



On the cf- E nave already * stated the results of the experi- 



fecuof tlec- ments made by Mr Maimbray of Edinburgh and the 

 tricity upon Abbe Nollet, on the effects produced upon the growth 

 Yegetables. o f vegetables by electricity. Similar exj>eriments up- 

 on vegetables were repeated, with the same results; 

 and the effect of electricity in promoting vegetation was 

 universally acknowledged, till a complete set of expe- 

 riments was made by l)r Ingenhou.-z, who could not 

 discover any foundation for the general opinion. 



M. Jalabert, M. Boze, the Abbe Menon, Or Carmoy, 

 the Abbe Dormoy, and the Abbe Bertholon, have, 

 without much success, endeavoured to establish the 

 opinion of the Abb6 Nollet. The Abbe Bertholon, in- 

 deed, has written a work solely on this subject ; and 



we were not surprised to find, that an author, who se- Descriptive 

 riously maintained the influence of atmospherical elec- ^lectrioty^ 

 tricity upon the generation of the human species, B^ t j,oi on ' s 

 should support the more sober opinion, that it has a e lectro-ve- 

 powerful effect upon the germination of plants. By getometei. 

 means of an instrument called an electro-vegetometer, 

 which is nothing more than a thunder-rod for bring- 

 ing down the electricity of the atmosphere to the 

 earth, he has proposed to convey electricity to particu- 

 lar spots, for the purpose of fertilizing the soil, and in- 

 vigorating the health of tender plants. And when this 

 celestial nourishment cannot be drawn in sufficient 

 quantities from the clouds, he proposes to supply its 

 place by a shower of electrified water. In order that 

 our readers may judge for themselves of the advantages 

 which are likely to be derived from these processes, 

 we shall lay before them the following general remarks 

 of the Abbe Bertholon. 



" By means of the electro-vegelometer just now de- 

 scribed, one may be able to accumulate at pleasure this 

 wonderful fluid, however diffused in the regions above, 

 and conduct it to the surface of the earth, in those sea- 

 sons when it is either scantily supplied, or its quantity 

 is insufficient for vegetation, or, although it may be in 

 some degree sufficient, yet it can never produce the ef- 

 fects (if a multiplied and highly increased vegetation. 

 So that by these means we shall have an excellent ve- 

 getable manure or nourishment, brought down, as it 

 were, from heaven, and that, too, at an easy expence ; 

 for, after the construction of this instrument, it will 

 cost nothing to maintain it : it will be, moreover, the 

 most efficacious you can employ ; no other substance 

 being so active, penetrating, or conducive to the ger- 

 mination, growth, multiplication, or reproduction, of 

 vegetables. This heavenly manure is that which na- Bertholon 

 ture employs over the whole habitable earth, not ex- on the ef- 

 cepting even those regions which are esteemed barren, fects of eleo 

 but wnieh, however, are often fecundated by those tnfyinjr 

 agents which nature knows so well to employ to the P'" nts ' 

 most useful purposes. Perliaps there was nothing 

 wanting to bring to a completion the useful discove- 

 ries that have been made in electricity, but to shew this 

 so advantageous an art of employing electricity as a 

 manure. Consequently, that all the effects which we 

 have already mentioned depend upon electricity alone ; 

 and, lastly, that all these effects, viz. acceleration in the 

 germination, the growth, and production of leaves, 

 flowers, fruit, and their multiplication, &c. will be pro- 

 duced even at a time when secondary causes are against 

 it ; and all this is brought about by the electric fluid, 

 which we have the art of accumulating over certain 

 portions of the earth, where we want to raise those 

 plants that are most calculated for our use. 



" By multiplying these instruments, which are pro- 

 vided at little expence, (since iron rods, of the thick- 

 ness of one's finger, and even less, are sufficient for the 

 purpose), we multiply their beneficial effects, and ex- 

 tend their use ad iiifinitum. 



" This .ipp.ir.itu> having been raised with care in the 

 midst of a garden, the happiest effects were perceived, 

 viz. different plants, herbs, and fruits, in greater for- 

 wardness than usual, more multiplied, and of better 

 quality. These facts a,re analogous to an observation 

 which I have often made, viz. that plants grow fast, 

 and are mo>t vigorous, near thunder-rods, where their 

 situation favours their developement. They likewise 

 serve to explain why vegetation is so vigorous in lofty 



See the HUtory of Electricity, p. 418, col. 8. 



