360 Medical [Book IV. 



Let the charge of a large jar or battery pafs from 

 the head to the back of a moufej if the mock is fuf- 

 ficiently ftrong, it will kill the animal. If the dif- 

 charge is made in the fame manner after its death, the 

 fluid will pafs vifibly over the body, and not through 

 it; from which circumftance we may infer, that the 

 power or medium which tranfmitted the fhock through 

 the animal is loft with its life. 



The late Dr. Cullen was of opinion, that electricity, 

 when properly applied, is one of the mod powerful 

 flimulants that can be employed to act upon the aer- 

 vous fyftem of animals. 



Mr. Adams, therefore, infers, from various experi- 

 ments, that electricity is applicable to palfies, rheuma- 

 tifms, intermittents j to fpafm, obftruction, and inflam- 

 mation. In forgery alfo, he adds, it has considerable 

 effect. The gout, the fcrophuk) or king's evil, are 

 ranked among thofe difeafes to which this remedy is 

 applicable j and there is reafon to fuppofe, that in the 

 beginning of thefe difeafes its application has been oc- 

 cafionally fuccefsful. 



Modern electricians have contrived various modes 

 for applying the electric fluid to the remedy of difeafes. 



The ftream of this fluid may, without a fhock, be 

 made to pafs through any part of the body j it may 

 alfo be thrown, upon, or extracted from, any part j and 

 its action in each cafe may be varied, by caufing the 

 fluid to pafs through materials which refift its palfage 

 in different degrees j it may be applied to the naked 

 integuments, or to the (kin covered with different re- 

 fifling fubftancesj and its power may be rarified or 

 condenfed, confined to one fpot, or more diffufed, as 

 the difcretion of the operator may direct him. 



The apparatus the mod proper for thefe medicinal 

 operations is, an electrical machine with an infulated 



cufhion, 



