56 



generally in less than a quarter of an hour. The battery employed 

 consisted of 4-inch plates, charged with a mixture of muriatic acid 

 and water, in the proportion of one acid to twenty of water. 



With regard to the number of plates, there are few persons who 

 cannot bear so many as eight pair, and few who require more than 

 twice that number. Dr. Philip generally begins with a very weak 

 power, and gradually increases it till the patient begins to feel some 

 degree of uneasiness, when it is easy to move the wire of communi- 

 cation backward a few divisions, and again return after a temporary 

 remission of the excitement. The application was made through the 

 medium of two thin plates of metal dipped in water and applied wet, 

 one to the nape of the neck, and the other to the pit of the stomach, 

 in order that the galvanic fluid might pass through the chest as nearly 

 as possible in the direction of the nerves ; and with respect to the 

 position of the two ends of the battery, it was found expedient to 

 place the positive wire to the nape of the neck, and the negative wire 

 to the pit of the stomach. The operation was discontinued as soon 

 as the patient felt his breathing become free ; for it was not found 

 that continuance for a greater length of time had any tendency to 

 prevent a recurrence of the symptoms. 



In those cases of spasmodic asthma in which galvanism has been 

 applied by the author, it has failed to give relief ; but where the spas- 

 modic paroxysm has been succeeded by habitual difficulty of breath- 

 ing, there galvanism did give immediate, but temporary relief. It 

 appears, however, that most is to be expected from this remedy in 

 those cases of habitual asthma which are the least complicated with 

 any other disease. 



In order to be assured that the effects above described, as appa- 

 rently arising from galvanism, might not, in fact, be owing to an im- 

 pression on the mind during its employment, Dr. Philip endeavoured 

 in various instances to deceive his patients, by imitating the pricking 

 sensation occasioned by the application of the wires to the surface of 

 the skin without really completing the circuit ; but they invariably 

 received no relief from such experiments, and very soon felt the cus- 

 tomary benefit after the communication with the trough had been 

 established in the usual way. 



In one instance the galvanic current was directed solely along the 

 spine, by placing the second wire to the small of the back instead of 

 the pit of the stomach ; but the advantage derived from this appli- 

 cation was far less than in the usual mode. 



In confirmation of the truth of these observations, the author refers 

 to various professional friends who have witnessed the trials, and 

 especially the House Surgeon of the Worcester Infirmary, who is 

 convinced that no other means are equally efficacious in the relief of 

 this species of asthma. 



