MEDICAL BATTERIES. 



75 



vidually, or rather, in directly exciting tlie muscular tissue, by 

 placing moist rheophores on points of skin corresponding to its 

 surface. 



It is right to administer to a muscle only the dose of electricity 

 proportionate to its degree of excitability, which is variable with 

 each. It is therefore necessary that the operator should always 

 have one hand at liberty, ready to control, during faradization, the 

 graduator of the apparatus. The same hand serves also to act on 

 the intermissions of the current (in a manner to be explained 

 hereafter). This part of the operation should never be entrusted 

 to a stranger, because the physician should relax or press the 

 movement of the rheotome, according to particular indications, 

 which present themselves at any moment, even during the fara- 

 dization of a single muscle. One hand only, the opposite to that 

 which controls the graduation of the intermittences, should hold 

 and manoeuvre the rheophores. The handle of one sliould be 

 placed between the thumb and the index, that of the other 

 between the middle and ring fingers, the fingers being placed so 

 as to keep the handles in the palm of the hand. This method 

 permits faradization to be practised with great rapidity. Figs. 

 29 and 30 are intended to show the manner of holding the 

 rheophores. 



In fig. 29, the cylindrical rheophores, fitted with moist sponges, 

 or the disks covered with wet leather, are held in the left hand ; 



Fig. 29. — Method of holding the C3'liiidrical or disk rheophores in a single hand. 



while the right regulates the intermittence, by manipulation of the 

 screw C. 



