HISTORY OF GALVANISM. 



was to examine how far the opinion of Galvani 

 was correct, respecting the dependence of the new 

 influence upon the nervous fluid, and its identity 

 with electricity. Although much of his reasoning 

 must now be regarded as erroneous, yet still he 

 manifests ingenuity and address in the contrivance 

 of his experiments, and in the inferences which he 

 deduced from them. 



In the following year, Fowler published his 

 Essay on Animal Electricity, which displays con- 

 siderable acuteness, and by which he may be con- 

 sidered as having prepared the way for many of 

 the discoveries of his successors. At the time 

 when he wrote, the question was warmly agitated, 

 whether the phenomena of galvanism could be 

 referred to the electric fluid, or whether they do 

 not rather depend upon some specific agent pecu- 

 liar to the animal body. He accordingly com- 

 mences by the inquiry, " Are the phenomena Are 

 exhibited by the application of certain different electricity 

 metals to animals referable to electricity?" Al- identical ? 

 though he conducts his train of reasoning with 

 much ability, yet he drew the conclusion which 

 we are now enabled to say is not correct. After 

 examining minutely the circumstances which are 

 necessary for the production of the galvanic influ- 

 ence, he finds that it is requisite that there should 

 be two different metals, which are to communicate 

 with each other and with the animal. He con- 

 ceives it necessary that they should be in contact, 

 one with the nerves, and the other with the 



