Sect.II.1 Galvaiiism. 53 



ill' which they differ, were brauglit to light by 

 professor Volta, and Dr. Eusebius Valli, pf ItaJy; 

 by Mr. von Humboldt, and Dr. Ptaff, of Germany i 

 by Dr. Munro, Dr. Fowler, Mr. Cavallo, and Dr. 

 Lhid, of Great Britain ; and by Coulomb, Four- 

 croy, Sabbatier, P^lletan, and others, of France. 



Hitherto this influence or agent had been chiefly 

 investigated with reference to its operation on 

 animal substances. Flei\ce its popular name was, 

 for a considerable time, animal electricity. But it 

 being soon found, that its agency was more exten- 

 sive; that it possessed pov ers not indicated by 

 this denomination ; and that of course the reten- 

 tion of this name would lead to error, the word 

 Galvanism was adopted in its stead. This exten- 

 sion of the Galvanic principle was connected with 

 new discoveries and improvements, from various 

 quarters ; these, however, for a considerable time, 

 were generally small, and unimportant in their 

 nature. 



But among all the recent discoveries in Galva- 

 nism^ that made by professor Volta, in 1800, is 

 most remarkable in its nature, and most interest- 

 ing in its relations. His mode of constructing a 

 pilCy for condensing, retaining, and communicating 

 a perpetual current of the Galvanic injluencc, is 

 generall}^ known*. The curious phenomena which 



* The pile of Volta is thus formed. Take a number of plates 

 ofsUver, an equal number of zhw, and the same number of pieces 

 of card or tvoollen cloth. ].,et tJiese last be uell soaked in v:ater, 

 or water saturated with common salt, or, which is perhaps still 

 better, with nitre. A. pile is then to be formed of these sub- 

 stances, in the following manner. A piece of zinc, a piece of 

 silver, and a piece of wet cloth or card, arc to be succes^-ively 



Vol, I. D 



