g<)4 Jdditional Note^. 



duction of muscular contraction when the influence was applied, 

 and tlie dependence of irritability, and even life, upon the oxyge- 

 nation of tlie blood, served to strengthen tht; anally. 



These speculations seem to have been reduced almost to de- 

 monstration by some recent experiments. Professor Aldini, of 

 Bologna, is supposed to have decisively shown, that a vital attrac- 

 tion subsists between a nerve and muscle. The suspended sciatici 

 nerves of a frog, after detaching the spine, being brought near the 

 intercostal muscles of a dog, while the assistant who held the frog, 

 with his other hand, touched tlie muscles of the thigh of the dog 

 (thus forming a circle) j in tliis situation the suspended nerves 

 approached and came into contact with the muscle, as evidently 

 as a silken thread is attracted by sealing-wax. But a still more 

 important fact was that of exciting contractions by making a circle 

 of nerves and muscles, of different animals, without emplqying 

 any metallic exciter or conductor. IM. Circaud found that the 

 coagulum of blood recently drav%^n from a living animal is suscep^ 

 tible of the Galvanic stimulus, as appeared from contractions 

 evidently e.xcited by the pile of Volta. And M. Garve formed 

 a kind of pile, by alternate pieces of muscle and brain, with 

 the intervenlion of pasteboard or cloth, which produced, in 

 some small degree, similar phenomena with those of the cora,T. 

 mon pile. 



Jdentiiy of Electricily and Galvanism. 



Tliere appears to be now no longer any doubt that the Galvanic 

 and electric fluids are the same, differing in the means of their ex.- 

 citement, and in the modes of their exhibition. Beside the evi- 

 dence arising from the celebrated experiment of van Marum, in 

 which a large electrical battery was charged by a single contact 

 witii the pile of Volta, as before stated, we find, among the Gal* 

 vanic phenomena, indications of the plus and i?unus, or the nega- 

 tive and positive operation, which holds so important a station 

 among the doctrines of electricity : we find also the electric spark, 

 and substantially die same results, on employing tlie Condenser of 

 electricity and the Electrometer. The interesting experiments of 

 Dr. WoUaston, before-mentioned, tend strongly to the establish- 

 ment of this point. He even found that, when common elec- 

 tricity is passed through water, by means of two very fine metallic 

 points, chemical changes are eflccted by it, similar to those oc- 

 casioned by tlic transmission of the Galvanic influence. 



