308 PRESENT STATE OF ORGANIC ELECTRICITY. 



The experiments of roiiillet* on electricity developed in, or 

 in connection with, young plants in a state of growth, al- 

 though valuable, present too many sources of fallacy to be 

 available at present. Donne "f* was the first to point out the 

 opposite electrical conditions of different parts of vegetables. 

 He found the opposite extremities of certain fruits, and even 

 the juices removed from those parts, to be in different electri- 

 cal states ; and thus opened up a new field of organic electri- 

 city, which promises, when more fully investigated, to lead to 

 important results. The most precise information, however, 

 regarding the effect of different parts of vegetables on the gal- 

 vanometer are contained in two communications by M. 

 Becquerel in the Memoirs of the French Academy,^ and in a 

 notice by Professor Wartmann in the BiUiotheque Universelle 

 de Geneve.^ The researches themselves are not yet suffi- 

 ciently advanced to admit of a satisfactory analysis. Indeed, 

 as M. Becquerel observes, the electrical effects are so complex 

 that it is unsafe to draw any conclusion regarding the part 

 which electricity takes in the organic functions. Hitherto, 

 therefore, in his researches, he has considered electricity 

 rather as an effect, serving to elucidate the study of physiology, 

 than as a primary cause of organic phenomena. Much diffi- 

 culty exists in determining whether certain currents, indi- 

 cated by the instrument, are primary or derived ; and also in 

 ascertaining how far the observed currents are produced by 



* "Sur I'Electricite des fliiides elastiques, et sur une des causes de I'Elec- 

 tricite de TAtmospliere. " — Ann. de Chim. et de Physique, torn. xxxv. 1827. 



+ "Eecherches sur quelques unes des Proprietes Chiraiqiies des secretions 

 et sur les courants electriques qui existent dans les Corps Organizes." — Ann. 

 de Cliim. et de Physique, torn. Ivii. 1834. 



X " Eecherches sur les causes qui degagent de I'electricite dans les vegetaux, 

 et sur les courants vegetaux terrestres;" and "Memoire s;ir les effets elec- 

 triques obtenus dans les tubercules, les racines, et les fruits, an moyen d'ai- 

 guilles de platine. " — Mem. de I' Acad, des Sciences, torn, xxiii. 



§ "Note sur les Courants electriques qui existent dans les vegetaux." — 

 Bihliothlque Universel}e de Geneve, torn. xv. 18.^0. 



