DISCOVERY OF VOLTAIC ELECTRICITY. 83 



himself 3 (about 1794) that the essential conditions 

 of this kind of action depended on the metals ; 

 that it is brought into play most decidedly when 

 two different metals touch each other, and are con- 

 nected by any moist body; and that the parts of 

 animals which had been used discharged the office 

 both of such moist bodies, and of very sensitive 

 electrometers. The animal electricity of Galvani 

 might, he observed, be with more propriety called 

 metallic electricity. 



The recognition of this agency as a peculiar 

 kind of electricity, arose in part perhaps, at first, 

 from the confusion made by Galvani between the 

 cases in which his electrical machine was, and those 

 in which it was not, employed. But the identity 

 was confirmed by its being found that the known 

 difference of electrical conductors and non-conduc- 

 tors regulated the conduction of the new influence. 

 The more exact determination of the relation of the 

 new facts to those of electricity was a succeeding 

 step of the progress of the subject. 



The term " animal electricity" has been super- 

 seded by others, of which galvanism is perhaps the 

 most familiar. I think it will appear from what has 

 been said, that Volta's office in this discovery is of a 

 much higher and more philosophical kind than that 

 of Galvani ; and it would, on this account, be more 

 fitting to employ the term wltaic electricity ; which, 

 indeed, is very commonly used, especially by our 

 most recent and comprehensive writers. 



3 See Fischer, viii. 625. 



G2 



