1890.] MICROSCOriCAL JOUENAL. 173 



The blood taken by myself from the temple of William Kemmler, 

 the first man executed by electricit_y , 7 minutes after the electric force 

 had been turned oti', presented marked peculiarities. Fully one-tliird 

 of the field presented granular particles of protoplasm ranging from the 

 full-sized corpuscle to the size of ordinary granules. Protrusion of the 

 protoplasm from the corpuscles was frequently noted. 



Without further consideration of the influence of the electric current 

 upon the lower forms of life, it may be seen that the influence is posi- 

 tive in its character, that we have with the weaker currents an undoubted 

 electrolysis produced, and with the stronger or a long continued influ- 

 ence of the current a lowered vitality of the protoplasm. 



THE CHEMICAL OR EI.ECTROLYTICAL CHANGES IN TISSUE. 



In considering this subject we will leave out the consideration of 

 electrotonous, a condition produced in nervous and adjacent tissue by 

 passage of an electric current, which has been quite fully considered by 

 physiologists. 



As to the influence of the Faradic current (alternating current) upon 

 an electrolyte, testimony seems to favor the view that electrolysis is 

 produced, although not in the same degree as with the galvanic cur- 

 rent. The action of the continuous current may be illustrated by the 

 treatm.ent of a tumor of a vascular nature. 



At the positive pole hydrogen gas will be generated, at the negative 

 an alkalinity in the fluid will be produced. The blood filling the vas- 

 cular growth, if a sufiiciently powerful current be used, will gradually 

 coagulate. Just what the nature of the effect of the continuous current 

 upon the internodal fluids and tissues of the body may be, it is difficult 

 to state, but the opinion of leading medical electricians is almost unan- 

 imous in favor of a change taking place. Amory, in his work on Elec- 

 trolysis (page 127) , says : " There are four methods by which electricity 

 can be supposed to interfere with interstitial nutrition and in conse- 

 quence of the interference, destroy the life of the cells, viz : ist. By 

 producing a true decomposition of the chemical compounds, upon whose 

 combination the integrity of the living structure depends. 2d. By in- 

 terfering with the natural processes of cell segmentation by which their 

 proliferation and increase is effected ; this interference would thus pre- 

 vent the repair and multiplication of the cells whose living functions 

 are essential to the growth of the living tissues. 3d. By proinoting a 

 movement of the mass of fluid in the living tissues towards the negative 

 electrode, and thus interfering w^ith the constructive metabolisms upon 

 which interstitial nutrition depends. 4th. The acid and alkaline re- 

 actions at the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, from which 

 a caustic action upon the tissues is eflected through contact of these 

 two different chemical reactions." Amory, in these statements, is en- 

 deavoring to find a rational cause for the destruction of abnormal 

 growths. 



' As to special modification of tissue, in a discussion held before the 

 New York Academy of Medicine, Nov. 27, 18S9, Dr. A. H. Buck- 

 master recited the following experiments : The heart of an anaesthetized 

 dog was exposed and a current of forty milliamperes made to traverse 

 a portion of the ventricle. A piece of the ventricle in the direct line 

 of the current was excised and another some little distance from the 



