AND ANIMAL LIFE. 81 



LXXII. Galvanism is one of the most power- 

 ful stimulants we possess : it is capable of dis^ 

 cussing indolent tumours, of exciting the action 

 of the heart, and of improving the sluggish 

 state of the circulation. I am acquainted with 

 a gentleman who has employed galvanism in 

 two syphilitic buboes of the groin. One was 

 about the size of a hen's egg, and this, after 

 half an hour's application of a small pile 

 of forty two-inch plates, was diminished one^ 

 half; in the other, which was less, very slight 

 alteration immediately took place in its size or 

 appearance, but in this case resolution quickly 

 followed its employment. 



LXXIII, The action of galvanism, in WILSON 

 PHILIP'S experiments, is similar to the operation 

 of the same power on any external tumour. 

 When transmitted to the lungs and stomach by 

 the ends of the divided nerves, it causes the 

 blood to circulate with greater facility and regu- 

 larity. In proof of this I may observe, that, when 

 its influence is discontinued for a very short 

 period, congestion immediately takes place in 

 the lungs, indicated by laborious breathing and 

 vomiting, but these symptoms as soon disappear 

 when it is reapplied; and, still further, it is ac- 

 knowledged by this able physiologist, that great 

 vascularity was generally found in those cases in 

 which galvanic influence had been employed. 



If, then, this agent diminishes congestion, an4 



F 



