124 TORPEDO. 



emanation, that he gives the prescription of an application, 

 called Tor poena from a then common name of the fish, which 

 ■was to be kept ready prepared for use. It was formed by 

 boiling the flesh of the Torpedo in oil imtil its whole substance 

 •was dissolved and mingled with it. That even Galen supposed 

 the existence of some of its properities after death is rendered 

 probable by his remark, that when used as food it rendered 

 the body dull and stupid. 



For more than a thousand years such was the extent of the 

 knowledge of nature possessed even by those who were the 

 most intimately acquainted with its phenomena; and it was only 

 when the properties of electricity had become the subject of 

 experiment, that any further light was thrown on the peculiar 

 powers of tliis fish. The discovery in a distant land of a fish 

 of a very different species, but which was endued with similar 

 faculties, had given a new impulse to inquiry; and it was then 

 recollected that the powers of the Torpedo had never been 

 closely studcd. Rcdi, an Italian physician, was among the 

 first to make remarks on the living fish, and Mr. Walsh the 

 most successful of those who instituted experiments; and it is 

 ■with a short account of these, accompanied with an abstract 

 of the anatomical examinations of the illustrious John Hunter, 

 as contained in the Lectures of Professor Richard Owen, that 

 we shall close our history of these properties of the Torpedo. 



Redi says, that in order to satisfy himself of the certainty 

 of the things reported about this fish, he repeated his observa 

 tions on more than one example; but more particulary on a 

 female of the weight of fifteen pounds, which had been caught 

 for his use, and brought directly to him from the sea. As 

 soon as he had grasped it with his hand, the hand and arm 

 up to the shoulder began to suffer a creeping sensation, as if 

 emmets were passing over it, accompanied with a trembling 

 so irksome, and increasing to such sharp and tormenting pain 

 at the point of the elbow, that he was compelled to remove 

 his hand from the fish; and when he again attempted to grasp 

 it the painful sensations returned. He remarked, however, that 

 as the vital powers of the fish decreased, its power of inflicting 

 pain and trembling also grew less. 



This fish continued alive for three hours, and on dissection 

 its heart was found to beat for seven hours afterwards; but 



