306 PRESENT STATE OF ORGANIC ELECTRICITY. 



XVI. A BEIEF EEVIEW OF THE PEESENT STATE 

 OF ORGANIC ELECTRICITY. 



THE general Theory of Electricity has rapidly approached a 

 consistent form through the labours of recent physicists and 

 particularly by the researches of Mr. Faraday. The hypo- 

 theses of one or of two electric fluids, however modified, 

 have been found tenable only so far as they involve the 

 idea of force. In the phenomena of statical as in those 

 of current electricity, there is constantly pressed upon the 

 observer the necessity of admitting two forces, or two 

 forms or directions of a force, inseparable from one another. 

 And thus " the influence which is present in an electrical 

 condition may best be conceived of as an axis of power 

 having contrary forces, exactly equal in amount, in contrary 

 directions." * 



This peculiar form of force manifests itself in different 

 kinds of inorganic matter, under circumstances such as fric- 

 tion, change of temperature, magnetic influence, and chemical 

 action. 



It is also manifested in organised beings, not only under 

 circumstances in which they stand related to it as masses of 

 mere matter ; but more particularly during the actions per- 

 formed by their component textures and organs. 



Electrical science has been hitherto chiefly prosecuted in 

 the region of inorganic nature ; and although Volta opened 



* Faraday, Philosophical Transactions; and Experimental Researches in 

 Electricity. 



