^2 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1750. 



first cares was to visit Mr. Bianchi, a celebrated anatomist, and the first author 

 of purging by electricity. And he begged of him, that all the experiments, 

 which had neither succeeded with the Abbe, nor a great many others, might be 

 repeated between them. Mr. B.'s complaisance easily granted what was desired : 

 they set about it ; and Pere Garo, a minim, and professor of philosophy in the 

 University, caused to be carried to the place, where they determined to make 

 the experiments, his electrifying machine. 



May 21, about 4 in the afternoon, the weather cool, but uncertain, Mr. 

 Bianchi having procured a lump of scammony, and another of gamboge, each 

 of which was about the size of a hen's egg ; Mr. N. took the former in his 

 right hand, and having applied his left near the surface of the glass globe, and 

 standing on a cake of resin, he was electrized 15 minutes without interruption. 

 This day the electricity was indifferently strong. 



After him, a young man, aged 22, of a pale complexion, was electrized ; 

 whom a few days before Mr. N. had taken into his sei-vice. They then electrized 

 a young woman of about 1 6 or 17, of a weakly constitution; but who at that 

 time was tolerably well. After that M. Beccari, professor of philosophy in the 

 University, aged about 35, of a dry habit, was electrized. They then electrized 

 a servant belonging to the house where the experiments were made, aged about 

 24, who did not appear to be indisposed. They also made the same experiment 

 on another servant, a strong man of about 40 ; and each of these persons was 

 electrized the same time, viz. 15 minutes successively. 



Mr. N. did not perceive in himself any effect, which he could attribute to the 

 electricity ; no extraordinary motion or pain in his bowels ; and it was the same 

 with M. Beccari, with the servant aged 40, and with the young woman. But 

 the young man of 22, being interrogated after the others, said, that he had had 

 in the night 2 stools, and some complaints of the colic. The servant of the 

 house, who was asked the same questions, declared, that he had had a very 

 large stool, as though he had taken a purge. 



These last 2 depositions were, as the others, taken on the spot ; and Mr. N. 

 began to consider them as important, when he learned, from the confession of 

 the last, that he had taken, for some days, a decoction of wild succory, for an 

 indisposition which he had not spoke of till then. The young man who said he 

 had had 2 stools, rendered his testimony more than suspicious, by certain sin- 

 gularities* which he was desirous of adding some hours after; and since that 



* This young man made himself very happy in relating to every body, that he had been electrized; 



^ and that he had been purged by it, as though he had taken physic : and added, that an hour after his 



electrization, having had the curiosity of visiting his wife, to see what would be the consequence, 



he had communicated this electricity to her, and that she had been purged as well as himself. — 



Orig. 



