VOL. XLVI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 45 



which are called ravanelle in Piedmont, notwithstanding his attention to eat 

 sparingly of them, had often disturbed his digestion, during his stay there, and 

 at times when he had no concern in electrical experiments. Besides, the not 

 being incommoded for 3 days, and more, was sufficient to prevent attributing 

 what happened to him to the electrical power. 



The extreme circumspection, with which he was desirous of choosing the per- 

 sons for all the experiments ; the difficulty of procuring and moving such sick 

 people, as were in a condition and disposition to leave nothing to be feared on 

 their parts from their prejudice, and their heated imagination ; that of recon- 

 ciling his time with that which a physician of great practice could grant him ; 

 these obstacles prevented his attempting with M. Bianchi such cures, as he be- 

 lieved to have been brought about by means of the electric virtue, either by its 

 own action, or by joining medicines appropriated to the condition of the sick, 

 and contained in glass vessels electrized by friction. But Mr. N. testified a great 

 desire of seeing those persons who had been cured, or considerably relieved, by 

 this method before this time. He asked, for this purpose, the gentlemen of the 

 profession, who had been witnesses of the experiments, and who were yet in a 

 condition of seeing every day some of the persons, cited in a manuscript which he 

 had ofM. Bianchi's; and of whom the exact history is -mentioned in the Qth 

 chapter of a Treatise of M. Pivati: Mr. N. went himself to the shoemaker, in 

 whose shop the young man of 21 years of age worked, mentioned in the 1 10th 

 page of the above treatise. The obligation of saying the truth, to which phi- 

 losophers ought to sacrifice every human regard, would not permit him to dis- 

 semble that his inquiries made with all possible diligence, and without any other 

 interest than that of knowing the truth, have made him see sufficiently clear, 

 that these facts have been greatly exaggerated. He was willing to believe, that 

 it is the fault of the sick, who, being prejudiced perhaps by too great hope, and 

 possessed by a kind of enthusiasm, have said and made others believe, more than 

 really was the case. One might have examples enough to cite of such illusions ; 

 but be that as it will, he cannot help believing, that a great part of the electrical 

 cures of Turin, have been no other than temporary shadows, which have been 

 taken with a little too much precipitation, or complaisance, for realities. 



Mr. N. carried with him to Venice the same curiosity, and the same desire of 

 being instructed, on the subject of the transmission of odours from medicated 

 tubes, and of the cures, or of being relieved from disorders almost suddenly, ty 

 the electrical power. One of his first cares was, to find out some friends or ac- 

 quaintance of M. Pivati, to acquaint him of his arrival, and to obtain of him 

 the favour of being admitted into his laboratory ; and that he would have the 

 complaisance to satisfy his great desire of seeing him cause odours to pervade the 

 sides of a well stopped glass, or by electrifying to diminish sensibly any substance 



VOL. X. E 



