Yinall's ExjKrtmcuis in Ekdndty. 145 



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By accident I burned my thumb with the pan !?o miicli, as 

 to cause me great pain. Knowing that in some inntanccf, 

 I had been relieved of slight burns, by holdhlg the part af- 

 fected to a common fire, I hold my thumb a small distance 

 from the nerjaiive conductor ; put the machine in motion ; 

 and to my surprise/found that in a fevf seconds of time, the 

 effects of the burn were destroyed ; my thumb perfectly at 

 ease ; and no blister arose, as would have been the case if 

 I had not made use of electricity. I met with a similar in- 

 stance not long after : I made use of the same remedy, and 

 received the same benefit. 



A few weeks after this discovery, one of my daufhtei 

 scalded her arm from her wrist to her elbow, with the steam 

 from a tea kettle, which produced a great inflammation up- 

 on the part, attended with much pain ; and it is highly 

 probable a blister would have succeeded. I desired her to 

 hold her arm to the negative conductor; and in a few mi- 

 nutes, the pain ceased, the redness subsided, and her arm 

 was perfectly cured. 



I never read, or heard of an exjDeriment of this kind be- 

 ing made in electricity : Therefore, I esteemed it my duty 

 to lay it before the Academy of Arts and Sciences, that 

 gentlemen might be induced to make experiments from 

 this hint, -which may be of great service to mankiiKl^ and 

 an improvement in medical clcdncily . 



I have the honour to be, with sentiments of esteem, 



Sir, 



your obedient humble sei'vant. 



JOHN ^IXALL. 



Hon. James JJowlsoin, esq. Presidcid of ike 

 American Acadsnif/ of Arts ami Sciences. 



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