105 f HE TORPEDd; 



It is in this concealed fituation that the torpedo aflonilh* 

 es the unwary paiTenger, who inadvertently treads upon 

 it, by the exertion of a power perhaps the mofl extra- 

 ordinary and myfterious in nature. 



The narcotic power of this animal has been taken no- 

 tice of in all ages * ; it is fo powerful, that when the fifh 

 is alive, the inftant it is touched, it benumbs the arm, 

 and fometimes the whole body f. The fame effefl is pro- 

 duced, even when it is touched with a flick, or tread up- 

 on by a perfon who has his fhoes on. Oppian ftretches 

 the matter probably too far, when he alleges that it will 

 benumb the fiiherman through the whole length of the 

 line and the ro^ |. 



The fhock given by this animal, mofl nearly refembles 

 the Ihock of an eledlrical machine, fudden, tingling, and 

 painful : It is thus defcrjbed by Kempfer ; " The in- 

 ftant," fays he, " I touched it with my hand, I felt a 

 terrible numbnefs in ray arm, as far up as the fiioulder. 

 Thofe who touch it with the foot, are feized with a 

 ftronger palpitation, than thofe who apply to it the hand. 

 This numbnefs bears no refemblance to that which we 

 feel when the vein has been a long time prefTed, and the 

 foot is faid to be alleep ; it rather appears like a fudden 

 vapour, which, palling through the pores in an inftant, 

 penetrates into the very fpring of life, from wlience it 

 difFufes itfelf over the whole body, and gives real pain; 

 the nerves are fo alFcdled, that the perfon ftruck, imagines 

 all the bones of his body, and particularly thafe of the 

 fimb that received the blow, are driven out of joint ; all 



this 



* Vide Galen, Aliaa and Gilllus. \ Britifti Zoology, 



f Hakut, 



