325 



culty, that the human body is a good conductor; and that without a 

 peculiar organization, analogous to that with which nature has en- 

 dowed the Torpedo or Gymnotus, it is inconceivable that electrical 

 discharges could arise from vital organization. He believed it was 

 admitted by electricians, that there could be no electrical excitement 

 without the existence of the opposite electricities. Agreeably to the 

 published facts of the case to which he had alluded, the lady was 

 permanently in one state of excitement, generating electricity, as 

 animal heat is generated, and throwing off the excess in sparks. 



In the case of the Gymnotus the intensity, Dr. Hare remarked, 

 is so low that sparks are with difficulty rendered apparent at a kerf 

 made by a knife in tinfoil; of course, the sparks alleged to be given 

 by the lady were vastly more intense. From the Gymnotus, sparks 

 could only be received by forming a circuit with a portion of the or- 

 ganic series situate parallel to the spine. Contact in a transverse di- 

 rection was not productive of any discharge. 



Mr. Vaughan stated that there had been no application for 

 the Magellanic premium. 



Dr. Patterson, from the Observatorj' Committee, moved that 

 Mr. Justice be added to that committee. The motion was 

 agreed to. 



Mr. Vaughan announced the death of M. J. P. F. Deleuze, 

 of Paris, a member of the Society. 



FINIS. 



