CHAP. IV. 



ON THE MANIFESTATION OF CUBEENT FORCE DUEING THE 

 OEGANIC PEOCESS OF SEOEETION IN THE LIVING OR 

 EEOBNTLY-KILLED ANIMAL; IN THE STOMACH AMD 

 INTESTINES ; THE LTVEE ; THE KIDNEY ; THE MAMMARY 

 GLAND ; THE LUNGS. 



After Daty's celebrated discovery, in 1806, of the 

 decomposition of the alkaline salts by voltaic elec- 

 tricity, and when he had established the important 

 fact Uaat acids were evolved at one pole and alkalies 

 at the other pole of the battery, (from whence arose 

 the phrase polar decomposition,') Wollaston imme- 

 diately seized upon the idea, that the animal se- 

 cretions were effected by the agency of a power 

 similar to that of a voltaic circle; and in the Paper* 

 containing this remarkable conjecture, which was 

 published in 1809, he also suggested, that " the 

 qualities of each secreted fluid may hereafter instruct 

 us as to the species of electricity that prevails in 

 each organ of the body ;'' that as the stomach and 

 kidneys secreted an acid, iot example, whilst the 

 liver secreted an alkaline compound, the two former 

 might indicate a positive electric state or condition, 

 and the latter a negative state or condition. Prout^ 

 cautiously advanced a somewhat similar opinion, and 

 says, " Admitting that the decomposition of the salt 



» Philosophical Magazine, vol. sxxiii. p. 488. 



fc On Stomach and Urinary Diseases, 3rd edit. p. xxv. 



