ORGANIC POLARITY. 



CHAP. I. 



HISTORICAL sketch: WALSH; GALVANI ; VOLTA ; HUM- 

 BOLDT J VASSALI EANDI; WOLLASTON ; NOBILI ; MAT- 

 TEOCCI ; DU BOIS EETMOND. 



It is not my intention to enter upon a critical 

 review of the various opinions that have been enter- 

 tained in regard to the developement of electrical 

 action in living animals, nor of the facts bearing 

 upon the question of the influence of electricity 

 upon organic actions ; but I will endeavour to give 

 a slight historical sketch of those fundamental facts 

 which may be adduced as evidence of the mani- 

 festation of electrical action in the animal body. 

 It wiU, however, frequently happen, that some 

 difficulty may be experienced in determining this 

 point, as may be seen in the controversy that 

 occurred at the time of Galvani and Volta*. 



" The follcnmig works may be referred to. 



Traits de I'Slectricite etdm Magnetism, 7 vols, par M. Becqueeel. 

 Paris. 



Traits des Phenomknes EUctro-Physiologiques des Animaux, 

 par M. Matteuooi, Paris, 1844 ; and to his Papers published 

 B 



