134 BLECTEIC FOBOE CHAP. X. §. I. 



not necessary that the nerve should he brought into 

 contact with different portions of the muscular fibre. 

 In repeating these experiments, I have been able to 

 confirm the results obtained by Matteucoi. 



Matteucci*, in his endeavours to ascertain whether 

 the muscular current was increased during muscular 

 contraction by forming piles with muscular elements, 

 failed to obtain any decisive result. Du Bois Eby- 

 MOND, by means of his galvanometer, has satisfactorily 

 shewn, that when the electrodes are so arranged with 

 a muscular element that the current (muscular) passes 

 through the instrument, that then, upon the con- 

 traction of the muscle, the needle of the instrument 

 recedes, and this he calls " the negative variation" 

 of the muscular current. This fact, established by 

 Du Bois Ebtmond, and also the results obtained by 

 Mattetjcci, have been confirmed by some of my 

 own experiments. But I cannot help thinking with 

 Matte occI^ that the falling or the receding of the 

 needle in Du Bois Eetmond's experiment may be 

 attributed in a great measure to the variation in the 

 contacts between the surfaces of the muscle and the 

 electrodes during the act of contraction. I am not 

 aware that the existence of the muscular current is 

 disputed by any one ; and with respect to its origin, 

 there can be no doubt that it arises fi:om nutrition, 

 and may be manifested under two points of view, 

 as I have endeavoured to shew in chapters vi. and viii. 



« Phil. Trans. 1845. 



■ Phil. Trans. 1860. Ninth Series. 



