454 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



or cutting the nerves of this piece. With a delicate galvanometer, 

 the needle of the galvanometer settles at 40 or 50 degrees, and 

 remains so for a long time. I obtained a persistent and well-marked 

 deviation with some portions of the organ which had been kept for 

 five or six days in a cavity made in a piece of ice. It has been 

 thought (I believe, in Germany) that this electromotor power of the 

 organ of the torpedo in a state of repose was analogous to that of 

 living muscles ; but experiment does not appear to me to support 

 this hypothesis. 



2. In fact, the electromotor power of the organ of the torpedo 

 in a state of repose increases markedly after the portion of the organ 

 has been made to give the discharge by the irritation of its nerves. 

 This increase also remains for a certain time, and diminishes but 

 very slowly. I may relate in regard to this point, an experiment 

 which never fails to succeed, and which consists in opposing two 

 portions of the organ cut from the same torpedo, in such way that 

 no sign of the differential current is given. If the nerves of one of 

 the portions be then irritated, and the circuit of the galvanometer 

 be re-established, the needle will immediately be seen to deviate, 

 from the existence of a strong differential current, which is per- 

 sistent, and is owing to the irritated organ. We know that on 

 repeating the same experiment with two pieces of muscle, the very 

 opposite result is obtained. 



3. During the very hot season especially, I have met with some 

 torpedoes which, when out of the water, rapidly lost their electric func- 

 tion, and in which the electromotor power in a state of repose was 

 none, or almost none. On irritating the nerves of the organ of 

 these torpedoes, or on wounding the fourth lobe, the electromotor 

 power reappeared immediately and remained for a certain time. I 

 am thus more than ever induced to believe that, instead of interpo- 

 sing the chemical action of the muscular respiration, as is done with 

 good foundation to account for the electric power of the living mus- 

 cles, the electricity of the torpedo and other electric fishes ought 

 to be attributed to kinds of secondary piles formed in the cells of 

 the electric organs by the action of the nerves. Just as nervous 

 action intervenes to cause in the organs of secretion the production 

 of liquids of different chemical nature, so we may conceive similar 

 effects to be produced in the elementary cells of the electric organs. 

 We know that the organ of the torpedo, in repose or activity, does 

 not exert an action upon the atmospheric air analogous to that 

 which is produced by muscle in a state of repose or contraction. 

 So also the influence of nervous irritation in increasing in a double 

 manner the electromotor power of the organ of the torpedo cannot 

 be conceived without imagining that it is due to an unceasingly 

 acting cause, such as the presence of two substances capable of 

 acting chemically upon each other, and constantly reproduced by 

 the action of the nerves. I consider that this hypothesis merely 

 indicates the direction in which we may be led to make new expe- 

 riments with the hope of some success. 



I profited by this opportunity to try upon the rays some beautiful 

 experiments recently performed by M. Robin. Several years ago, 



