1866.] 



Indications of Animal Electricity, 



161 



in turn, and to note the movements of the gold leaves produced by so 

 doing. In the fifth experiment, the part experimented upon was brought 

 to the caps of the electroscopes by taking hold of a loop of silk braid which 

 had been previously attached to it. 



Exp. 1. — In this case the result was d. d.=4 in the negative electroscope, 

 and i. d. = 8 in the positive electroscope, — a result showing, as has been 

 already explained, that the electroscopes were acted upon by positive 

 electricity =6. 



Exp. 2. — Here the movements of the gold leaves indicated the action of 

 positive electricity =2, the facts being — no alteration of the divergence of 

 the gold leaves in the negative electroscope, and i. d.=4 in the positive 

 electroscope. 



Exp. 3. — In this case there was i. d. = 2 in both electroscopes— a state of 

 things showing that the hand was electrically neutral at the time, seeing 

 that the movements of the gold leaves were only those which were due to 

 the reaction of the charge of electricity in the electroscopes. 



Exp. 4. — Here there was no alteration of the divergence of the goldleaves 

 in the positive electroscope, and i. d.=4 in the negative electroscope — a 

 state of things (the reverse of what happened in Exp. 2) signifying that 

 the electroscopes were being acted upon by negative electricity =2. 



Exp. 5. — A part of a foot which had been removed by amputation from 

 a patient in the Westminster Hospital twenty-four hours previously was 

 the part experimented upon in this instance ; and the result was the same 

 as in Exp. 3, namely, i. d. = 2, in both electroscopes equally — the result 

 which is brought about when a body which is electrically neutral is brought 

 to the caps of the electroscopes. 



I have performed experiments like the first four many hundred 

 times, and I have repeatedly tested in the same way the electrical condi- 

 tion of other persons. In the great majority of instances the electroscopic 

 indications were those of positive electricity. Only now and then all elec- 

 troscopic indications were absent. I have also on several occasions repeated 

 the experiment on portions of the dead body, and always without finding 

 any signs of electricity. More than once, on the same oocHsion, I have 

 found strong indications of positive electricity in one pcisou, and very 

 feeble indications, or no indications whatever, in another person. More 

 than once also I have been able to detect electricity in my own body, or in 

 the bodies of other persons at an elevation of some feet above the ground, 

 when it was impossible to do so on the ground itself. In fact I have 

 obtained proof of the existence of great variations in the electricity of my- 

 self and others at various times and under various circumstances, and I 

 have begun a systematic series of observations with a view to ascertain the 

 electrical condition of the human body at different times and under differ- 

 ent circumstances as to health and disease. I have already in this way 

 arrived at some curious results, and I have certainly seen enough to make 

 me hope that a knowledge of the electrical changes in human bodies may 



