Mr. cAVENbisH on the Torpedo. 199 
Moreover, if he hath one hand on one furface of an elec- 
tric organ, and another on any other part of its body, for 
inftance the tail, hill feme part of the fluid will pafs 
through him, though much lei's than in the former cafe; 
for as part of the fluid, in its way from the upper furface* 
of the organ to the lower, will go through the tail, fome 
of that part will pafs through the perfon’s body. Some 
fluid alfo will pafs through him, even though he does 
not touch either eleCtric organ, but hath his hands on any 
two parts of the fillies body whatever, provided one of 
thofe parts is nearer to the upper furface of the eleCtric 
organs than the other. On the fame principle, if the tor- 
pedo is immerfed in water, the fluid will pafs through the 
water in all directions, and that even to great diftances from, 
its body, as is reprefented in fig. 1. where the full lines 
reprefent the f'eCtion of its body, and the dotted lines the 
direction of the eleCtric fluid; but it mult be obferved, 
that the nearer any part of the water is to the fillies body, 
the greater quantity of fluid will pafs through it. More- 
over, if any perfon touches the fifli in this fituation, 
either with one hand on the upper furface of an eleCtric 
organ, and the other 011 the lower, or in any other of 
thofe manners in which I fuppofed it to be touched when 
out of the water, fome fluid will pafs through his body ; 
but evidently Id's than when the animal is held in the 
air, as a great proportion of the fluid will pafs through 
the water: and even fome fluid will pafs through him, 
though he does not touch the fifli at all; but only holds 
2 his 
