124 
TORPEDO. 
emanation, that he gives the prescription of an application, 
called Torpoena from a then common name of the fish, which 
was to be kept ready prepared for use. It was formed by 
boiling the flesh of the Torpedo in oil until its whole substance 
was dissolved and mingled with it. That even Galen supposed 
the existence of some of its properities after death is rendered 
probable by his remark, that when used as food it rendered 
the body dull and stupid. 
For more than a thousand years such was the extent of the 
knowledge of nature possessed even by those who were the 
most intimately acquainted with its phenomena; and it was only 
when the properties of electricity had become the subject of 
experiment, that any further light was thrown on the peculiai 
powers of this fish. The discovery in a distant land of a fish 
of a very diiferent species, but which was endued with similar 
faculties, had given a new impulse to inquiry; and it was then 
recollected that the powers of the Torpedo had never been 
closely studed. Redi, an Italian physician, was among the 
first to make remarks on the living fish, and Mr. Walsh the 
most successful of those who instituted expeiiments; and it is 
with a short account of these, accompanied with an abstract 
of the anatomical examinations of the illustrious John Hunter, 
as contained in the Lectures of Professor Richard Owen, that 
we shall close our history of these properties of the Torpedo. 
Redi says, that in order to satisfy himself of the certainty 
of the things reported about this fish, he repeated his observa 
tions on more than one example; but more particulary on a 
female of the weight of fifteen pounds, which had been caught 
for his use, and brought directly to him from the sea. As 
soon as he had grasped it with his hand, the hand and arm 
up to the shoulder began to suffer a creeping sensation, as if 
emmets were passing over it, accompanied with a trembling 
so irksome, and increasing to such sharp and tormenting pain 
at the point of the elbow, that he was compelled to remove 
his hand from the fish; and when he again attempted to grasp 
it the painful sensations returned. He remarked, however, that 
as the vital powers of the fish decreased, its power of inflicting 
pain and trembling also grew less. 
This fish continued alive for three hours, and on dissection 
its heart was found to beat for seven hours afterwards; but 
