THE TORPEDO.* 
io8 
It is in this concealed fituation that the torpedo aftoniftiJ' 
es the Unwary paffenger, who inadvertently treads upon 
it, by the exertion of a power perhaps the moft extra- 
ordinary and myfterious in nature. 
The narcotic power of this animal has been taken no- 
tice of in all ages * ; it is fo powerful, that when the fiih 
is alive, the inftant it is touched, it benumbs the arm, 
and fometimes the whole body f. The fame effedfc is pro- 
duced, even when it is touched with a flick, or tread up- 
on by a perfon who has his fhoes on. Oppian ftretches 
the matter probably too far, when he alleges that it will 
benumb the fifherman through the whole length of the 
line and the rod |. 
The (hock given by this animal, moft nearly refembles 
the Ihock of an ele&rical machine, fudden, tingling, and 
painful : It is thus deferibed by Kempfer ; “ The id- 
ftant,” fays he, “ I touched it with my hand, I felt a 
terrible numbnefs in my arm, as far up as the fhoulder. 
Thofe who touch it with the foot, are feized with a 
ilronger palpitation, than thofe who apply to it the hand. 
This numbnefs bears no refemblance to that which we 
feel when the vein has been a long time prefled, and the 
foot is laid to be afleep ; it rather appears like a fudden 
vapour, which, pafling through the pores in an inftant, 
penetrates into the very fpring of life, from whence it 
difl'ufes itfelf over the whole body, and gives real pain ; 
the nerves are fo affected, that the perfon (truck, imagines 
all the bones of his body, and particularly thofe of the 
limb that received the blow, are driven, out of joint ; al* 
tills' 
* Vide Galen, Alias and Gillias. 1 EritUli Zoology, 
f Haleut. 
