OF CURRENT FORCE DURING SECRETION. 
287 
nearly half an inch in diameter and 3 inches in length, was bent thus, U? find con- 
tained water ; one limb was connected with one of the mercurial cups by a piece of 
copper wire of the same thickness as those connected with the galvanometer, and 
3 inches in length ; the other limb of the tube was connected with another mercurial 
cup by a similar piece of eopper wire ; eaeh of these wires dipped, to the extent of a 
quarter of an inch, into the water. We thus had a resistance consisting of a column of 
water, nearly half an inch in diameter, 2 inches and a half in length, and 6 inches of 
copper wire. By this arrangement we could easily cause the current to travel through 
the galvanometer, with or without the resistanee, at pleasure, by merely dipping the 
electrodes into one mercurial cup or the other, and without any loss of time. 
Experiment 1.— Rabbit. Pithed. Between renal vein and bladder; with resist- 
ance, vibrations ; without, 3° or 4° : with, vibrations ; without, vibrations. 
Between left bronchus and left ventriele ; with resistance, no effect; without, 4°: 
with, 2° or 3° ; without, no effect. 
Between gall-bladder and blood from vena cava inferior; with resistance, 5°; with- 
out, 8° : with, 5° ; without, 1 0°. The motion of the needle with the resistance was 
slow and steady. 
Experiment 2. — Rabbit. Pithed. Between right bronchus and left ventricle ; with- 
out resistance, 2° or 3° ; with, vibrations ; without, vibrations. 
Between gall-bladder and blood from vena cava inferior; without, 10°; with, 3° or 
4°; without, 10°. 
Between renal vein and bladder ; no effeet either with or without the resistance. 
We shall not attempt to deduce any conclusions from these experiments as to the 
force of the current, and leave it for the physical philosopher to decide whether the 
eflFects can be due to thermo-electric actions. 
It might have been neeessary to have made a few observations before we conclude 
our present paper, as to the difficulties we have to encounter in our inquiries ; 
some very valuable remarks, however, have been already made by an eminent phy- 
sical philosopher in reference to the development of electrieity in the vegetable 
kingdom, and as they are so applicable to our present purpose we cannot do better 
than quote them : — “ II est dernontre,” says Becquerel, “ que I’het^rogen^ite des 
differents sues qui se trouvent dans les tissus, est la cause premiere du degage- 
raent de f^lectricite, et que I’on doit y joindre encore les alterations qu’ils sub- 
issent au contact du platine et de fair. II est a regretter que les ph^nom^nes ob- 
serves ne puissent etre mesures ; mais il y a impossibilite de le faire : essentiellement 
variables de leur nature, parce qu’ils sont modifies a chaque instant par des agents 
exterieures, et d’autres causes que nous ne pouvons apprecier, leur existenee seule 
peut etre constatee. Au surplus, la physiologie parvient rarement a mesurer les effets 
qu’elle observe, tant ils sont fugitifs*.” 
Conclusion. — We are almost tempted to make a few remarks in reference to the 
* Becqtjerel, Biblioth^que Universelle de Genbve. Juin 1851. 
2 P 
MDCCCLTI. 
