24 Dr. Wilson Philip on the effects of galvanism 
croaking noise and violent agitation which generally charac-* 
terize fits of spasmodic asthma. This state we cannot induce 
artificially, except by means which lessen the aperture of the 
glottis. 
I found from repeated trials, that both the oppressed breath- 
ing and the collection of phlegm, caused by the division of 
the eighth pair of nerves, may be prevented by sending a 
stream of galvanism through the lungs. That this may be 
done with safety in the human body, we know from number- 
less instances in which galvanism has been applied to it in 
every possible way. 
Such are the circumstances which led me to expect relief 
from galvanism in habitual asthma. It is because that expec- 
tation has not been disappointed, that I trouble the Society 
with this Paper. Although the effects of galvanism in habi- 
tual asthma have been witnessed by many other medical men, 
I have mentioned nothing in the following pages which did 
not come under my own observation. 
I have employed galvanism in many cases of habitual 
asthma, and almost uniformly with relief. The time, during 
which the galvanism was applied before the patient said that 
his breathing was easy, has varied from five minutes to a 
quarter of an hour. I speak of its application in as great a 
degree as the patient could bear without complaint. For this 
effect I generally found from eight to sixtee i four-inch plates 
of zinc and copper, the fluid employed being one part of 
muriatic acid, and twenty of water, sufficient. Some require 
more than sixteen plates, and a few cannot bear so many as 
eight ; for the sensibility of different individuals to galvanism 
is very different. It is curious, and not easily accounted for, 
