532 
W. J. TORRANCE. 
There is no plausable reason why electricity should not have 
advanced as far in medicine as it has done in the mechanical arts, 
and still less reason why it should not have progressed as far in 
veterinary medicine as it has done in the human art. 
What student of medicine would profess to have a knowledge 
of materia medica who had neglected to study such important 
drugs as opium or alcohol?—and yet electricity cannot be said to 
occupy a position in therapeutics second to that accorded either of 
the drugs above mentioned. Some of its achievements in medi¬ 
cine and surgery undoubtedly stand unrivalled. And we must 
remember that the reputation which it has earned has been gained 
in spite of the most fearful obstacles. It has seldom been ap 
plied except as a dernier resort or in chronic cases, and has then 
been instituted with a shameful lack of confidence and applied 
with an equal lack of science. 
Bartholow justly says of it “there is no effect more certain 
than the power of galvanism to relieve pain.” 
Austin Flint recommends it in the diagnosis of the paralysis 
and in the treatment of diseases of the internal organs as well as 
in chorea, myalgia, neuralgia, neuritis, amaurosis, the neuroses, 
muscular-atrophy, etc. 
But we need not depend entirely upon our medical confreres 
for an honest exposition of its efficacy. Veterinary surgeons in 
foreign lands have long recognized its utility, and when in our 
country such notable authorities as the illustrious Law and 
others, accord electricity a therapeutic recognition—must we not 
feel depressed to think that we are still satisfied to consider our 
offices equipped without at least a galvanic and a faradic battery 
in them. 
Among practitioners we have some enthusiastically in favor of 
this agent, some lukewarm advocates and an enormous number of 
absolute disbelievers, who still cling to their ancient forms of 
medication and stubbornly argue the inefficiency of all new means. 
The answer to these is the time-told response to skepticists, “that 
there are still some learned men who maintain that the earth is flat 
and that the sun revolves ’round it once in twenty four hours: but 
for every one of such there are thousands who know better.” 
