ELECTRICITY IJSI MEDICINE. 
537 
tro-surgical treatment of aneurisms has as its basic factor of 
success the power of the anodic needles to coagulate the blood. 
It will be found in practice that galvanism is the most pene¬ 
trating, painless and sedative current (therefore its practicability 
in equine practice); and further, we may yet find a distinct 
“ specific ” variation among animal species in their susceptibility 
or resistance to the current or currents. That different .species 
of domestic animals possess a varied susceptibility, always more 
delicate than that of man, to atmospheric influences, I have had 
occasion to substantially demonstrate by proving the exactness 
(barometrically) with which sheep can foretell a storm, and also 
other differences of susceptibility of different breeds of that 
species. It is within the range of human probability that these 
atmospheric changes are electrical, and that animals bear a very 
varied acuteness of sensibility to electrical influences. I maintain, 
from that little experience which I have had in this line, that 
equines are more sensitive to and less tolerant of either galvanical 
or faradic currents than man. 
In this connection I desire to substantiate these observations by 
the statement of Dr. Whitehead, of Ohio, which his experience 
has repeatedly confirmed, that animals suffering from trismus, 
tetanus, and similar affections, exhibit marked exacerbations of 
the symptoms, spasms, convulsions, etc., before a “storm,” 
whether it be or be not preceded, accompanied or followed by 
visible or audible phenomena.* 
The physiology of the neuro-muscular apparatus having been 
so extensively elaborated by electrical experimentation, a few 
scattered remarks, recalled by memory, upon this and kindred 
subjects, will perhaps be excusable, notwithstanding the fact that 
vivisection has been the method of obtaining our knowledge. 
It may be stated generally that electric currents act as stimu- 
lents to the part at which applied and to neighboring parts. 
They act as nervous excitants, both reflexly and directly, and 
probably have numerous undefined vaso-motor effects upon the 
nutrition of the part, through the nervous, circulatory and 
sympathetic systems, which may account for the metabolic changes 
* Inserted since reading this paper. 
