ELECT 
fmall flame feparated by the blow-pipe is far more ar¬ 
dent than the large one from which it is taken. I have 
read to the academy of Turin feveral experiments, which 
feem to fupport this comparifon between electricity and 
galvanifm. Animals which were only thinned by the 
thronged fparks from a magic picture, were killed in lefs 
than three minutes by a very weak degree of galvanifm. 
The fluid of a pile compofed of twenty-five plates of til- 
ver and zinc, of the lize of a crown piece, intermixed 
with pieces of pafteboard moidened in water faturated 
with muriat of ammonia, oxydates the metals in decom- 
poflng the water, while it is fcarcely fenfible in the fin¬ 
gers, and gives only final 1 fparks. The brilliant electric 
fparks which excite in onr bodies a drong fenfation of 
pricking, neither oxydate tlie metals, nor decompole the 
water, if they do not communicate a fhock. Having 
made the galvanic current to pafs through the body of a 
frog, its fluids were decompofed, and I faw it (well up 
fo much, that it could no longer plunge into the water, 
though poffeffed of great vitality, which I never obferved 
to be the cafe in frogs when tormented by drong eleftric 
fparks. All thefe fadds, to which-many more of a fimilar 
kind might be added, confirm the great activity of gal¬ 
vanifm when compared with eledtricity. Hence it re- 
fults, that the electric fluid of the Voltaic pile may be 
very ufefi'il in cafes in which common eledtricity would 
not have fuffreient activity. 
Mr. C. H. Wilkinfon, in his Elements of Galvanifm, 
publifhed in 1804, gives the following details, as refult- 
ing from his medical pradtice of galvanic eledtricity : 
“ When paralytic affedtions arife from organic defedt, as 
in cafes of palfy of the lower extremities, from difeafed 
fpine, no good effedts can be expedted to -refillt from the 
application of galvanifm. In cafes of hemiplegia, or palfy 
on one fide, arifing from the prefiure of extravafated fluid 
in or upon the brain, the ftimulus of galvanifm would, it 
appears to me, be injurious, in confequence of its adtion 
increafing tlie extravafation. In one cafe, of a perfon 
about the age of thirty, of a full plethoric temperament, 
who fuffered the lofs of the ufe of one of the fide ., from 
an apopledtic attack, I applied gentle fhocks of galvanifm 
through the fide of the brain oppofite to the atfedbed part 
of the body. Upon the third day, a confiderable giddi- 
nefs took place ; and the veffels of the eyes became tur¬ 
gid. I immediately difeontinued the application, and in 
a few days thefe unfavourable fymptoms difa'ppeared. 
“ Thefe cafes are but few in number, when compared 
with thofe which arife from a defective energy in jhe 
brain itfelf. In tliefe latter infiances galvanifm has often 
proved of very confiderable advantage. By the means 
of galvanifm, I have never fucceeded in perfectly re- 
fioring the patient to his original fenlibility ; but have, 
in many inftances, confiderably afiifted the powers of mo¬ 
tion. Very foon after the application of galvanifm, an 
areolous rednefs is perceived ; and, if it be perfevered in 
too long, vefications and fubfequent ulcerations are pro¬ 
duced. Thefe fymptoms, which are a little troublefome 
for the moment, do not require any particular treatment 
in their cure. The part of the body to which the con¬ 
ducting wire from the copper fide of the battery is ap¬ 
plied, is always the moft powerfully aCted on ; and, if 
the conducing wires be kept in contact with the metal¬ 
lic leaves, for the fpace even of half a minute, without 
being removed, the one from the copper fide will pro¬ 
duce an acute pricking fenfation, Very much refembling 
the bite of a leech. 
“In fome cafes, attention ought to be paid to this dif¬ 
ference between the ends of the battery. When it is 
wiiiied to aft on one part of the body more powerfully 
than on the other, the conducing wire from the copper 
end (hould be placed on that particular part. This dif¬ 
ference in power correfponds with the effeCls experienced 
from the charged Leyden jar, in the cafe of which the 
part of the body connected with the negative fide of the 
jar is more powerfully aCted on than the part connected 
R I C I T Y. 447 
with the pofitive fide. In recent cafes of hemip'egia, 
very good effects are foon perceived. After a few pli¬ 
cations-,-a fenfation of returning warmth is felt; and the 
aCtion of the mufcles of the arm reftored, as often as the 
circuit is completed. The effcCts of ttiis principle, when 
it is applied to the human body, are not fo painful as 
thofe of electricity, notwithftanding its aCtions are more 
powerful. By preventing the mufcles from remaining 
conftantly in a ftate of torpid inactivity, the lofs of fub- 
ftance which would otherwife take place is guarded 
againft. 
“ From the reports of the foreign practitioners, it 
would appear that galvanifm is a fpecific in cafes of deaf.1 
nefs. Its fuccefs, in thefe cafes, feems to depend on the 
caufe which occafions the defect of hearing. In that of 
perfons born deaf, and neceffarily dumb, it feems to arife 
from the difeafed ftate of the femicircular canals, which, 
inftead of being filled with a fluid capable of tranfmit- 
ting impreflions, contain an inelaftic cafeous-like fub- 
fiance. Under tliefe circumftances, no good effeCt can be 
expeCted to be derived from gaivanifm. It is fortunately 
in the particular fpecies of deafnefs which can rarely be 
relieved by any other means, that galvanifm is moft ad- 
vantageoufly employed, namely, in a defective energy of 
the auditory nerve. This fpecies of deafnefs is afeertain- 
able by the common practice of placing a fonorous body 
in contaCt with the teeth. If the communication of found 
fiiould not be thus rendered more diftiiiCt, we may con¬ 
clude that the defeCt originates in the nerve; feeing that, 
provided the deafnefs had been owing to any derange¬ 
ment of the other parts of the ear, the found, tranfmit- 
ted by the medium of the teeth, through the connecting 
bony fubftance, to the feat of hearing, would have been 
diftinCtly perceived. When one ear only is affected, it is 
not iteceifary to introduce the apparatus into the meatus 
of the other. In thefe cafes I have directed its paflage 
through the atfeCted ear, and to the hand on the other 
fide. This is conveniently done by immerfing the hand 
in a glafs of water, in which the conducting wire is 
placed. 
“ In involuntary aCtions of the mufcles, I know of no 
remedy fo efficacious as galvanifm. In a contracted ftate 
of the fingers, or hands, however violently the latter may 
be clenched, on the application of this principle for the 
fpace of a few minutes, it rarely fails to induce a relaxa¬ 
tion. In cafes of cramp, if of long continuance, and even 
of tetanus, or locked jaw, it has afforded relief in a ftiort 
fpace of time. In contractions of the joints, and in all 
cafes of rigidity, it is found a very advantageous ftimu¬ 
lus, which will greatly contribute to the reftoration of 
motion. In the ftilfnefs of the joints, occafioned by the 
gout, it has come under my obfervation that the ftimu¬ 
lus of galvanifm, conjointly with the flefii-brufli, has been 
attended by the happieft effeCls. 
“ Perhaps in no cafe are the advantages of galvanifm 
more fenfibly experienced, than in indolent tumors, or 
fcrophulous Ivvellings, which have long remained ftation- 
ary. By the influence of this principle, tumors of this 
kind have in a few days been brought either into a ftate 
of fuppuration or refolution. Many fwellings are of Inch 
a nature, that their removal by either of thefe means is 
defirable. I have frequently applied the galvanic prin¬ 
ciple witli the utmoft fuccefs in inguinal tumors, which 
had refilled every other curative intention. The obtufe 
aching fenfation, generally attendant on tliefe indolent 
tumors, is very fpeedily removed. In fcrophulous affec¬ 
tions of the neck, it has been found very beneficial. 
“ When the extraordinary influence of the principle of 
galvanifm, on the mufcular fibres of dead animals, was 
firft obferved, it was natural to expeCt that great advan¬ 
tages would refult from its employment in thofe particu¬ 
lar cafes in which life is not extinguiftied, but its influ¬ 
ence on the animal organization merely fufpended. The 
divided part of an animal, when cut off from the fources 
which might be deemed abfolutely requilite to the fiip- 
port 
