346 
J. J. DRASKY. 
Before I begin I wish it understood that I do not claim 
originality for all I will say, as I am indebted for most herein 
contained to Dr. John Butler, a gentleman who is recognized 
authority. In order to make things comprehensible I am com¬ 
pelled to quote a short chapter out of his text-book and then I 
will try and give you the results of my experience in elec¬ 
trolysis. 
In my paper some years ago I attempted to bring the use of 
electricity before the veterinary profession, but as yet I have 
heard of no one having made use of it. 
Dr. Butler says that: “ When two or more needles connected 
with the poles of an apparatus generating a galvanic current of 
sufficient intensity to overcome the resistance of the circuit are 
inserted into living animal tissue, the following results take 
place, viz., the blood vessels of the part become dilated and en¬ 
gorged, producing intense hypersemia, and the absorbents are 
stimulated to increased activity. In short applications with 
• weak currents the effect ends here, but should the action of the 
current be continued, and the tension and quantity slightly in¬ 
creased, the albumen of the part becomes coagulated and with 
a still stronger current the water of the tissues becomes decom¬ 
posed, the oxygen becomes attracted towards the positive pole, 
and the hydrogen towards the negative to find vent, at which 
it bubbles violently through the intervening structures, tearing 
fibre of muscle, separating cells, nuclei and filaments, etc., and 
mechanically destroying anything that may oppose its egress. 
The salts of the tissues are resolved into their contained acids 
and alkalies, the acids forming around the positive pole, and 
the alkalies around the negative, where both act as powerful 
escharotics, producing sloughing. Thus, the tissue acted upon 
is made to destroy itself through its own contained pigments. 
The operation thus described may practically be divided into 
four stages : 
“ lst - The dynamic or absorbent stage, corresponding in 
what is called by Rernak electro-catalysis. 
u 2d. The coagulating stage. 
