[ 59 3 
Experiment XXIX. 
Having tied and armed the phrenic 
nerve of feveral dogs and cats, I found it 
poffible to produce convulfions of the dia¬ 
phragm, although the extremities of the 
conductor were applied above the ligature. 
Towards the laft, the ligature became 
prejudicial to the experiment. 
From all thefe fadts it fhould feem, 
i ft. That when the nerves are tied, the 
eledtrical fluid run s off from its diredtjcourfe 
when it meets with a better conductor. 
2 d, That when it has no other courfe 
to take, it follows that of the nervesj 
3 d, That when weak, it either does not 
pafs at all, or, if it does, is not in pof- 
feflion of fufflcient power to excite the 
irritability of the mufcular fibre. 
The ligature oppofes to artificial the 
fame obftacles it prefents to animal elec¬ 
tricity. When I made my firft experi¬ 
ment, I tied the nerve in fuch a manner 
as 
I 
