C H7 J 
Previous to the difcovery of Galvani, it 
was aflerted, that animals contained elec¬ 
tricity. Mr. Nicholfon, as far as I know, 
was the firft who fet on foot any experi¬ 
ments to afcertain the quantity a man was 
capable of containing. “ If we fuppofe,” 
fays he, i( the bulk of a man to be only 
“ three folid feet, or 5184 folid inches, the 
** natural electricity of this mafs, will be 
“ equal to the charge of a battery of up- 
“ wards of 15,000 fquare feet.’ 5 
It is prefumable that this matter exifts 
in different proportions, in different fpecies 
©f animated beings, and that each has its 
determined meafure of it, in like manner 
as each polfefTes its meafure of heat. 
This eledricity cannot be kept in a flate 
of equilibrium. Mufcular aCtion, the fe- 
cretions, evacuations, heat, and the emo¬ 
tions of the mind, give rife to conftant 
changes in the whole conftitution of the 
animal. The electricity follows thefe 
L 2 changeei 
