f ! 54 J 
provided one of them was furnifhed with 
a coating. It is upon thefe two fadts, that 
the opponent of animal eledtricity refts 
his firft pofition. 
Are then the nerves upon which the 
experiment is made, not diftributcd upon 
all the mufcular fibres ? Is there any 
point of a mufcle deftitute of nerves ? 
Are they not all fo circumftanced as to 
communicate with each other ? Does not 
the furface of mufcles exhibit an infinite 
number of nervous fibrils ? 
If the author can conceive in what man¬ 
ner the nerves, which go to the extremi¬ 
ties, or are expended upon the furface of 
the flcfh, can communicate with the con¬ 
stituent fibres of mufcles, fo as to excite 
their irritability j how happens it that he 
will not allow thefe nerves to ferye as con¬ 
ductors of the native electricity ? 
Certainly this fluid, which has a con- 
ftant tendency to maintain its balance, 
when 
