[ *7° ] 
remarks, I {hall proceed to the Iaft pro- 
pofition of the author, in which he main¬ 
tains that the paffage alone of electricity 
acrofs the nerves, is fufficient to throw the 
mufcles into contraction. 
That a ftimulus exerted upon the nerves 
is capable of exciting eonvulfions in ani¬ 
mals, and that electricity is the mod pow r - 
erful of all ftimulants, are faCts which 
phyfiologifts have long been acquainted 
with. 
But there is a limitation to this aCtion, 
beyond which neither chemical nor me¬ 
chanical ftimuli, nor even electricity itfelf, 
when it only paffes acrofs the nerves, can 
produce any effect. 
Thus, when in the way pointed out by 
V 
the author, I difcharged the machine upon 
the nerves of animals, which began to 
grow weak and languid, I could not obtain 
any effeCt, whilft at the fame time my 
exciter was employed with fuccefs. 
On 
