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XII. An Account of some Experiments and Observations on the Torpedo (Raia 
Torpedo, Linn.) By John Davy, M.D. F.R.S., Assistant Inspector of Army 
Hospitals, 
Read March 22, 1832. 
In a paper published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1829, my brother, 
the late Sir Humphry Davy, has given an account of some experiments which 
he made on the torpedo for the purpose of ascertaining the nature of its elec¬ 
tricity, whether it is of a peculiar kind or analogous to kinds already known. 
The results he obtained were altogether negative, and seemed to lead to the 
former conclusion. But that conclusion was so novel and important, that he 
did not consider himself justified in adopting it without further investigation. 
At the time he wrote the paper referred to, namely, in the autumn of 1828, in 
a very feeble state of health, he was on his way from southern Austria to 
Italy, where, if his health permitted, he intended renewing the inquiry. He 
arrived at Rome on the 19th of November, and, with his usual ardour of pursuit, 
immediately began his observations on the torpedo ; but they were directed 
chiefly to its anatomical structure and natural history, rather than to its elec¬ 
tricity ; for, though this fish is to be had in abundance in the fish-market of 
that city, being brought from a distance, it is very difficult to obtain it alive. 
To make experiments on the living fish, he proposed going either to Civita 
Vecchia or Tormicina, where it is caught; but before he could accomplish 
this intention he suddenly experienced another and very severe attack of his 
complaint. This attack occurred on the 20th of February; and in a letter 
written from his dictation, five days after, when he considered himself dying, 
he particularly requested me to carry on the investigation; and such was his 
zeal for science, that, excepting in a postscript, no mention was made of the 
alarming state in which he then was. On my joining him from Malta, on the 
16th of March, he was still dangerously ill, and had the same feeling of being 
near his end; but his mind was wonderfully clear and active, and his love of 
