126 
this ftimulus, when the heart has already 
ceafed to be fenfible of the ftrongett me- 
chanic ftimuli. It cannot be imagined, 
that electricity is generated by the rub- 
bing of the filver on the tin-foil, and that 
the movements are thus produced; for, 
if animal electricity is not fo ftrong as to 
be perceptible by eleCtrometers, why do 
no movements enfue, on applying to the 
nerve a body fo electrical that the un- 
cleétrical bodies around it are violently 
moved by it? It is probable, that the 
Galvanic experiment may be repeated 
during a Jonger time with nerves which 
are incloftd in fheaths, than with thofe 
that are naked. The load-ftone does not 
act upon the nerve, on moving it on the 
magnet with iron. The motion of the 
pupil, feems not to be produced by 
multcles.—The new-dilcovered ftimulus 
alfo aéts on the human body. ~The man- 
ner of action feems not to be mechanical, 
as it continues to aét when the moft vio- 
Jent mechanical itimuli prove without any 
eff.ct. On deftroying the inner organi- 
zation of the nerve the experiment will 
no longer fucceed. 
Verfuche—i. e. Experiments on (the fo 
called) Animal Eleétricity, by Profeffor 
KIELMAYER, of Stuttgardt, in Gren’s 
journal der Phyfik. Vol. VIII. Leipzig, 
1794, p. 65.— This Memo contains the 
auihor’s own experiments on the above 
fubjest, which he had already made in the 
year 1792, and the publication of which 
had been accidentally poftponed ; on which 
account we have thought proper to. men- 
tion it at prefent. On comparing: the 
fluid from which the Gaivanic phenomena 
moft probably originate, with the ele¢tri- 
cal mattsr, he was led to doubt their re- 
{pective identity. He confiders this ex- 
panfible fluid as analogous to the elegtric 
fluid, with which it agrees in its chief 
conditions and proportions, though it dif- 
fers in other points, which, however, are 
by no means fo material, as to entitle them. 
to a different identity. — 
Account of fome Difcaveries made by Mr. 
Galvani, of Bologna, with Experiments 
end Objervation on them; in two Letters 
from Mr. Volta, to Mr. Tiberius Cavallo. 
From, the Philofophical Tranfaétions for 
the Year 1793, p. 1.—Had Mr. Galvani 
only in fome degree altered his experi- 
ments, he would have feen that the 
double contact of the nerve and of the 
muicle, the imaginary conduéting are, 
Was not always neceflary for preducing 
the above phenomena. He-would allo 
have found, that convulfions might be 
produced on touching with metal either 
Hiftorical Statement of Galvanifm. 
[M arch t, 
two. points of the nerve only, or. two 
muicles, and even one fingle muicle at 
different points. In this cafe, howevery 
it always requires the application of two 
metals. It is not abfolutely requifite to 
proceed in the manner of Mr. Galvani, 
at lealt if the animal is ftill pofleffed of’ 
a good quantity of vitality. We ought, 
however, to conclude that, as contraétions 
can be excited by coating the nerves 
‘alone, as well as the mufcles alone, with 
different metals, (notwithftanding the in- 
frances where a difcharge between the 
mulcles and nerves is fuppofed to be the 
caufe of the motions) there are alfo fre~ 
quent circuinftances where the fame mo- 
tions are produced in quite a different 
manner, and by quite a different circula- 
tion of the eleétrical fluid. The mode of 
action in the electric fluid feems indeed to 
be entirely otherwife, fo that we may al- 
moft affert that its equilibrium jis rather 
deftroyed than re-eftablifhed, whereby it 
pafles over from one part, of the nerve or 
-mulcle to another, as well in the ‘inter- 
nal fubftance, by means of the conducting 
fibres, as externally by means of the ap- 
plied metallic conductors; though not 
in confequence of a refpettive excefs or 
want, but by means of a peculiar mode of 
action of thefe metals, when, of a different 
kind. This new-difcovered law, how- 
ever, is not fo much a law of animal elec- 
tricity, as of common eleétricity, and to 
‘it we fhould attribute moft of the pheno- 
mena which, though apparently owing 
to a fpontaneous animal eleétricity, do 
really not belong to it. They are the 
effeéts of a very weak artificial eleétricity, 
which is excited in a manner hitherto not 
known, viz. by the mere application of 
two different metals. Although the au- 
thor,on the difcovery of this law, regarded 
every thing with difidence which tended 
to prove a peculiar animal electricity ; 
yet, after a repeated: furvey of all pheno- 
mena, he fouud:that fome of them, par- 
ticularly thofe where no different coatings, 
or even no coatings at all, are required for 
exciting convulfions, feem to imply an 
animal or a peculiar organic electricity, 
though we are at prefent not capable of 
giving, any fatisfa€tory explanation on the 
mufcular motion produced by it. rom 
all the author’s experiments it appeared, 
that the motion of the electric fluid, when 
excited.on the organs, does by no means 
act. immediately on the mufcles, but that it 
only. irritates the nerves, which being put 
in motion excite the mufcles. But wherein 
this action of the nerves properly confifts . 
~—how it is conduéted from one part to 
another 
