1802.} Defeription of all the Departments of the French Republic. 429 
lity, and a theory of the Galvanic pheno- 
mena. He firft {peaks of fenfibility and 
irritability in general, of the powers in 
which thefe properties originate, of the 
mutual portion of thefe powers with each 
other, and of their refpective principles. 
After having examined the principal opi- 
nions of modern phyfiologifts on the prin- 
ciple of irritability, he endeavours to 
fhew, that ftimuli put the mufcular fibre 
in motion by their action on the fenfible 
fibre, a change of which always pre- 
cedes thecontraction; and that the nervous 
energy performs the important function of 
communicating to the mufcles the quality 
-of admitting ftimuli, or the perception of 
itimuli, the faculty of being roufed to ac- 
tion by ftimuli, or what is commonly cal- 
led irritability. But, as this faculty alone 
would not beable to excite contractions, 
there muft be another acceffory faculty in 
the mufcies capable of propagating that 
change occafioned in the nerve, and m2 
ing it obvious to the fenfes by means of 
mufcular contraétions. This the author 
calls the power of contractility. The 
principle of irritability is conveyed to the 
mu(cles through the nerves, and fecreted 
in the brain, fpinal marrow, and in the 
nerves themfelves, particularly in their 
ganglia. The principle of contractility 
derives its fource from the blood, which 
fecretes it in the mufcles, and reftores the 
lofs which they fuffer by repeated contrac- 
tions. He then examines the original 
caufe of the phenomena of animal elec- 
tricity, its manner of aéting, and the opi- 
nions that have been brought forwards on 
that fubject by different naturalifts. The 
hypothefis of the author is the following : 
—QOn the application of two different 
coatings to moift parts, and on the proper 
combination of thefe coatings with each 
other, the equilibrium of eleétricity in 
the moift bodies, which is contained be- 
tween the two coatings, is difturbed, and 
it becomes plus on one fide, and minus on 
the other. This difturbance of equili- 
brium enfues when the electricity, being 
repulfed from one coating, paffes over to 
the other, by which it is attraéted; con- 
fequently there exifts a true eleétrical 
current between the two coatings, which, 
on paffing through the nerves, occafions, 
by the nervous irritation, the phenomena 
of animal electricity. The equilibrium 
is reftored as foon as the contaét of the 
two coatings with each other, or with 
moift parts, begins to ceafe: the eleétri- 
city pafles then again from the coating, 
where it was accumulated, to the parts 
armed by the other coating, where it was 
wanting, and a true eleétrical current 
from one coating to the other takes place 
here again, and if it meets with a nerve 
in its way, the phenomena of animal elec- - 
tricity alfo appear. The author con- 
cludes his excellent work with fome ob- 
fervations on the ufe which may refult 
to the art of healing from this new 
difcovery ; and though he limits its ap- 
plication as. an infallible proof of real 
death, and as a refufcitatine remedy, he 
recommends it for the diagnofis of the 
complication of cataraét and amaurofis. 
(Tobe continued. ) 
a 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
DESCRIPTION of all the DEPARTMENTS 
of the FRENCH REPUBLIC, including 
thofe in the CONQUERED COUNTRIES. 
Continued from Pagezgg, of Vol. XII.) 
Department of Mayenne and Loire, 
Ae department is one of thofe formed 
of Anjou and le Saumurois. It is 
bounded on thenorth by thedepartments of 
Mayenne and of Sarthe; on the eaft, by 
that of Indre and Loire; on the fouth, 
by thofe of Vienne, of the Two Sevres, 
and of Vendée; and on the weft, by the 
department of Lower Loire. Its fuper- 
ficies is about 1,408,365 {quare acres, or 
718,807 hectares; its population is about 
442,482 individuals. It is divided into 
five communal diftri&ts. 
Department of Meurthe.—This depart- 
ment is one of thofe formed of Lorraine, 
the Three Bifhopricks, &c. It is bounded 
onthe north by the departments of the 
Mofelle and the Lower Rhine; on the 
eaft, by that of the Lower Rhine; on the 
fouth, by that of the Vofges; .and on the 
welt, by that of the Meufe. Its fuper- 
ficies is about 1,232,409 {quare acres, or 
629,002 hectares; its population about 
336,895 individuals. It 1s divided into 
five communal diftrias: 
Department of the Meufe.—This de- 
partment is one of the four formed of 
Lorraine, the Three Bithopricks and Bare 
rois. It is bounded on the north by the 
departments of the Mofelle, of the Forefts, 
and of the Ardennes; on the eait, by 
thofe of the Mofelle and of Meurthe; on 
the fouth, by this laf, and thofe of the 
Vofges, and of Upper Marne; and on the 
weit, by thofe of the Upper Marné, Marne 
and the. Ardennes. Its fuperficies is . 
about 1,134,283 {quare acres, or 604,439 | 
3K2 hectares 5 
