1802. ] 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
HISTORICAL STATEMENT of the GAL- 
VANIC DISCOVERY, and of the PUB- 
LICATIONS which have appeared on that 
INTERESTING SUBJECT. 
HE difcovery of Mr. GaLVANI is 
undoubtedly one of the moft im- 
portant that has ever been made in the 
ample field of natural philofophy, ‘and, 
from the extepfive views which it opens to 
the inqniries of naturalifis, it feems to 
deferve their utmoft attention. Although 
we may fuppofe the principal works on 
that imterefting fubjeét to be known to 
profeffional naturalifts, yet it may-not be 
improper to give an account of all the 
tranfactions on that moft important phe- 
nomenon to the public at large, which, 
however, we purpole to be merely hifto- 
rical, becaufe it would be unjuft to criti- 
cife the more early theories and hypothefes 
relating to that objeét, guided by the late 
difcoveries with which it has fince been 
enlightened. 
The firft traces towards this difcovery 
is found in the following book, where, 
however, it was overlooked, and foon 
buried in oblivion. 
SULzER’s Theorie der angenehmen und 
unangenehmen- Empfindungen—i. e. Theo- 
ry of agreeable and difagreeable Senfa- 
tions, tranflated from the French into 
German, under the direétion of the au- 
thor, with additional remarks in Samm- 
lung vermifchter Schriften zur Bef orderung 
der fchonen Wiffenfchaften—i. e, Collec- 
tion of Mifcellaneous Writings for the 
Improvement of Belles-lettres and of Fine 
Arts, Vol. 5, No. 1, Berlin, 1762, and 
alfo in F. G. Sulzer’s vermifchte Schriften 
—i.e. Mifcellaneous Writings, Leipzic, 
1773. ‘* Whentwo pieces of metal ({fays 
Mr. Sulzer), one of lead and the other of 
filver, are thus joined together, that their 
edges make one furface, a certain fenfa- 
tion will be produced on applying it to 
the tongue, which comes near to the tafte 
of martial vitriol, whereas each piece by 
itfelf betrays not the leaft traces of that 
tafte. It is not improbable (he continues) 
but’ that by the combination of the two 
metals, a folution of either of them may 
have been produced, in confequence of 
which, thediflolved particles penetrate into 
the tongue, or we may conjecture, that 
the combination of thefe metals occafions 
a trembling motion in their re{peétive par- 
ticles, which, exciting the nerves of the 
tongue, caules that particular fenfation.”” 
This hint, however, feems to have been 
difregarded, till Galyagi publithed the fol- 
lowing work i= 
f Hiftorical Statement of Galvanifn, 
503 
Aloyfii Galvani de viribus electricitatis in 
motu mufculari commentarius, 179%) p. 58. 
4to. Bologna, for the Inftitute of Sciences; 
which was foon followed by other publi- 
cations relating to animal electricity, viz, 
Lettera del Dottore Eufebio Vall. full’ 
Elettricita Animale ad un fuo amico, Pavia, . 
17925 p. 35, 4to. 
Memoria ful Elettricita Animale, inferité 
nell Giornale Fifico-medico del Sigr. Brug- 
nateli—i. e. Memoir on Animal Elec¢tri- 
city, inferted in the Phyfical and Medical 
Journal of Mr. Brugnatelli, Pavia, 1792, 
Pp. 147-8. 
A. Galvani Abhandlung uber die Krafte 
der thierifchen Electricitat auf die Bewe- 
gung der Mufchkeln, &c.—i. e. Treatile on 
the Effects of Animal Electricity on the 
Mutcles, together with fome Writings of 
Mefirs. Valli, Carminati, and Volta, on 
the fame fubject, a tranflation, edited by 
Dr. J. Meyr, with 4 plates, 1793, pe 
183, Prague, for Calve, 8vo. 
Schriften uber die thierifche Elericitat 
—i. e. Memoirs on Animal Electricity, 
by Dr. Alexander Volta, tranflated from 
the Italian by Dr. J. Meyer, 1793, p. 1445 
Prague, for Calve, 8vo. 
The work of the celebrated Galvani is 
divided into four paits; the fir/? of which 
treats of the effeét of ele&tricity, which is 
produced by art; the /econd, of the a&tion 
of atmofpherical eleétricity ; the third, of 
the effect of what he calls animal eleétri- 
city ; and the fourth, contains fome con- 
jeCtures and conclufions. But he cone 
feffes, with an ingenuonfnefs which always 
attends true merit,, how much of his dif- 
covery is owing to accident, and he never 
diflembles the falfe conclufions to which 
he was mifled by the firft view of each new 
phenomenon. . 
Whilft Mr. Galvani was difleting a 
frog on a table, whereon accidentally 
ftood an ele&trical machine, one of his 
pupils happened to touch the xerwus cru- 
ralis of the frog with the point of the 
difleéting-knife, upon which immediately 
the mufcles of all the members were con- 
vulfively contracted. Another handing by 
thought to have obferved, that,this phe- 
nomenon took place when a fpark was 
drawn from the conduétor of the machine; 
an idea which was afterwards confirmed, 
For on touching the fame nerve of another 
frog, and likewife pricking it, in order-to 
affure himfelf, whether it was owing to 
his having accidentally wounded the nerye, - 
ewithout drawing a fpark at the fame 
time, not any motion enfyed; but if the 
nerve was touched with the point of the 
Knife at the time when he had ordered a 
312 ipark 
’ 
See ee ee et ee ee EO eee eee SO 
