An Account of the Late Improvements in Galvanism: With a Series of Curious and Interesting Experiments Performed Before the Commissioners of the French National Institute, and Repeated Lately in the Anatomical Theatres of LondonAldini, Giovanni
Science
An Account of the Late Improvements in Galvanism: With a Series of Curious and Interesting Experiments Performed Before the Commissioners of the French National Institute, and Repeated Lately in the Anatomical Theatres of London
Aldini, Giovanni
Electricity -- Early works to 1850
To ensure the success of this interesting experiment, the nerves must
be prepared as speedily as possible, by disengaging them from every
foreign substance. It will be proper also to apply the nerves not to
one but to several points of the muscle, throughout its whole length.
It is observed, that the contact of the nerves with the tendinous
parts which communicate with the muscles, often serves to increase the
muscular contractions. I performed the above experiment before several
able professors, among whom were the celebrated Brugnatelli and
Carcano, who, with that modesty peculiar to them, made several
ingenious observations on the precision which might be given to it.
Professor Brugnatelli was apprehensive that, as I had accidentally
touched some metals before I performed the experiment, metallic
particles might have adhered to my fingers, and thus have served, in
some measure, as invisible arming, sufficient of itself to excite
muscular contractions. This suspicion, however, I removed, by
immersing my hands in water, to detach every foreign substance. He
then observed that animal moisture, independently of the circulation
of the Galvanic fluid from the nerves to the muscles, might also
excite muscular contractions; and he requested that the crural nerves
might be washed in common water. This was accordingly done; and the
humidity of the nerves being thus externally removed, very strong
contractions were still produced, as the professor found, to his full
conviction, on repeating the experiment himself several times[1].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account