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
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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
An assassin decapitated at Bologna, in the month of January 1802,
afforded me an opportunity of verifying the truth of my former
observations. In my first experiments on the human body, the dura and
pia mater had been so little affected, that several of those present
concluded that these parts were absolutely insensible to the action of
the Galvanic pile; and this opinion was still further strengthened by
the authority of several able anatomists. On the other hand, many
warm-blooded animals, as will be seen hereafter, afforded contrary
results. It is certain that nature, which is always consistent with
itself in the action of that general principle which excites the
muscular forces, ought to exhibit in the human body the same phænomena
as those which constantly occur in other warm-blooded animals. I
mentioned this anomaly to several of my colleagues, and particularly
to that able anatomist Mondini, who, having made researches on this
subject, communicated to me the result of them, and directed all the
preparations necessary for the following experiments, modified
according to the general views collected in the preceding
observations.
EXPERIMENT XLIII.
The body of the criminal having been removed from the place of
execution to a neighbouring apartment, the trunk was placed on one
table, and the head on another. On the latter stood a pile, composed
of a hundred plates of zinc and copper, and on the former, a pile of a
hundred plates of silver and zinc. This apparatus tended greatly to
facilitate the rapid performance of the experiments, which were made
at the same time on all the parts of the body, and enabled us to take
advantage of its great vitality. I had with me a select company of
young physicians and surgeons, who, being much interested in the
progress of Galvanism, assisted me with great ardour. They were
divided into two parties, each of which was stationed around one of
the tables, in order that the operations performed at the one might
not interrupt those at the other. To gratify Professor Mondini, who
was desirous of seeing the muscular action in the whole head, an arc
was established from the spinal marrow to one of the ears, the pile
being interposed between them, and strong contractions were produced
in the whole face, as had been the case in all the other animals.
EXPERIMENT XLIV.
Having sawn through the scull with every possible precaution, and an
arc being established from the dura mater to one of the ears, the
usual contractions ensued. The pia mater was then uncovered, and, by
employing the same means, the same results and the same effects were
produced as had been obtained in other animals.
EXPERIMENT XLV.
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