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
Before I conclude this article, I must suggest a hint respecting the
application of Galvanism to diseases of the teeth, founded on
information communicated to me on this subject by Mr. Fowler, an
eminent dentist of London. When the caries is concealed from the
sight, Mr. Fowler employs the following method to discover the
affected tooth. He first insulates the patient; and having put into
his hand the electric chain, he applies a small piece of wire to the
_dens sapientiæ_, drawing it gradually over its surface: he then
applies it to the next tooth, repeating the operation, and proceeds in
like manner with the rest till he comes to the diseased tooth, which
discovers itself by a violent pain producing an involuntary commotion
in the body. It is always remarked, that when this tooth is extracted
it exhibits a carious part not before visible. This method, therefore,
is of great importance, as it frequently happens in such cases that
the dentist, not being able to distinguish the diseased tooth from the
rest, is obliged to draw some that are sound before he can discover
it.
SECTION III.
_Application of Galvanism in cases of asphyxia and drowning._
I mentioned in the second part of this work the great influence which
Galvanism has in cases of asphyxia, and the preference which ought to
be given to it in comparison of other stimulants. Though the
observations offered in that part are sufficient to prove my
proposition, I shall add to them the following experiments:
EXPERIMENT I.
Some dogs and cats were immersed in a large pond till they gave no
external signs of respiration, or of muscular motion; and Galvanism
being immediately administered to them, according to the methods
already described, they were sometimes restored to life. I make use of
the term ‘sometimes,’ because, if animals are immersed in water for a
longer period than their organization can bear, and if the vital
powers are really destroyed, it is evident that it will be impossible
to restore them to life by any physical process whatever. I obtained
the same results from to animals thrown into a state of asphyxia in
different ways.
EXPERIMENT II.
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