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
Having applied Galvanism to the trunk of a dog, in the _Hôpital de la
Charité_ at Paris, air seemed to escape from the tracheal artery on
every application of the arc. Being requested to repeat and confirm
this interesting experiment, I found myself under the necessity of
sacrificing a new victim to my Galvanic researches. As it was
necessary to examine the phænomenon while the body was in that state
of vitality most proper for the observation, I exposed the trunk of
another dog recently killed to the Galvanic action; and having placed
a taper near to the tracheal artery, it was extinguished twice in
succession by two applications of Galvanism. By repeating this
experiment, in Mr. Wilson’s anatomical theatre, Great Windmill-street,
and in the theatres of Guy’s and St. Thomas’s Hospital, London, I
found that the taper could be extinguished a greater number of times.
These experiments give me sufficient reason to hope that Galvanism may
be administered with some advantage in cases of drowning. But as I
never had an opportunity of trying the effects of this stimulant in
such cases, I have requested several medical practitioners to pay
attention to this application of Galvanism, which may be of the utmost
importance to the cause of humanity. I have already mentioned that the
method which I propose is exceedingly simple; that no anatomical
operation whatever is required; that it is attended with no danger;
and that the possibility of saving the life is in every case
respected. Nothing is necessary but to immerse in salt water one of
the hands of the person subjected to the operation, and then to apply
the Galvanic current to one of the ears and to the surface of the salt
water.
Dr. Lettsom, a very zealous member of the Humane Society, having been
present at some of my experiments, I requested that he would recommend
the application of Galvanism in cases of drowning. He assured me that
he would use his endeavours to cause my method to be tried, and I had
several conferences with him on the subject, that I might communicate
to him such information as might tend to facilitate the application of
it. As the Galvanism in such cases ought to be administered with great
promptitude, we agreed that the apparatus of the trough is preferable
to that of the pile; and we contrived the plan of a portable box to
contain a trough, two arcs, and a solution of common salt. Such an
apparatus will be exceedingly convenient, and may easily be employed
in all cases of drowning and of asphyxia.
SECTION IV.
_Galvanism applied to the cure of melancholy madness._
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