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
I had provided for this purpose a pile composed of eighty pieces of
silver and zinc, and I at first administered the Galvanism gradually,
forming the arc by means of the hands. Lanzarini, in a state of the
utmost dejection, viewed the apparatus and the company present with
his eyes fixed and motionless. When interrogated by the physicians and
myself in regard to the origin of his malady, he gave laconic and
confused answers, which seemed to indicate a great degree of stupidity
and derangement. I first moistened his hands, and formed an arc with
the pile at different heights, to accustom him to endure the action of
the apparatus. No change, however, was produced in the patient by this
operation. I then repeated the experiment, placing his hands,
moistened with salt water, at the bottom of the pile; and conveying an
arc from the summit of the pile to different parts of his face,
moistened with the same solution. A change was soon observed in the
patient’s countenance, and his whole demeanour seemed to indicate that
the degree of his melancholy was somewhat lessened. The experiment was
repeated several times with the same success; which seems to prove
that Galvanism absolutely exercises an action in such diseases. The
patient being interrogated next day, asserted that he had felt no
inconvenience from the application of the Galvanism; and this account
was confirmed by the keepers, who had been desired to give a report of
the least change that might take place. Similar results were obtained
by gradually administering the action of the pile with greater force
for several days successively, and we soon began to observe that it
produced a very striking effect. The patient, on touching the
apparatus, seemed to acquire new spirits; a smile appeared on his
countenance, and a complete change took place in his eyes as well as
in every feature of his face. Instead of showing any aversion to the
pile, he readily obeyed whenever he was called to undergo the
operation; and his whole conduct indicated that he found relief from
the influence of the unknown agent which it excited. He began to
converse with more readiness, sometimes respecting the machine, and
sometimes on the flash of light which appeared in his eyes when the
arc was applied; and on that account we conceived the most flattering
hopes of a complete cure. The result of this operation induced me to
administer the Galvanism even to the substance of the brain; being
convinced, as I have already remarked, that the Galvanic fluid by this
method of application exercises its action with greater energy. I
communicated my design to the Professors of the hospital, and with
their approbation began to try the effects of a pile composed of
fifteen plates of copper and zinc. I formed an arc from one of the
hands to one of the ears, and then from one ear to another, having
first moistened them with a solution of muriate of soda. I increased
the number of plates of which the pile was composed, and found that
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