Transcriber’s Note: This book uses the convention that items printed in the original text in italics are surrounded by underscores like _this_ and that items printed for emphasis in small-caps are rendered in all caps. EXPERIMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS RELATIVE TO THE INFLUENCE LATELY DISCOVERED BY M. GALVANI, AND COMMONLY CALLED ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. BY RICHARD FOWLER. EDINBURGH: PRINTED FOR T. DUNCAN, P. HILL, ROBERTSON & BERRY, AND G. MUDIE; AND J. JOHNSON ST PAUL’s CHURCH-YARD, LONDON. 1793. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PREFACE. The subject of the following experiments, has excited such general curiosity, that every new fact respecting it, may afford some gratification; and although the few which I have to offer, have not led me to what many may think very important conclusions, they will not I hope be found wholly undeserving of attention. The experiments were begun, with the view of ascertaining if the influence discovered by M. Galvani, be referrible to any known law of nature, or if it be itself a new law. Finding that it indicated, with tolerable accuracy, the presence of very small degrees of the contractile power of muscles, without appearing in the least to diminish that power, as electricity and most other stimuli never fail to do; I thought it might be used with advantage, as a test, in the investigation of some important subjects in physiology; and I have accordingly employed it as such. Every circumstance, observed in the course of these experiments, was carefully noted down, at the instant it occurred, and the greater number of these was made in the presence of gentlemen, whose accuracy I had reason to hope would detect any fallacy, which might have escaped myself. I have a particular pleasure, in expressing my obligation to Mr George Hunter of York, for the very friendly assistance which he afforded me, in almost every experiment, which rendered such assistance necessary. Edin. _May 28_. }      1793. } ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SECTION I. _Are the Phenomena, exhibited by the Application of certain different Metals to Animals, referrible to Electricity?_ The whole train of circumstances, which preceded this discovery, had a tendency to occasion the belief of its relation to electricity.