ON 
MEDICAL ELECTRICITY. LONDON: PRINTED BY 
SPOWISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE 
AND PARLIAMENT STREET A TREATISE 
ON 
MEDICAL ELECTRICITY 
THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL 
AND ITS USE IN THE TREATMENT OF 
PARALYSIS, NEURALGIA, AND OTHER DISEASES. 
BY 
JULIUS ALTHAUS, M.D. 
Member of the Royal College of Physicians; 
Fellow of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society ; 
Physician to the Infirmary for Epilepsy and Paralysis. 
' That which forms the invisible but living weapon of the electric eel ; that 
which liberated by the contact of moist dissimilar particles circulates through 
all the organs of animals and plants ; that which flashing from the thunder- 
cloud illumines the wide skyey canopy; that which draws iron to iron, and 
directs the silent recurring march of the guiding needle; - all, like the several 
hues of the divided ray of light, flow from one source, and all blend again 
together in one perpetual force, which is diffused everywhere.' 
Alexander von Humboldt, Aspects of Nature. 
SECOND EDITItW; 
REVISED AND PARTLY 
PHILADELPHIA 
LINDSAY AND BLAKISTON. 
1870. PREFACE 
TO 
THE SECOND EDITION. 
In looking back to the time when the first edition 
of this work appeared, I cannot help feeling con- 
siderable satisfaction at the progress which the sub- 
ject treated of in this volume has made since then, 
both scientifically and professionally. Ten years ago 
medical men held galvanism in very low estimation ; 
reports of cures by electricity were received with an 
incredulous smile; there was only one hospital- 
Guy's-where electricity was regularly used; and 
there it was applied in an antiquated fashion, and 
its use relegated to nurses or dressers. At the pre- 
sent time not a few hospitals possess the necessary 
electrical apparatus; able teachers are instructing 
students in its scientific application; and the first 
medical society in the kingdom has appointed a 
committee, composed of some of the most eminent 
members of the profession, for investigating the the- 
rapeutical use of electricity. This is a great change; VI 
PREFACE TO THE 
but quite as great is the change which has come over 
the scientific aspect of the subject. The physiological 
action of the different forms of electricity has been 
much more thoroughly studied than it ever was be- 
fore ; their place in therapeutics has not only become 
better defined, but also considerably enlarged, and 
rests on a firmer basis; and the special indications 
for the use of the several agents which are compre- 
hended under the name of electricity and galvanism 
are much better understood. All this must of neces- 
sity be a source of gratification to those who have 
held fast to the remedy in evil times; but just as 
great and well founded is their hope that the sphere 
of practical usefulness of this still mysterious power 
may in future even be further extended than it is at 
present. Where scarcely a month passes without 
an accumulation of new facts showing the beneficial 
results which may be obtained from a judicious use 
of electricity in various disorders-and not uncom- 
monly just in those which are not amenable to other 
remedies, such as progressive muscular atrophy, and 
epileptiform neuralgia-we may well cherish the 
hope that, as time advances, and our knowledge of 
the agent becomes more intimate, further improve- 
ments in the mode of using it may be made, and 
further indications for its therapeutical application 
may be discovered. 
The present edition of this work is considerably 
enlarged; its therapeutical part has been almost en- 
tirely re-written, owing to the accumulation of evi- Althaur cr. Me dre 5-1 Electricity p.Io 
Fig. 1 
Fig 2 
Fig 5 
Fig 'i 
Fig. 3. 
Fie 7. 
Fig 6 
Fig 8. 
Schwanda dei 
MfeNUarharl imp SECOND EDITION. 
VII 
dence showing the striking remedial effects of the 
continuous galvanic current, of which only little was 
known when the first edition appeared. 
Another change in the book has been the intro- 
duction of a number of illustrations, which, it is 
hoped, w'ill greatly contribute to a better compre- 
hension of the text. For the loan of some of them 
I am obliged to Professor Benedict, of Vienna (figs. 
9, 10, 43, 46, 47); M. Gaiffe, of Paris (figs. 49-52, 
55); Dr. Morell Mackenzie (fig. 57); Dr. Meyer, of 
Berlin (figs. 24, 25, 29); Professor Schwanda, of 
Vienna (figs. 1-8), and M. Tripier, of Paris, author 
of the 'Manuel d'Electrotherapie,' Paris, Bailliere, 
1861 (figs. 11, 14-23, 30, 42, 44, 45, 48, 53, 54, 
56, 58-60, 62). To all these gentlemen my best 
thanks are due for their readiness in aiding me to 
make this work more complete than it could have 
been otherwise. All the other illustrations are ori- 
ginal, and have been taken from the instruments 
introduced and employed by myself. 
In conclusion, I beg to express the hope that the 
new edition of this work, upon which I have bestowed 
much time and care, under a heavy pressure of both 
private and hospital practice, may serve to advance 
this important department of medical science. 
18, Bryanston Street, Portman Square : 
December 1869. PREFACE 
TO 
THE FIRST EDITION. 
There are few remedies employed in the treatment 
of disease on the value of which the professional 
mind is less settled than on that of galvanism. En- 
thusiastic panegyrists contended fifty years ago, 
and contend still, that it is a therapeutical agent 
superior to all hitherto discovered, whilst the great 
majority of the profession entertain serious doubts as 
to the reality of the remarkable successes which are 
now and then recorded by medical galvanists. 
The differences of opinion about the therapeutical 
value of electricity are readily to be understood if 
we bear in mind that the mode in which electricity 
is applied has an all-important bearing upon the 
results. It is true that even by a careless employ- 
ment of galvanism a few accidental successes have 
been obtained; but in ninety-nine cases out of a 
hundred, empirical galvanists, being unacquainted 
with the physiological effects of electricity, have PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 
IX 
been disappointed, and have brought the remedy 
into undeserved contempt. 
We know that, whatever may be the properties of 
the nerves, they can be called into action by galvan- 
ism. But the effects are widely different according 
to the form of electricity that is used; again, the 
quantity and intensity of electricity are both of great 
importance ; not less so the mode in which it is trans- 
mitted to the human body, and the length of time 
during which its action is kept up. In fact, we are 
able, by merely varying the modes of applying elec- 
tricity, to arouse or to kill the vital power of the 
nerves, and to diminish or to increase their proper- 
ties. Hence electricity can only be expected to be of 
service in the treatment of disease, if we are guided 
in its use by an exact knowledge of the physiological 
effects which it will invariably produce. I have, 
therefore, been most anxious to render the physiolo- 
gical part of my work as complete and comprehensive 
as possible. 
That there is at present so little certainty respect- 
ing the physiological and therapeutical effects of elec- 
tricity, is in some measure due to the vast extent 
of the field that is to be explored, and to the com- 
paratively short time that has elapsed since scientific 
researches of this kind have been undertaken; also 
to the intentional falsehoods that have been pub- 
lished, even in the present time, about pretended 
cures by means of electricity; and especially to the 
small number of observers who have devoted them- PREFACE TO THE 
X 
selves to the study of these phenomena. We possess 
a large amount of valuable information and experi- 
ence concerning the effects of internal remedies upon 
the system; we know where to procure and how to 
prepare most drugs; we know how to combine them, 
and in what cases and in what doses to administer 
them with advantage. But in respect to electricity 
we have no such certainty. What form of electricity 
should be used ? in what cases should it be employed ? 
shall we act indiscriminately upon the different tis- 
sues, skin, muscles, and nerves, or shall we limit the 
action of electricity to each one singly ? It is easy to 
understand that we cannot expect beneficial results 
from the application of electricity if it is applied by 
empirical galvanists; if the cases are not well se- 
lected; if the apparatus employed does not possess 
those qualities which are necessary for medical use ; 
if the dose of electricity given is too large or too 
small, and if, instead of acting upon the diseased 
part alone, the whole body, or part of the body, is 
acted upon. If, on the contrary, such mistakes as 
the above are avoided, electricity will be found a 
most valuable therapeutical agent, by means of 
which many morbid states of the system may be 
relieved, and even wholly cured. 
It no doubt sometimes happens that in cases which 
to all appearance are suited for electric treatment, 
and in which the agent has even been judiciously 
employed, it nevertheless produces little or no bene- 
fit. In fact, electricity is as little infallible as any FIB ST EDITION. 
XI 
other remedy we possess. But nobody will doubt 
the remedial powers of quinine, if it should happen 
to leave uncured a few cases of ague ; and croton-oil 
will always be reckoned amongst our most efficacious 
aperients, although it does not invariably relieve 
constipation. 
There is another important point upon which I 
feel obliged to dwell: patients are recommended by 
their physicians to undergo a course of galvanic 
treatment in many instances only after every other 
remedy has been tried without success, and when 
the disease is of such long standing as to afford but 
little hope of ultimate recovery. What beneficial 
results might be obtained in certain affections of the 
nervous system, if the electric treatment were re- 
sorted to in an earlier stage of the complaint, may 
be conceived from a perusal of the chapter in which 
the effects of faradisation in a number of cases of 
hysterical aphonia are detailed. 1 shall be especially 
gratified if I succeed in inducing more frequent re- 
course to the electric treatment in certain forms of 
neuralgia, which defy all other therapeutical treat- 
ment, and which are wonderfully amenable to 
electricity. 
Finally, I must allude to the mistake frequently 
made of employing galvanism alone without any 
internal remedies. I am quite satisfied that some 
affections of the nervous system can be cured by 
electricity alone; but in the majority of cases a 
simultaneous internal treatment is of the greatest XII 
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 
importance, and should not be neglected if we wish 
to increase the chances of success. 
Most of the cases which are reported in this 
volume have been observed and treated by me either 
in one of the Metropolitan Hospitals-King's Col- 
lege, St. Mary's, and Samaritan Free Hospital-or 
in the private practice of eminent members of the 
profession, to whose kindness in sending me cases for 
the electric treatment I beg to tender my sincerest 
thanks. 
March 1859. CONTENTS. 
PAGE 
Preface to the Second Editionv 
Preface to the First Edition viii 
CHAPTER I. 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
Natural Electricity-Active Electricity-Properties and Sources 
of Electricity 1 
I. Static Electricity. 
Electricity Developed by Friction of Amber, Glass, and Wax- 
Common Electrical Machine-Ozone and Ozonometry-Pro- 
perties of Static Electricity-Neutralisation-Electric Discharge 
-Electric Current-The Leyden Jar-Electric Battery-Quan- 
tity and Tension-The Electroscope-Velocity of Electricity- 
Electricity and Nervous Force not Identical-Chemical Effects 
-Inductive Action-Electrophorus-Holtz's Induction Machine 3 
II. Dynamic Electricity. 
A. Galvanism:-Theory of Contact and Chemical Action-Voltaic 
Pile-Positive and Negative Pole-Effects of Voltaic Electricity 
- Electro-motor Properties of Metals - Inconstancy of the 
Voltaic Pile - Polarisation-Constant Batteries-Becquerel's 
Battery-Daniell's Battery-Grove's, Bunsen's, Smee's, Boulay's, 
Poggendorff and Jacobi's, Stbhrer's, Marie-Davy's and Prince 
Bagration's Batteries-Chloride of Silver Battery-W ater Battery XIV 
CONTENTS. 
PAGE 
-Direction of the Current-Electrolysis-Secondary Electro- 
lysis-Unpolarisable Electrodes-Electric Endosmosis-Galva- 
nometer Multiplier-Quantity, Intensity, and Density-Resis- 
tance and Conducting Power-Ohm's Law-Essential and 
Non-essential Resistance-Influence of Chemical Composition, 
Temperature, and Form-Conducting Power of the Human 
Body-Of Animal Tissues-Researches of Matteucci, Eckhard, 
Ranke and Du Bois-Reymond-Conductivity of Bones . . 27 
B. Electro-Magnetism: -Early Observations on the Relations 
between Electricity aud Magnetism - Oersted's Discovery- 
Astatic Needle-Galvanometer Multiplier-Arago's Researches 
-Faraday's Discovery of Induction Currents-Researches of 
Magnus and Dove on Electro-magnets-Extra-current-Secon- 
dary Induction-Differences of the Continuous and Induced 
Current-Chemical Action of the Induced Current-Direction 
of the same .......... 70 
C. Magneto-Electricity:-Magneto-electric Current-Derived Cur- 
rent 81 
III. Animal Electricity. 
Electric Fishes-Torpedo or Electric Ray-Its Electric Organ- 
Gyinnotus or Electric Eel-Its Electric Organ-Malapterurus 
or Electric Shad--Its Electric Organ-Nervous and Muscular 
Electricity-Difficulties in Experimenting upon this Subject 
-Galvani's Discovery-Galvani's and Volta's Dispute-Re- 
searches of Nobili, Matteucci, and Du Bois-Reymond-Du Bois' 
Method-Galvanometer Multiplier and Galvanoscopic Frog- 
Unpolarisable Electrodes-Construction of the ' Moist Cham- 
ber'-Electrotonus-Dr. Radcliffe's Electrodes-Nervous Cur- 
rent-Positive and Negative Phase of the Nerve-Peripolar 
and Dipolar Arrangement-Negative Variation of the Current- 
Changes in the Nervous Current-Moleschott's Researches- 
Action of Various Drugs on the Nervous Current-Muscular 
Current-Theory on the Molecular Structure of the Muscles- 
Muscular Current in the Living Man-Parelectronomie Layer- 
Induced or Secondary Contraction-Changes in the Muscular 
Current-Dr. Radcliffe's Theory of Animal Electricity-Electric 
Currents in other Living Tissues-Cutaneous Currents in Frogs 
and in Man-Individual Current of the Finger-The Gastro- 
hepatic Current no Vital Phenomenon, but due to Chemical 
Action 83 Pages xv-48 missing CHAP. I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
49 
tionate to the surface of the galvanic pair, and to the 
degree of chemical affinity which exists between the 
different substances composing the battery. 
The intensity of the galvanic current is the same 
in all points of the circuit, and in all parts of the 
transverse section of the conjunctive wire. The 
intensity of the current undergoes no alteration if 
the transverse section of one portion of the wire be 
diminished ; but, on the other hand, it is obvious that 
the electricity which moves within a given space of 
time through a reduced transverse section of the wire, 
must be in a state of greater density than that passing 
through the larger transverse section of the wire. 
Thus, if I denotes the intensity of the current, D its 
density, and T the transverse section of the conjunc- 
tive wire, the formula obtained will be D = J,; that is 
to say, the density of the electricity is equal to the 
intensity of the current divided by the transverse 
section of the conjunctive wire. 
Resistance; Conducting Power.-We have seen that 
when the poles of a pair are connected by a con- 
ducting wire, the two contrary electricities, which are 
liberated by the electro-motive force, travel towards 
each other to neutralise each other; but in no battery 
do we ever obtain, in the form of a current, the whole 
amount of electricity which is produced by the che- 
mical action of the substances in circuit-the quantity 
of electricity in circulation being always less than 
that which would traverse a perfectly-conducting 50 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
conjunctive wire. While, therefore, the quantity of 
electricity produced depends upon the intensity of the 
electro-motive force, the quantity of electricity that 
is travelling, and may* be collected, depends upon the 
resistance offered to the passage of the electricity 
through conducting bodies, and upon the tension 
with which the electricity is driven through the 
conjunctive wire. 
All bodies through which an electric current is 
propagated, offer a certain resistance to the passage 
of the current, and consequently diminish its inten- 
sity. There are no absolutely perfect conductors of 
electricity. If the magnetised needle of a galvano- 
meter be brought into the circuit of a battery, the 
needle is to some extent deflected by the current; if 
we then interpose copper or silver wires, which are 
the best conductors of electricity, between the poles, 
the deflection of the needle appears less considerable 
than before-showing that the power of the current 
has been diminished by the interposition of the wires 
into the circuit. 
Ohm's Law.-Professor Ohm, of Nuremberg, has 
mathematically investigated the circumstances which 
influence the quantity of electricity that may be 
obtained from a galvanic circuit, and has established 
the law, that the intensity of the current is directly 
proportional to the electro-motive force divided by the 
resistance in the circuit. Thus, if I denotes intensity, 
E the electro-motive force, and R the resistance, the 
E 
following formula is obtained : I = . 
R CHAP. i. j 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
51 
The resistance of a galvanic battery is composed of 
two different kinds-viz. of the resistance of the pair 
itself, and of the resistance offered by the conjunctive 
wire. The resistance of the pair is always the same, 
and is therefore called essential resistance; while the 
resistance of the conjunctive wire may be diminished 
or increased ad libitum, and is therefore called non- 
essential resistance. 
Thus, for instance, a pair of Grove's battery has 
only half the resistance of a pair of Daniell's battery 
of the same size, because nitric acid is a better con- 
ductor than a solution of sulphate of copper (essen- 
tial resistance). On the other hand, if the galvanic 
circuit is closed by a copper wire, there will be very 
little non-essential resistance, because copper is an 
excellent conductor of electricity; while, if it is 
closed by the human body, there will be a very large 
non-essential resistance, because the human body is 
a very bad conductor of electricity. 
It appears that if the surface of the metals is in- 
creased, the essential resistance of the circuit is pro- 
portionately diminished, since the transverse section 
of the circuit is correspondingly decreased. If, there- 
fore, the non-essential resistance is small, a few 
large pairs will be most serviceable; while if the 
non-essential resistance is great, a considerable 
number of pairs, with small or medium surface, will 
be preferable. Thus, if the circuit is closed by the 
human body, or by liquids which it is intended to 
decompose, a large number of cells, which increase 52 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
the tension of the electricity, should be employed; 
while if a wire is to be rendered incandescent, as for 
the purpose of cauterisation, a few cells with large 
surface will best answer our purpose. 
The resistance of bodies varies according to their 
chemical nature, temperature, and form. Resin, glass, 
and sulphur are the worst conductors, while metals 
offer only little resistance to the passage of a current; 
they are, therefore, termed good conductors, as they 
permit of tolerably rapid propagation of electricity. 
The conducting power of the several metals is dif- 
ferent. Silver is the best, and mercury the worst 
conductor; after silver ranks copper, which conducts 
better than gold ; gold conducts better than iron; 
iron better than platinum; platinum better than 
lead. The resistance offered to an electric current is 
especially great, if it passes from a liquid to a solid, 
or from a solid to a liquid. Liquids conduct much 
worse than metals, but elevation of temperature in- 
creases their conducting power, whilst heat dimin- 
ishes the conductivity of metals. To give some 
instances : the resistance offered by a concentrated 
solution of sulphate of copper to the passage of an 
electric current is sixteen million times greater than 
that offered to it by metallic copper ; the resistance 
of distilled water is four hundred times greater than 
that offered by a solution of sulphate of copper. 
Therefore, an electric current will pass more easily 
through a copper wire ten thousand miles in length 
than through a layer of water one inch in length. CHAP. I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
53 
The conducting power of bodies does not only 
depend upon their chemical nature and temperature, 
but also upon their form. If an electric current of 
the same intensity be made to pass through wires 
of the same metal and diameter, but of different 
length, we find that the current loses power in pro- 
portion to the length of the wires through which it 
is caused to pass. If, on the other hand, the current 
passes through wires of the same metal and length, 
but of different diameter, the power of the current is 
increased in proportion to the diameter of the wires. 
Thus, for instance, a copper wire a hundred feet long 
and the twelfth of an inch in diameter, offers the 
same resistance as a copper wire two hundred feet 
long and a sixth of an inch in diameter. To give 
another example: the resistance offered by the arm 
of a man is nearly the same as that offered by the 
leg; since both the length and the diameter of the 
leg are nearly double those of the arm. 
The researches of Volta, Baron Humboldt,* and 
Ritter f have established the fact that the human 
body is a conductor only on account of the warm 
saline solution it contains, and that its resistance is 
chiefly due to the epidermis. 
Professor Edward Weber, J of Leipzig, made, in 
* A. von Humboldt, Versuche uber die gereizte Muskel- und Ner- 
venfaser. Posen und Berlin, 1797. Vol. i. p. 152. 
t Beitrage zur nahern Kenntniss des Galvanismus. Weimar, 1805. 
Vol. i. p. 258. 
J Quaestiones physiologic® de phaenomenis galvano-magneticis in 
corpore humano observatis. Lipsiae, 1836. 54 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
1836, a series of experiments on the conducting 
power of the human body, from which he concluded 
that it conducts about ten to twenty times better than 
distilled water at a temperature of 98° F., and fifty mil- 
lion times worse than copper. He corroborated Hum- 
boldt's statement that the resistance of the human 
body was chiefly due to the epidermis ; affirmed that 
it was greatest where the skin was thick and dry, and 
least where it was thin and moist; that the mucous 
membranes conducted better than the skin, and that 
the resistance of the whole body could be very much 
diminished by blistering the skin, or by applying 
warm instead of cold conductors. 
A few years later, Lenz and Ptschelnikoff, of St. 
Petersburg, investigated the same subject.* They 
used for their experiments Clarke's magneto-electric 
rotation machine, and employed as measurer of the 
current a multiplier placed at a distance of eighteen 
feet from Clarke's apparatus, in order to avoid any 
action of the horse-shoe magnet upon the magnetised 
needle of the multiplier; the deflections of the needle 
being observed by means of a telescope. Two vessels 
were then filled with water slightly acidulated with 
sulphuric acid; one of the vessels was connected with 
one of the poles of Clarke's machine, by means of a 
short and thick copper wire, which did not present 
any resistance to passage worth mentioning; one of 
* Ueber den Leitungswiderstand des menschlichen Korpers gegen 
galvanisehe Strome; in Poggendorff's Annalen, vol. Ivi., 1842, p. 
429. CHAP. I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
55 
the ends of the multiplier was then immersed in 
the other vessel, the other end of the multiplier being 
connected with the other pole of the magneto-electric 
machine. Now, a man whose resistance to the pas- 
sage of the electric current was to be measured, 
was ordered to immerse his hands in the two vessels, 
in order to close the circuit; when the magneto- 
electric current passed through his body to the 
magnetised needle of the multiplier. At first the 
deflection was noticed which occurred when the ex- 
tremities of the multiplier were connected with the 
coil of Clarke's apparatus without the intervention of 
any foreign body; afterwards the deflection obtained 
when the human body was enclosed in the circuit; 
and, finally, the deflection obtained when the human 
body was removed from the circuit. From the first 
and third deflections the medium was taken, and the 
result compared with the amount of the second de- 
flection. 
Lenz and Ptschelnikoff made their experiments on 
a working man, two persons of rank, a boy of seven 
years, a girl of nineteen, and a young man of seven- 
teen. It appeared immaterial whether the immersed 
part was near the conducting wire, or at some distance 
from it, since the differences produced in the deflections 
of the needle by changing the position of the wire did 
not amount to one-tenth of a degree ; but it was shown 
that the amount of surface of the immersed part of 
the body was of the greatest influence. Thus the 
resistance was 34°'O9 if only the first finger was im- 56 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
mersed into the liquid ; the resistance was diminished 
to 19o,20 if the middle finger was also immersed; it 
was only 6o,06 if the whole hand was plunged into 
the liquid. 
One of the results of these experiments was, that 
the conductivity of the human body is shown to be 
altogether different according to the conducting liquid 
that is used. Thus, if water from the Neva was put 
into the two vessels, the resistance amounted tol6o-53. 
If one part of sulphuric acid was added to a hundred 
parts of water, the resistance was diminished to 6o,06. 
A little scratch made on the hand further reduced 
the resistance to 4O,81 ; and if four parts of sulphuric 
acid were added to a hundred parts of water, the 
resistance was only 4°*37 ; that is to say, four times 
less than if ordinary water was employed as a con- 
ducting liquid. The greatest part of the resistance 
of the human body is therefore due to the epidermis, 
the removal of which notably diminishes resistance, 
which is also much reduced by the use of a well- 
conducting liquid. 
Besides, it appeared that the resistance offered by 
young people is greater than that of elderly persons; 
that the resistance offered by the hands of working- 
men is greater than that of the hands of persons of 
rank; that the resistance offered by the right hand 
is greater than that of the left. Lenz and Ptschel- 
nikoff have calculated the resistance of the whole 
body to be equal to a copper wire of one millimetre in 
diameter and 300,010 feet long, if water diluted with CHAP. I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
57 
one per cent, of sulphuric acid was used as the con- 
ducting liquid : but if four parts of sulphuric acid 
were added to a hundred parts of water, the resistance 
appeared to be equal to a copper wire 213,000 feet long. 
The fact that the conducting power of young per- 
sons should be less than that of elderly people, is, by 
Du Bois-Reymond, attributed to the smaller trans- 
verse section of their fingers, which, next to the epi- 
dermis, offer the greatest resistance to the passage of 
electricity. Ranke,* however, thinks it rather more 
dependent upon the different chemical composition 
of the liquids and tissues of young and elderly 
people. Youthful tissues contain a greater pro- 
portion of water, and adult or senile structures a 
more considerable quantity of salines, other things 
being equal; and this would sufficiently explain why 
the youthful body must conduct less well than the 
adult one. There can, however, be little doubt that 
both the circumstances mentioned by Du Bois and 
Ranke contribute towards this result. 
There are certain differences in the conducting 
power of different persons, and of the same indi- 
viduals at different times, which have not yet been 
satisfactorily explained. It is well known that some 
persons are naturally better conductors of electricity 
than others ; and this must be in some measure due 
to the great variety which exists in the quantity of 
perspiration in different individuals. But this cir- 
cumstance alone is not sufficient to explain all the 
* Tetanus. Eine physiologische Studie. Leipzig, 1865, p. 13. 58 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
phenomena which have been observed. Thus, for 
instance, when shocks from a Leyden jar are trans- 
mitted through a number of persons forming a chain, 
there are people in the chain who will feel the shock 
very slightly, or not at all, and some will even stop 
the propagation of electricity; while other individuals 
will feel the shock very severely. Now, this might 
be readily understood if the hands of such persons 
who stop the shock should happen to be quite dry, 
or the epidermis very thick; but, in many instances, 
such is not the case: sometimes persons will stop 
the propagation of electricity whose epidermis is 
very delicate, and even if it be purposely moistened 
in order to facilitate the transmission of the shock ; 
while at other times, the same persons will feel the 
shock very distinctly. Similar observations have 
been jnade with regard to lightning. Thus, a single 
person has been struck in the middle of a group of 
men, while all others remained untouched; and, on 
the other hand, a number of persons standing to- 
gether have been killed by the stroke, while one of 
them escaped without injury. It is also understood 
that certain Indians and negroes can handle the 
electric eel without experiencing shocks; and Mr. 
Flagg asserts,* that if a number of persons join 
hands and one touch the eel, they are all equally 
shocked, unless there should happen to be one of the 
number incapable of being affected by the eel, which 
* Transactions of the American Phil. Society, held at Philadelphia, 
1786, vol. ii. No. 13. CHAP. I. J 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
59 
is, he says, ' the case of a very worthy lady of my 
acquaintance, who can handle this fish at will.' (It 
is said that this lady suffered from hectic fever.) 
Conductivity of Tissues.-Researches on the relative 
conducting power of the different animal tissues are 
of recent date. The old physiologists, who had not 
experimented on the subject, believed that the nerves 
were the best conducting tissue of the animal body, 
carrying the orders of the will with the rapidity of 
lightning to the muscles. But it resulted from the 
first experiments which were made on this matter by 
Heidmann, in 1805, and again from those of Person,* 
in 1830, that the nerves are no better conductors 
than the muscles and other moist animal substances ; 
and that their conductivity is not changed through 
any mechanical injury being inflicted upon theii' 
substance. 
In 1843 this subject was investigated by Matteucci, 
who was led to the conclusion that the muscles are 
the best conducting tissue of the animal body, that 
the brain, the spinal cord, and the nerves are not 
very different from each other in this respect, and 
that they conduct four times worse than the muscles.f 
Matteucci's views were almost generally received 
by the Profession, but we shall see presently that 
the method he employed in his researches is open to 
objections, and does not yield correct results. In 
* Sur F hypo these des courans electriques dans les nerfs; in Magen- 
die, Journal de la Physiologic experimentale. Paris, 1830. 
t Traite des electro-phys'ologiques des animaux, etc. 
(Paris, 1844), p. 47 ; and Comptes rendus (1843), p. 23. 60 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
order to ascertain the relative conductivity of nerves 
and muscles, he took a layer of the cerebral sub- 
stance, a piece of the sciatic nerve, and a piece of 
a muscle from the thigh of a rabbit recently killed; 
he then reduced these substances to slices of the 
same thickness, and caused a continuous current of 
twelve pairs to pass through this chain of animal 
substances lying on an insulating plane. He em- 
ployed two different ways for comparing the resist- 
ance separately offered by nerves and muscles. At first 
he touched pieces of nerves and muscles of equal 
length with the extremities of a sensitive galvano- 
meter multiplier, which were held at equal distances 
from each other; and obtained more considerable 
deflections of the magnetised needle when he touched 
the muscle than w'hen he touched the nerve; the 
amount of deflection being inversely proportional to 
the resistance offered by the different substances to 
the passage of the current. He afterwards altered 
the distance of the extremities of the galvanometer 
multiplier, so as to obtain equal deflections of the 
magnetised needle, by touching either the nerves or 
the muscles; the resistance to passage being in this 
instance inversely proportional to the length of the 
animal substances comprised between the extremities 
of the multiplier. He thus found that, in order to 
obtain the same deflection of the needle, he had to 
approach the extremities of the multiplier when he 
touched the nerves; whilst when he touched the 
muscles, he was obliged to increase the distance CHAP. I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
61 
between the extremities of the multiplier. From this 
Matteucci calculated that the muscles conduct four 
times better than the nerves, whilst the nerves conduct 
rather better than the brain and the spinal cord. The 
experiments of Matteucci were repeated, and on the 
whole, confirmed, by Dr. Schlesinger, of Vienna.* 
Several objections, however, must be made to 
Matteucci's experiments. In the first place, it has 
been pointed out by Du Bois-Reymond, that the 
slices of the different tissues can never be exactly of 
the same length and diameter. Besides, Matteucci 
neglected to measure the intensity of the current of 
the battery; and finally, it seems strange that he 
should have obtained exactly the same results by 
both of his methods-as in the former of them an 
influence must have been necessarily exercised by 
polarisation, whilst there was no such influence in 
the latter proceeding. 
We therefore cannot accept Matteucci's researches 
as conclusive, and need not be surprised that other 
results have been obtained by means of an ingenious 
method devised by Professor Eckhard, of Giessen, f 
The result at which this observer has arrived is, that 
the resistance offered to the passage of an electric 
current by the muscles, tendons, nerves, cartilages, 
and bones, is not always the same, because the 
amount of water in these tissues is variable. Indeed, 
* Die Elektricitat als Heilmittel. Zeitschrift Wiener Aerzte, 1852, 
July. 
+ Beitrage zur Anatomie und Physiologic. Giessen, 1858. Vol. i. 
p. 57. 62 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
there are not only differences in this respect between 
different individuals of the same species, but the 
same tissues taken from different parts of the same 
body present differences in the amount of water they 
contain. Thus it is a fact well known to anatomists, 
that the median nerve at the fore-arm contains 
fewei' blood-vessels than the sciatic nerve imme- 
diately after it has emerged from the pelvis. There- 
fore, the median nerve does not conduct so well as 
the sciatic nerve. Finally, it must be considered 
that a more or less active evaporation of water is 
always going on during the time that the tissues are 
reduced to such a shape as to be fit for observation ; 
whereby certain variations must invariably occur, 
according to the temperature of, and the amount of 
moisture contained in, the air. 
As the different animal tissues, with the only ex- 
ception of the nerves and the lumbrical muscles, 
cannot be well reduced to such a shape that the 
longitudinal and transverse sections are perfectly 
alike, this being a necessary condition for the exact 
calculation of their resistance to passage, M. Eckhard 
did not compare directly the resistance offered sepa- 
rately by the tissues themselves, but first determined 
the resistance offered by any piece of animal tissue ; 
from this he afterwards took a cast in plaster of 
Paris, by means of which he formed a piece of glue 
perfectly like the piece of animal tissue already 
examined; and then measured the resistance offered 
by the piece of glue. The glue used for these DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
63 
chap, i.] 
experiments was always of the same strength, and 
the experiments were not commenced before the 
different pieces of glue had cooled down to the 
same temperature; the cooling was effected in a 
room filled with moisture. For ascertaining the 
conductivity of muscular substance, Professor Eck- 
hard took fibres from a dead body, after the rigor 
mortis had disappeared ; because, before this period 
has elapsed, it is not possible to form a piece of glue 
perfectly similar to the piece of muscle. In order 
to avoid the shrinking of the muscle that might be 
occasioned by the hygroscopic property of plaster of 
Paris, he covered the muscular fibres with a layer 
of fat before he took the cast. After having de- 
termined the comparative resistance offered by the 
different animal substances and glue, it was easy to 
calculate the relative difference in the conductivity 
of the animal tissues themselves. 
As measurer of the current, a galvanometer multi- 
plier of 8,000 convolutions was employed, and, in 
order to avoid the influence of polarisation as much 
as possible, copper wires, cemented in glass tubes, 
were taken as electrodes, the free extremities of which 
were immersed in a concentrated solution of sulphate 
of copper. The current itself was furnished by a 
single cell of Daniell's battery, the constancy of which 
had been tested before; cushions of blotting paper, well 
moistened with the white of an egg, were immersed 
with one extremity in the liquid, their other ex- 
tremity serving as electrode. 64 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
M. Eckhard first ascertained the deflection suf- 
fered by the magnetised needle if the circuit was 
closed by the cushions alone. He then interposed a 
piece of muscular substance, whereby the deflection 
was diminished to a certain extent; if a piece of 
tendon was interposed, the deflection was further 
diminished. He afterwards noticed the deflections 
of the needle produced by the interposition of different 
pieces of glue corresponding to the pieces of muscles, 
tendons, etc. In this way he found that the muscles 
are the best conducting tissue of the animal body; 
that there is no remarkable difference in the conduc- 
tivity of nerves, cartilages, and tendons; and that 
the bones are very imperfect conductors of electricity. 
Having put the resistance of fibres taken from the 
sartorius muscle of man = 1, Eckhard found the 
resistance of the tendon of the gastrocnemius = 1*7 
to 1*9; of the tendon of the semitendinosus = 2'2 to 
2*4 ; and of the tendon of the extensor carpi radialis 
= 2*3 to 2*6; therefore the medium resistance offered 
by tendons would be 2*1. The resistance offered by 
the cartilages of the ribs varied from 1'7 to 2'4; 
medium = 2. The resistance of nerves taken from 
the brachial plexus was 1'9 to 2'4; that of the 
sciatic nerve 2*2; medium 2'1. The compact sub- 
stance of the bones appears to conduct 16 to 22 times 
worse than the muscular substance. It is, however, 
difficult to make conclusive experiments as to the 
conductivity of the bones, because the bones must be 
sawn through if we wish to procure pieces fit for CHAP. I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
65 
observation. If this be done without using a fluid, 
the small quantity of liquid contained in the bone will 
evaporate from the surface, in consequence of the 
heat produced by friction; and if the bone be sawn 
through, the surface being continually kept moist 
with the white of an egg, it might be feared that 
the amount of liquid would be artificially increased. 
The results of Professor Eckhard's researches may 
therefore be summed up in the following:- 
The resistance of muscles is = 1. 
of cartilages = 2. 
of tendons = 2'1. 
of nerves = 2'1. 
of b<»nes =19. 
These numbers correspond with the amount of water 
contained in the animal tissues; for if we take the 
medium of all trustworthy chemical analyses of 
animal substances which have yet been made, we 
find that- 
The muscles contain 76 per cent, of water. 
The tendons 62. 
The cartilages 62'5. 
The nerves 52'5. 
The bones 5. 
The apparent incongruities in the numbers may be 
understood, if we consider that the conductivity of 
tissues is not exclusively due to the amount of water, 
but also to the quantity of salines contained in them. 
Although Eckhard's researches were carefully 
made, it should be understood that their results can- 
not be considered as final, firstly, because he did 
not experiment directly on the tissues themselves ; 66 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. I. 
secondly, because dead tissues must have a different 
conducting power from living ones; and, thirdly, 
because the influence of polarisation was not tho- 
roughly avoided in his experiments. 
Du Bois-Reymond* was the first who gave his 
attention to the question whether the different con- 
ditions of living muscle had any influence upon its 
conductivity, and whether the negative variation of 
the muscular current discovered by him had anything 
to do with an alteration of the resistance of muscular 
fibre when contracted, from that which obtains when 
the fibre is quiescent. He found that during con- 
traction there was increased resistance, owing to the 
alteration in the shape of the muscle ; while if this 
alteration in the shape was excluded, the contraction 
seemed to be accompanied with a slight diminution 
of resistance. 
Dr. Ranke,f of Munich, has recently made a series 
of experiments on the resistance of muscular fibres 
which have given some interesting results. He used 
the adductor muscles of the frog's thigh, which, as they 
consist of longitudinal fibres, do not evolve a current 
of animal electricity in their natural longitudinal 
section, both ends being at the same distance from 
the equator. As it appeared from Du Bois-Reymond's 
observations that alterations of shape have a certain 
influence on the galvanic resistance of the muscle, 
such alterations were, as far as possible, excluded by 
* Untersuchungen uber thierieche Elektricitat, vol. ii. p. 174. Berlin, 
1853. 
t L.c., p. 27. CHAP. I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
67 
using the " muscle-clamp." This is an instrument 
consisting of two branches, one of which is fixed on 
one end of a glass rod, while the other branch is 
freely movable on the rod, and may be fixed at any 
point of the same by means of a screw. The upper 
part of these branches is of ivory, and the lower one 
of brass. The ivory is smooth and thin, and has 
in the middle a small excavation for receiving the 
terminal bones of the frog's limb. It is easy, by 
means of this contrivance, to give to a muscle fixed 
in it any degree of tension which may be required. 
The other instruments used were a single cell of 
Daniell's battery, a galvanometer multiplier, a rheo- 
chord, a rheostat, and unpolarisable electrodes, such 
as are used by Du Bois-Reymond in his experiments 
on animal electricity, and which will be described in 
the section on animal electricity. The difficulty which 
had always been experienced by previous observers, 
of giving to the animal tissues a stereometrically 
definite shape, Ranke endeavoured to overcome in 
the following manner :-The elasticity of the tissues 
allowed him to draw them into a small glass tube, 
which was completely filled up by them, the terminal 
surfaces of the preparation being made parallel with 
both openings of the tube. By this proceeding he 
could not only give a definite shape to any tissue, 
but also give the same shape to all sorts of different 
tissues, so as to exclude errors which would otherwise 
necessarily arise from measuring the dimensions of 
the different tissues. 68 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
The chief results of Ranke's observations are the 
following: - Living muscle conducts 3,000,000 times 
worse than mercury, and about 115,000,000 times 
worse than copper. The resistance of dead muscle as 
compared with living muscle is as 56 to 100; it there- 
fore conducts 1,680,000 times worse than mercury, 
and 64,400,000 times worse than copper. This 
diminution of resistance in dead muscle is owing to 
the accumulation of certain products of decomposi- 
tion, the most important of which seems to be lactic 
acid; for, other circumstances being equal, an acid 
muscle naturally conducts better than one which is 
not acid. Boiling diminishes the resistance of the 
muscular fibre for the same reason, and contraction 
has the same influence. Eckhard's proposition that 
tendons, cartilages, and nerves do not show any 
considerable differences in their resistance to passage, 
should be so far modified as to express that all the 
different animal tissues show only very slight differ- 
ences of conduction, the epidermis alone excepted. 
With regard to the conductivity of bones, the 
resistance of which Eckhard has put down as varying 
from 16 to 22, direct observations have hitherto been 
wanting. Dr. Friedleben, of Frankfort,* has shown 
that almost all analyses of bones which have been 
made until now, concern only osseous tissue which 
has been carefully dried. Indeed, chemists as well 
as pathologists and histologists have generally con- 
sidered that the quantity of water in bones was 
* Wunderlich's Archiv. der Heilkunde (1861), p. 139. CHAP. I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
69 
something accidental and unimportant. Their ana- 
lyses therefore teach us nothing at all about the 
actual composition of osseous tissue in the living 
body. Nasse has incidentally mentioned that the 
average amount of water in the ribs is 42*8 per cent. 
Becquerel found in the skull-bones of a rickety 
child, who had died of pneumonia, 35*2 per cent of 
water. J. Stark * says that on the whole the bones 
of fishes contain most water, viz., from 50 to 80 per 
cent; that the bones of young birds contain more 
than that of old birds (from 12 to 25 per cent); that 
the flat bones of mammalia contain generally more 
water than the round bones of the extremities (the 
former from 12 to 20, the latter from 3 to 7 per cent); 
that the more spongy the substance of bones, the 
greater is the amount of water, and that as far as 
the mammalia are concerned, the human bones 
contain more water than the bones of any other 
mammalia. All these assertions, however, are con- 
tradicted by Friedleben, who has shown that several 
sources of error are inherent to Stark's method of 
investigation. He justly contends that most bones 
which have hitherto been analysed were not fair 
specimens, as they were taken from persons who 
had by previous illness suffered from more or less 
considerable disturbances of nutrition, and that 
consequently the chemical composition of the bones 
must have been altered likewise. This holds good 
* Chemical Constitution of the Bones of the Vertehrated Animals • 
Edinburgh Med. and Surg. Journal, vol. Ixiii. (1845) p. 308. 70 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
especially for young people, in whom the composition 
of bones appears to be rapidly affected whenever the 
nutrition of the system generally suffers; in rickets, 
for instance, the amount of water in the bones is 
greatly increased. Further observations are there- 
fore required to elucidate the conducting power of 
bones in the living subject. 
The question whether the galvanic current can be 
safely transmitted to the nervous centres in the living 
man, will be discussed in a subsequent chapter. 
(B) Electro-Magnetism.-Phenomena showing 
the close relation that exists between electricity and 
magnetism, have been observed centuries ago. By 
the fall of lightning masses of steel and iron have been 
magnetised; watches have been stopped in conse- 
quence of the magnetisation produced by lightning 
in the pieces of steel of the balance; the poles of 
mariner's compasses have been reversed by the fall 
of lightning upon ships-an occurrence which has, 
in some instances, been attended with fatal results to 
sailors, who being guided in a contrary direction 
were cast upon rocks, from which they thought they 
were receding at full sail. 
In 1819, a Danish philosopher, Oersted, made the 
first scientific observation on the action of elec- 
tricity upon a magnet. He found that when the 
two poles of a galvanic battery are united by a 
metal wire, placed closely above or below a mag- 
netised needle, the needle immediately suffers a de- CHAP. I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
71 
flection, the extent of which is directly proportional 
to the power of the battery, and inversely propor- 
tional to the distance between the needle and wire. 
The needle tends to place itself at a right angle to 
the conjunctive wire, and succeeds in attaining this 
position when the current of the battery is powerful 
and the needle very near to the wire. 
Astatic Needle.-Ampere then drew the attention of 
natural philosophers to the fact that the terrestrial 
magnetism prevents the magnetised needle from en- 
tirely obeying the action of the current, as that influ- 
ence continually tends to reduce the needle to the plane 
of the magnetic meridian. To obviate this inconveni- 
ence he constructed the so-called astatic needle, com- 
posed of two magnetised needles placed in a parallel 
direction, whereby the influence of the globe is more 
or less counter-balanced. But the two needles can- 
not, under any circumstances, be perfectly alike, nor 
placed in two directions exactly parallel, nor possess 
absolutely the same quantity of magnetism; and 
therefore the globe will always exercise a certain 
amount of action upon the astatic system. But the 
effect of an electric current is certainly much stronger 
upon a double than upon a single needle; and a very 
feeble current which is not able to deflect the latter, 
will produce a marked effect upon the astatic system, 
especially if the wire by which the current is trans- 
mitted be bent, so that it is no longer above or below 
the needle, but forms two parallel branches, between 
which the needle is suspended; it being of course 72 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
necessary that the current should not he allowed to 
pass from one coil to the other, which is prevented by 
covering the wire with an insulating envelope of silk 
or gutta percha. If there be two such coils, the action 
of the current upon the needle is twice as powerful as 
if the wire had been only above or below the needle, 
and each further convolution of the wire will propor- 
tionately increase the action of the current upon the 
needle. This principle has been applied to the con- 
struction of the galvanometer multiplier, which was 
invented by M. Schweigger, and first employed in 
electro-physiological researches by M. Nobili. Du 
Bois-Reymond has constructed multipliers of the 
utmost sensitiveness (with more than 24,000 convo- 
lutions), by means of which he was enabled to detect 
the presence of electric currents in almost all the 
tissues of the living animal body. 
Soon after Oersted's discovery had been made 
known, Arago found that the electric current im- 
parted a strong magnetic force to pieces of soft iron, 
steel, and other magnetic bodies, which did not 
possess it previously. He saw that when a fine iron 
wire was traversed by the current, it acquired the 
property of attracting iron filings, which dropped 
again as soon as the current ceased to pass. Arago 
succeeded likewise in magnetising needles by dis- 
charges from a Leyden jar. He showed that, if a 
copper wire covered with silk or gutta percha be 
coiled round a bar of soft iron, and an electric cur- 
rent be made to pass through the wire, the soft iron chap, i.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
73 
becomes a powerful magnet. Such temporary mag- 
nets are termed electro-magnets, in order to distin- 
guish them from permanent magnets of steel. Soft 
iron is rapidly magnetised and demagnetised by an 
electric current. In order to show the magnetic 
power produced in the soft iron by the passage of an 
electric current, the bar should be shaped like a 
horse-shoe, the poles of such a magnet being very 
near to each other. 
Induction Currents.-Science had advanced thus far 
when Faraday discovered, in 1831, that a galvanic 
current is able by induction to develope electric 
currents in conducting wires. This is proved by the 
following experiments:-Two conducting wires are 
placed on an insulating plane, parallel with, and very 
near to, each other ; the two ends of the first wire are 
then connected with the poles of a galvanic battery, 
and the two ends of the second wire with the extremi- 
ties of a galvanometer multiplier, in order to enable 
us to ascertain the electric movement in the wire by 
the deflection of the needle. At the moment when the 
current of the battery is made to pass through the 
first wire, the needle of the multiplier communicating 
with the second wire is deflected, then suffers some 
oscillations, and finally returns to rest, which remains 
undisturbed so long as the current of the battery 
continues to pass through the wire. But as soon as 
the communication between the battery and the first 
wire is interrupted, the needle suffers another de- 
flection in a contrary direction to that in which the 74 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. I. 
former had occurred. From this it appears that the 
galvanic current which traverses the first wire deter- 
mines in the second wire an instantaneous current at 
the moment when it begins to circulate, and another 
equally instantaneous current at the moment when it 
ceases to pass. The multiplier, however, indicates 
not only the existence of such instantaneous currents, 
but also their direction; showing that the current 
induced in the second wire on making the circuit 
flows in a direction contrary to that of the current 
of the battery, while the direction of the current 
induced in the second wire on breaking the circuit is 
equal to that of the current of the battery. We may 
notably increase the intensity of these instantaneous 
currents by employing two copper wires of great 
length covered with silk or gutta percha, and rolled 
round a wooden cylinder or bobbin, so as to form two 
coils, the convolutions of 
these wires being as near 
to each other as possible. 
The intensity of induc- 
tion currents is further 
increased by introducing 
into the cavity of the bob- 
bin pieces of soft iron, 
which become magnetic 
under the influence of 
the battery current, and thereby produce other 
electric currents in the two wires. The currents 
produced by the magnetism of the soft iron are 
Fig. 14. CHAP., I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
75 
equally instantaneous as the currents developed by 
the inducing current of the battery. They are not 
produced whilst the soft iron is magnetic, but only 
at the moment when it acquires and loses its magnet- 
ism. Therefore the demagnetisation of the soft iron 
has the same effect as breaking the current of the 
battery, in the production of an instantaneous in- 
duced current. 
The power of the electro-magnet to increase the 
intensity of induction currents differs according to the 
shape and quantity of iron. It is sufficient for pro- 
ducing a remarkable effect, to have a single piece, or 
a hollow cylinder, of soft iron round which the copper 
wires are coiled, but the effect is increased if we take 
a bundle of iron wires; and yet more, if these wires 
are insulated from each other by a layer of varnish. 
It was formerly believed that the increased effect 
was due to the circumstance that the iron wires are 
softer than a solid cylinder, and therefore would 
become more strongly magnetised. But it has been 
proved by the researches of Professor Magnus, of 
Berlin, that such is not the case, the magnetism of a 
solid cylinder being equally powerful with that of a 
bundle of wires of the same volume; and that the 
increased effect is due to the bundle of wires conduct- 
ing less well than the solid cylinder. If the poles of 
the battery are in connection with the coil of wires, in- 
stantaneous currents are produced in the central soft 
iron, as well as in the wires that are coiled round it. 
Now the current produced in the soft iron on break- 76 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. I. 
ing the circuit retards notably the demagnetisation 
of the soft iron ; the magnetism of the soft iron will, 
therefore, disappear much more easily and rapidly if 
the production of currents in the soft iron is pre- 
vented as much as possible. The more rapid the 
demagnetisation of the soft iron, the more notable 
will be its inducing effect. It is clear that electric 
currents will be most easily produced in a solid bar of 
soft iron, less easily in a bundle of iron wires, and 
least easily if these wires are insulated by varnish. 
Professor Dove, of Berlin, has shown that the 
intensity of an induced current is very much dimin- 
ished by covering the electro-magnet with a closed 
tube of a non-magnetic metal (brass or copper). This 
is due to the development of induced currents in the 
metal tube, whereby the effect of the magnetism in 
the soft iron is counterbalanced. The tube does not 
prevent the action of the current upon the galvano- 
meter, but it greatly diminishes the magnetising as 
well as the physiological effects. From this it follows 
that a metal tube covering the electro-magnet may 
be employed as a regulator of the intensity of the 
current in physiology and therapeutics; and that 
the galvanometer does not indicate the intensity of 
the physiological effects of induction currents. 
The first wire of the bobbin of induction, the ends 
of which are connected with the poles of the battery, 
is comparatively short and thick, as the inducing 
current of the battery, which is propagated in it, is 
generally that of a single pair, and the resistance of CHAP. I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
77 
the conducting wire must be slight, if a powerful 
electro-magnet is to be produced by the current. 
But in the short and thick wire we have not only the 
inducing current of the battery, but another current 
which is much stronger, and is developed by the 
mutual action of the convolutions of the short and 
thick wire upon each other-an effect which only 
takes place if these convolutions are very near to 
each other; they therefore serve at the same time as 
inducing body and as induced body. This current, 
which has been termed extra-current by Faraday, is 
produced not only when the circuit is broken, but 
also.at the moment when it is established. Its 
direction is contrary to that of the current of the 
battery on closing, and equal to it on opening the 
circuit. Its energy is also notably increased by the 
presence of soft iron in the interior of the bobbin; it 
is capable of deflecting the needle of a galvanometer, 
it produces sparks, shocks, and heat, and decomposes 
water. The extra-current is due to induction by its 
own convolutions and by the temporary magnet; 
while the current induced in the second wire arises 
from induction by the current of the battery and by 
the electro-magnet. 
It appears from the researches of an American 
philosopher, Mr. Henry, of Princetown, that the 
action of induction is not confined to two coils ; but, 
that a current induced in the second wire may again 
induce another current in a third coil, if this be 
placed near to the second ; that the current produced 78 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
in the third wire may give rise to a current in a 
fourth coil, etc. Mr. Henry has also endeavoured to 
determine the direction of these induced currents of 
the second, third, and fourth order, and found that 
if the current induced in the second coil be positive, 
that induced in the third wire would be positive 
again, whilst that induced in the fourth would be 
negative, that in the fifth positive again, etc. 
The intensity of induced currents depends, in the 
first place, upon the intensity of the inducing current 
of the battery; if this be feeble, it will not be able 
to develope a powerful magnetism in the soft iron, 
and the extra current, as well as the current induced 
in the second wire, will be of low tension. It depends 
besides upon the transverse section, and the number 
of convolutions of the wires; the intensity of the 
current being directly proportional to the number of 
convolutions and inversely proportional to the dia- 
meter of the wire; the current will, therefore, be 
stronger in proportion to the length and fineness of 
the wire. Finally, the intensity of the induced current 
depends upon the quantity, and the more or less insu- 
lated state, of the soft iron in the centre of the bobbin. 
An induced current differs from a continuous 
galvanic current, in the first place, by its being in- 
stantaneous. To this circumstance is due the re- 
markable physiological effect of the induced current, 
especially upon the motor nerves and muscles; as 
we shall see hereafter, that motor nerves and muscles 
are not excited by a closed circuit, but by variations CHAP. I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
79 
in the density of the current. On the other hand, 
induction currents differ from the continuous gal- 
vanic current in so far as the direction of the latter 
is always the same, whilst the former move alter- 
nately in different directions ; indeed, the deflections 
of the magnetised needle show that the current in- 
duced in the second wire, on closing the circuit of 
the battery, has a direction contrary to that of the 
current induced on opening it. This circumstance 
gives rise to a peculiarity in the chemical action of 
the induced current. We have seen that when water 
is decomposed by a continuous galvanic current, the 
hydrogen appears invariably at the negative, and 
the oxygen at the positive pole. But such is not the 
case if we decompose water by induction currents ; 
for, as each wire alternately serves as the positive 
and negative pole, both hydrogen and oxygen appear 
at either of the poles ; the gases, therefore, represent 
an explosive mixture, and if the induction currents 
succeed each other very rapidly, both gases appearing 
simultaneously, and both being in the nascent state, 
they immediately combine again to form water, so 
that the water is apparently not at all decomposed 
by the induced current. If platinum plates be im- 
mersed in water, and induction currents be sent 
through them in rapid succession, the water is de- 
composed and oxygen liberated ; this nascent oxygen 
produces oxidation of the platinum; but oxide of 
platinum is immediately afterwards reduced to me- 
tallic platinum by the nascent hydrogen. Thus, a 80 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
series of oxidations and reductions takes place in the 
metal, in consequence of which the platinum plates 
become at last covered with a black powder, which is 
finely-divided metallic platinum. Another experiment 
to show that induction currents move alternately in 
different directions, is, to bring a solution of iodide of 
potassium and starch into the circuit; the blue colour 
indicating the liberation of iodine will then shortly 
appear at either of the poles, while if we cause that 
decomposition by the continuous galvanic current, the 
blue colour is only noticed at the positive pole. 
It would, therefore, appear erroneous to speak of a 
permanent positive and negative pole in an induction 
apparatus employed for physiological or therapeu- 
tical purposes. Such is, indeed, the opinion of the 
author of a celebrated treatise on the physical pro- 
perties of electricity,* who explains the difference in 
the therapeutical and physiological action of the 
extra-current, which he considers as produced only 
on breaking the circuit, and of the current induced 
in the second wire, partially by the circumstance that 
the extra-current always moves in the same direc- 
tion, whilst the current induced in the second wire 
alternately moves in contrary directions. But M. de 
la Rive seems to have disregarded the fact, that the 
physiological effect of the extra-current, as well as 
of the current induced in the second wire on closing 
the circuit, is scarcely perceptible; while it is very 
* A Treatise on Electricity, in Theory and Practice, by M. A. de la 
Rive. Translated by Charles Walker. London, 1858. Vol. iii. p. 603, CHAP. I.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
81 
powerful on opening the circuit. We are, therefore, 
allowed, if we employ induction currents in physi- 
ology and therapeutics, to take into account merely 
the current induced on opening the circuit, which 
has a direction equal to that of the inducing current 
of the battery. 
We have now considered in their principal features 
the phenomena of induction brought about by voltaic 
electricity, and proceed to take a short glance at 
Faraday's discovery of electric currents induced by a 
permanent magnet of steel. 
(C) Magneto-Electricity. - If the pole of an 
ordinary magnet be approached to one of the ex- 
tremities of a copper wire covered with silk or gutta 
percha, and coiled round a wooden cylinder, the 
needle of a galvanometer, communicating with the 
ends of this wire, is immediately seen to suffer a 
deflection. As long as the magnet remains in the 
same position, the needle is not further disturbed : 
but as soon as the magnet is withdrawn, another 
deflection of the needle takes place, which indicates 
the existence of another instantaneous current pro- 
duced in the wire, and moving in a direction contrary 
to the first. The current produced by a permanent 
magnet of steel is called the magneto-electric current, 
in order to distinguish it from the electro-magnetic 
current induced by voltaic electricity. For pro- 
ducing a succession of such currents, the magnet 
must be continually approached to, and withdrawn 82 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
from, the spirals of the wires. To effect a very rapid 
succession, the permanent magnet is not made to act 
immediately upon the wires, but an armature of soft 
iron, having the form of a horse-shoe, is surrounded 
by the wires, and set in rotation before the two poles 
of a fixed permanent magnet, by means of a wheel 
connected with an endless cord. By each turn of the 
wheel, the two branches of the armature are made 
to pass before the poles of the permanent magnet; 
at each passage there is magnetisation and demagne- 
tisation of the soft iron, and an electric current is 
produced by the sudden change in the magnetic state 
of the armature at the moment when it is approached 
to, and when it is withdrawn from, the magnet. 
The intensity of the magneto-electric current 
depends upon the power of the permanent magnet; 
upon the number of convolutions and the diameter of 
the wire coiled round the armature of soft iron; on 
the distance of the armature from the poles of the 
magnet; and finally on the velocity with which the 
wheel is turned. The physiological effect is pro- 
duced on breaking as well as on making the circuit; 
in the former case the effect is stronger; but the 
difference is not so great as with the current induced 
by voltaic electricity. If we wish, therefore, to avoid 
the continuous change in the direction, and to 
operate with a succession of currents all guided in 
the same direction, we may employ a wheel, the teeth 
of which are alternately of metal and ivory, so that 
only one of the two induced currents which are 
produced is collected. chap, i.] 
DYNAMIC ELECTRICITY. 
83 
Derived Currents.-Finally, a few words upon the 
meaning of the term ' derived current.' If in a closed 
circuit two points are connected by an additional 
conductor, a portion of the current is drawn off or 
' derived ' by the latter. The current as it existed 
before the derivation was established is termed the 
primitive current; the additional conductor, deriva- 
tion wire; and the portion of the current that passes 
by this wire, the derived current. The intensity of 
a derived current is, of course, always infinitely more 
feeble than that of the primitive current. 
III.-ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
Life is not possible without a continuous disturb- 
ance taking place in the equilibrium of the molecules 
of the body; and as every such disturbance is 
accompanied with a liberation of electricity, the 
existence of electric currents in the animal body 
during life appears a necessity. 
That certain fishes, when touched, give shocks, was 
already known to the Romans, who employed them 
for the cure of headaches and gout. The best known 
among these fishes are the Torpedo, or electric ray; 
the Gymnotus, or electric eel; and the Malapterurus, or 
electric shad. The Torpedo is frequent in the Medi- 
terranean, and has been examined by Dr. John Davy,* 
* Philos. Trans. 1832, vol. ii. p. 276. And, Researches, Physio- 
logical and Anatomical. London, 1839. 84 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
Matteucci,* Kolliker,f and Max Schultze;J the 
Gymnotus is to be found in Surinam, in the ponds of 
Bera and Rastro, and has become known chiefly by 
the graphic descriptions of Baron Humboldt,§ and 
the able researches of Professor Faraday; || while 
the structure and properties of the Malapterurus, 
which is found in the Nile, have been investigated by 
Bilharz5[ and Max Schultze.** 
Fig. 15. 
If an electric fish be touched at any part of its 
body, especially at the fins, it gives a violent shock, 
analogous to that yielded by a Leyden jar. In order 
to experience the shock, we may touch the fish 
either with the hand or with a good conductor of 
* Essai sur les des animaux. Paris, 1840. 
f VerhandIungen der Wiirzburger physikalisch-medicinischen Gesell- 
schaft, vol. viii. p. 8. 
| Zur Kenntniss des elektrischen Organs der Fische. Leipzig, 1859. 
§ Tableau physique des regions equatoriales. Paris, 1807. 
|| Experimental Researches in Electricity. Philos. Trans. 1844, 
vol. ii. p. 6. 
Ueber das elektrische Organ des Zitterwelses. Leipzig, 1857. 
** L. c. p. 45. ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
85 
CHAP. I.j 
electricity, such as a metal rod. The discharges are 
also diffused to a considerable distance in the liquid 
in which the fish is contained ; but if we touch the 
fish by glass or resin, no shock is perceived. 
The electricity produced by these animals possesses 
all the properties of electricity, such as we develope 
it by artificial means :-It exercises attractive and 
repulsive powers ; the sparks drawn from the fish are 
sufficient to melt the leaflets of the electroscope ; 
steel needles and soft iron may be magnetised; 
water, nitrate of silver, iodide of potassium, may be 
decomposed by it; and the needle of a galvanometer, 
when brought into the circuit, suffers a considerable 
deflection, by which we are enabled to determine the 
direction of the current. The quantity of elec- 
tricity liberated in these fishes is in direct propor- 
tion to the energy of circulation and respiration in 
the animals. After they have given numerous and 
powerful shocks, they require rest and nourishment, 
in order to enable them to store up again a new 
amount of galvanic force. 
The discharges are voluntary and entirely under 
the control of the fish, just as the squirting of sepia 
from the cuttle-fish; and they are given in any 
direction the fish may desire. If metals be placed 
in the vessel containing the fish, the latter becomes 
extremely excited, and attempts to bite them. 
It seems singular that the fish should not be in- 
jured by its own shocks. According to Du Bois- 
Reymond's observations, the Malapterurus even 86 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
possesses a certain immunity again st electricity foreign 
to itself; nevertheless, the fish seems to resent strong 
shocks which are applied to it, and, in order to avoid 
them as much as possible, it places itself at the 
greatest distance attainable from the electrodes, at a 
point where the density of the current is least con- 
siderable, giving at the same time shocks of its own 
in self-defence. 
Torpedo.-The electric ray, which is generally of 
inconsiderable size, possesses a peculiar organ, by 
which the electricity is produced. 
This consists of small membranous 
prisms, packed one against the 
other, like the cells of a honeycomb. 
These prisms are divided by hori- 
zontal diaphragms into small cells, 
which are filled with an albuminous fluid. It 
is impossible not to be struck by the close resem- 
blance between this arrangement of the electric 
organ, and that of the voltaic pile; indeed, the 
electric organ of the Torpedo constitutes a veritable 
pile, forming a series of solid diaphragms, positive 
on one of their surfaces and negative on the other; 
a conducting electrolytic liquid being interposed 
between the diaphragms. 
Max Schultze discovered that the reaction of the 
electric organ of the living Torpedo is acid. It is, 
however, not yet known whether it is always acid, 
or only so after the fish has become exhausted by 
violent discharges of electricity. 
Fig. 16. CHAP. 1.1 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
87 
The cells of the electric organ are traversed by 
numerous nervous filaments, arising from four large 
nerve-trunks, which take their origin -from the fourth 
lobe of the brain, in which the electric power resides. 
When this lobe is irritated, powerful discharges fol- 
low, even if the animal be to all appearance dead; 
that is to say, if by cutting, pinching, or squeezing 
it, no more shocks or movements can be produced. 
When the lobe has been destroyed, the electric dis- 
charges cease soon afterwards; they cease likewise 
when the connection between the brain and the 
organ has been interrupted by division or ligature 
of the nerves, although upon irritating the deli- 
cate nervous filaments animating the organ, electric 
effects may still be obtained some time after that con- 
nection has been destroyed. The terminal branches 
of the nerves are very pale and slender; they anas- 
tomose in all directions, and form a delicate net- 
work, which is destroyed by almost all chemicals 
which are employed in microscopical observations. 
The richness and density of this network has an 
important bearing upon the explanation of the func- 
tion of the electric organ. The electric action dis- 
appears forthwith when the albumen contained in 
the cells of the organ is artificially coagulated by 
boiling or by the application of acids, but as long as 
the albumen remains fluid, shocks will be perceived, 
even if the organ be lacerated. 
When the Torpedo is fresh, shocks are felt wherever 
the animal is touched; but when it has become 88 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. I. 
weary, and prepared frog's limbs are then placed 
upon different points of its body, it is easy to per- 
ceive that only those limbs suffer commotions which 
are in contact with the part of the skin corres- 
ponding to the electric organ. The direction of 
the current is from the back to the belly of the 
animal; the upper surfaces of the prisms being all 
charged with positive electricity, the lower ones with 
negative electricity. 
The shocks are given by the fish, either voluntarily, 
in order to kill animals necessary for its nourishment, 
or they are due to reflex action. Thus, if the fish be 
touched at any point of the skin, the stimulus is 
instantly transferred from the sentient nerves of the 
skin to the brain, and from the fourth lobe of the 
brain back to the electric organ, by way of the four 
nerve-trunks connecting the electric lobe with the 
electric organ; just as in other animals muscular 
contractions are produced either by the will of the 
animal, or by reflex action, on the sentient nerves 
being irritated. 
M. Robin has discovered that, when the fish is 
placed fully under the influence of ether, or is 
poisoned by woorara or strychnia, the shocks cease 
completely. When the electric organ is at rest, it 
does not seem to possess any electro-motive properties, 
nor does it seem to acquire them when traversed by 
a continuous galvanic current.* 
* Eckhard, Beitrage, etc., vol. ii. p. 157. CHAP. I.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
89 
Gymnotus.-The shocks given by the Gymnotus, 
or Surinam eel, which is from five to six feet long, 
are more powerful than the discharges of the Torpedo. 
Humboldt relates that this fish may kill at a blow 
horses and mules, and that some time ago it became 
necessary to change the road from Uritucu through 
the Steppe, because the electric eels had accumulated 
in a rivulet in such large quantities, that year after 
year a great number of horses were benumbed by 
the shocks and drowned in the passage. If the dis- 
charge takes place through a chain of persons, all of 
them feel a violent concussion. 
The Gymnotus possesses an electric organ like the 
Torpedo, composed of a great number of prisms 
similar to voltaic piles. But while in the Torpedo 
the direction of the current is from the back to the 
belly, it is in the Surinam eel from the head to the 
tail; positive electricity being accumulated on the 
anterior part, and negative electricity on the posterior 
part of the body. If the animal be touched at the 
head and the middle of the body, or at the tail and 
the middle of the body, the shock has only half the 
intensity of that experienced when both head and 
tail are touched. 
In the Torpedo there are 940 series of diaphragms, 
each separate series containing 2,000 diaphragms ; in 
the Gymnotus there are only 96 series of diaphragms, 
each containing 4,000 diaphragms. We have, there- 
fore, 1,880,000 diaphragms in the Torpedo, and only 
384,000 in the Gymnotus. Nevertheless, the shocks 90 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
rCHAP. I. 
given by the latter are much more powerful than the 
discharges of the former ; which is due to the larger 
surface presented by the diaphragms of the electric 
organ of the latter. Its electric power resides like- 
wise in the brain. 
Malapterurus.-The electric organ of the Malap- 
terurus forms a tube surrounding the fish in its entire 
length, from head to tail. It is intimately united 
with the skin of the animal, and divided into two 
symmetrical lateral halves, by a dorsal and ventral 
longitudinal septum. Numerous tendinous lamellae 
traverse the organ, and form a sort of net-work, in 
the bi-pyramidal alveoli of which the electrical 
plates are found, which consist of membranous ex- 
pansions of the electrical nerves. The net-work 
just described forms a support for these plates, the 
intermediate spaces between the tendinous and ner- 
vous membranes being filled with a viscid substance, 
which is probably albuminous. Bilharz has discovered 
that the electric organ of the shad is animated by 
a single primitive ,nerve-fibre emanating from each 
side of the spinal cord, at a point intermediate 
between the second and third spinal-nerve roots, and 
originating in a single nerve-cell of comparatively 
colossal size, it being visible to the naked eye as a 
small yellow point in the interior of the cord. The 
electric nerve, however, does not, as Schultze found, 
end in the corresponding half of the electric organ, 
but passes through an opening in the same, and 
turns backwards, spreading in the opposite surface. CHAP. I.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
91 
The electric current of the Malapterurus moves, in 
the organ and the water surrounding it, in a direc- 
tion from the head to the tail, and in the wire of the 
galvanometer, from the tail to the head. 
The difference in the arrangement of the electric 
organs in the Torpedo on the one hand, and the 
Gymnotus and Malapterurus on the other hand, is, to 
some extent, explained by the fact of their living in 
media of different conductivity. The Torpedo lives 
in salt water, which is a comparatively good conduc- 
tor, and has, therefore, a short and thick electric 
organ, while the Gymnotus and Malapterurus, which 
live in fresh water-that is, in a comparatively badly- 
conducting medium-have long, but thin organs. 
Nervous and Muscular Electricity.-The electric 
currents circulating in other animals are not so 
easily perceived as those produced by the electric 
fishes; but we have reason to believe that there 
exists a vast multitude of well-determined electric 
currents, both in the nerves and in the muscles of all 
living animals, which have for the most part only 
local circuits; that the presence of these currents is 
not due to any physical or chemical action, but is 
subordinate to the life of the animal, and that the 
currents disappear soon after life has become extinct. 
It is very difficult to make conclusive experiments 
of this kind, because the currents which we may 
collect are merely derived currents, the intensity of 
which is infinitely more feeble than that of the 
principal nervous or muscular current: in fact, the 92 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
electro-motive elements in the nerves, as well as in 
the muscles, must be considered as in the condition 
of a closed circuit, and every current collected from a 
nerve, as derived from a current circulating in the 
nerve itself. Besides, it is absolutely necessary to 
avoid any liberation of electricity arising from other 
sources than from the animal body itself; indeed, 
without this precaution all experiments may be con- 
sidered worthless. Thus, for instance, if we wish to 
examine the nerves or muscles with regard to their 
electric properties, it will not do to connect two con- 
ducting wires with the extremities of a galvanometer, 
and then to touch with them the tissue that is to be 
examined. By experimenting in this way, we should 
always find indications of electricity, for no two 
pieces of metal can ever be completely identical; and 
they would therefore, if placed in contact with the 
same liquid, give rise to an electric current, the 
intensity of which would be sufficient to deflect the 
needle of a sensitive galvanometer. But even if 
the metals were identical, it would suffice to touch the 
tissues a fraction of a second sooner with one than 
with the other, for producing an electric current 
which could be made perceptible by the deflection 
of the needle. 
Galvani's Discovery.-Galvani was the first who 
proved by experiments the existence of electric 
currents in a frog, which he had prepared in a pecu- 
liar manner. He killed the animal, then rapidly 
skinned it, and passed the point of a pair of scissors CHAP. I.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
93 
beneath the two lumbar nerves, which appear like 
white threads on each side of the vertebral column. 
The second and third lower vertebrae were then 
removed, so that the lumbar nerves were laid bare, 
and now formed the only link between the hinder 
extremities of the frog and its upper vertebrae. He 
then connected the nerves and muscles of the frog 
by means of an arc composed of two metals, and 
Fig. 17. 
immediately perceived powerful contractions of the 
muscles. Volta objected to this experiment, that 
the electric current thus liberated was due to the 
contact of the two heterogeneous metals. Galvani 
therefore connected the nerves and muscles by means 
of an arc of homogeneous metal, and even thus pro- 
duced contractions. But Volta contended that any 
difference, however slight, in the homogeneity of 
conducting bodies in contact was sufficient to pro- 94 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
duce an electric current made perceptible by the 
contractions of the frog. Galvani then divided the 
nerves of the frog at their exit from the vertebral 
canal, raised them with a glass rod, so as to bring 
them in contact with the external surface of a frog's 
thigh, on a single point of the muscle, and the 
muscles contracted as before. Volta now endea- 
voured to prove that the electric current thus pro- 
duced had its source in the contact of nerve and 
muscle; but Galvani succeeded at last in bringing 
about contractions by merely connecting the nerves 
of two thighs, so that there was no contact between 
heterogeneous bodies. This contraction was denied 
by Volta, but maintained by Baron Humboldt,* 
whose researches ' On the Irritated Muscular and 
Nervous Fibre ' were published in 1797. 
Galvani's theory of animal electricity may be 
shortly summed up as follows : -Animals possess a 
special and independent electricity of their own, 
which deserves the name of animal electricity. The 
organs in which this animal electricity resides are 
the nerves, and it is secreted chiefly by the brain. 
The electricity is conducted along the internal sub- 
stance of the nerves, probably the thinnest lymph ; 
thus, it may freely and rapidly circulate in the 
nerves, while the fatty envelope of the latter prevents 
its dispersion, and allows it to accumulate. The 
chief receptacles of the electricity are the muscles; 
* Versuche uber die gereizte Muskel- und Nervenfaser. Posen und 
Berlin, 1797. CHAP. I.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
95 
they represent, as it were, a Leyden jar, their ex- 
ternal surfaces being negative, while the inner ones 
are positive. The conductor of the jar is the nerve, 
which, together with the blood-vessels, supplies the 
muscle with electricity. The mechanism of motion 
consists of drawing the electricity from the interior 
of the muscle, and conducting it along the nerves to 
the external surface of the muscle, where it passes 
out. Each contraction is, therefore, as it were, 
accompanied by a discharge of the muscular Leyden 
jar, and this again causes a fresh contraction, through 
the stimulation of the irritable muscular fibre by the 
electricity flowing over the external surface of the 
muscle.* 
Volta's views, however, were generally accepted by 
natural philosophers, and it was not until thirty 
years later that Galvani's and Humboldt's experi- 
ments were again taken up by M. Nobili,f of Reggio, 
who employed for his researches a sensitive galvano- 
meter multiplier, and succeeded in showing unde- 
niably the existence of an electric current in the 
frog, which he believed to be proper to the frog. He 
prepared a frog's limb as usual, and immersed both 
ends in two separate vessels filled with water or salt 
water; and found that if one of the ends of the 
galvanometer was placed into each vessel, the needle 
showed by its deflection the existence of a current 
* Pfaff, uber thierische Elektricitat und Reizbarkeit (Leipzig, 1795), 
p. 329. 
t Annales de Chimie et de Physique, 1828, vol. xxxviii. p. 225. 96 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
moving from the foot to the head, or from the muscle 
to the nerve. This current deflected the needle to 
an angle of 30°; and its action on the multiplier was 
not unfrequently seen to last for several hours. 
Nobili found that if he touched the nerve and the 
muscle of one frog with the nerve and the muscle of 
another frog, there was no effect on the magnetised 
needle, one current being opposed to the other; but 
if he placed the nerve of one frog in contact with 
Fig. 18. 
the muscle of another frog, a powerful contraction 
took place. 
These researches were further pursued by Mat- 
teucci,* who discovered that animal electricity is 
capable of decomposing iodide of potassium, of giving 
signs of tension with a delicate condenser, and of 
deflecting the needle of the galvanometer ; but it was 
a German philosopher, Du Bois-Reymond, f who 
devised the most ingenious and unobjectionable 
* Comptes rendus, 1837, vol. v. p. 520. And, Essai sur les Phe- 
nomenes electriques des animaux (Paris, 1840); and Cours d'Electro- 
physiologie (Paris, 1858). 
f Untersuchungen iiber thierische Elektrieitat. Berlin, 1848 and 
1853. CHAP. l.J 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
97 
method of investigating this matter; by means of 
which he was enabled notably to enlarge our know- 
ledge on the interesting phenomena of animal elec- 
tricity. His views are now universally received by 
the Profession. 
For demonstrating the electric properties of nerves 
and muscles, Du Bois-Reymond selected a galvano- 
meter multiplier brought to the highest degree of 
sensitiveness, and the physiological galvanoscope, or 
galvanoscopic frog. 
The multiplier (g, fig. 19, p. 99) is made very sensi- 
tive, partly by employing astatic needles of the utmost 
possible perfection, and partly by a large number of 
convolutions of the wire. A multiplier possessing less 
than 11,000 turns of a fine copper wire is not applic- 
able for investigating the current proper of the nerves: 
for demonstrating the muscular current in the living 
man, a multiplier of 24,000 convolutions is necessary. 
This multiplier indicates not only the presence and 
direction of very feeble electric currents, but also cer- 
tain changes in their intensity. There is, however, 
this inconvenience, that the magnetised needle is too 
slow to indicate a current of instantaneous duration, 
and that it is not able to follow all the variations in 
the intensity of the current, which sometimes succeed 
each other very rapidly-indeed, it will only tell the 
resultant of such variations. Therefore it is necessary 
to have another more delicate indicator of the current; 
this is the galvanoscopic frog, or the rheoscopic limb, 
which is prepared in the following way:-A frog is 98 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. I. 
killed, then rapidly skinned, and its thigh-bone cut 
off just above the insertion of the gastrocnemian 
muscle ; after this has been done, all the muscles by 
which communication is kept up between the upper 
and lower piece of the thigh are removed, and the 
sciatic nerve is prepared as high up as possible 
towards its origin, and afterwards divided at its 
upper end, so as to remain in connection with the 
leg. The galvanoscopic frog thus prepared indicates 
the presence of currents of instantaneous duration, 
without the intervention of metals, even when the 
currents move in contrary directions, and succeed 
each other very rapidly. It has, however, the dis- 
advantage that it soon loses its irritability, and that 
it contracts only when the circuit is made or broken, 
but not while the circuit remains closed ; so that it 
does not help us to decide whether there is a con- 
tinuous current or a momentary discharge. It is, 
therefore, obvious, that both the multiplier and the 
galvanoscopic frog are equally necessary for investi- 
gating the phenomena of animal electricity. 
We have already seen that it is of paramount 
importance to avoid bringing into the circuit any 
heterogeneous substances, which might possibly give 
rise to a liberation of electricity. In order to avoid 
this, the following arrangement was adopted by Du 
Bois : both extremities of the wire of the multiplier 
were connected with platinum plates, which were 
made as homogeneous as possible; as the slightest 
difference between the two platinum plates would of CHAP. I.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
99 
itself cause a current if the circuit were closed, and 
the plates dipped into a vessel filled with water. To 
render the platinum plates quite similar to each other, 
they were first cleaned with a mixture of alcohol and 
ether, then washed with nitro-hydrochloric acid and 
afterwards with distilled water, and finally heated to 
incandescence for half a minute, by means of a 
Fig. 19. 
Berzelius lamp. The plates were held in a clamp 
fixed on a horizontal brass rod, which could be fixed 
and moved in every position; the free extremities of 
the plates were then immersed in two large vessels 
(vv, fig. 19) filled with a saturated solution of table 
salt. But as the salt water would exercise an injuri- 
ous action upon the tissues if in immediate contact 
with the same, two cushions (p) made of many layers 
of fine blotting paper, well moistened with salt water, 100 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
were immersed with one of their extremities into the 
liquid, and rested against the edge of the vessel-their 
free extremities being outside of the vessel, and the 
circuit being closed by connecting the two conduct- 
ing cushions by a third cushion. To avoid the cor- 
roding action of the salt water upon the animal 
tissues, a piece of bladder well moistened with the 
white of an egg was laid upon each cushion. 
Although this arrangement was a great improve- 
ment upon those which had been previously used, it 
yet appeared that the influence of polarisation was 
not completely prevented by it. Amongst all metals 
platinum may be most easily rendered homogeneous ; 
but it has the great drawback of becoming rapidly 
polarised under the influence of the galvanic current, 
and therefore yielding unsatisfactory results. Now, 
M. Regnauld has shown that amalgamated zinc im- 
mersed in a solution of sulphate of zinc, is not only 
completely homogeneous, but also unpolarisable by 
the galvanic current. Du Bois has therefore recently 
adopted the following modification of his original 
arrangement:-Two vessels of zinc are used which 
contain a solution of sulphate of zinc, and upon 
which the edges of the cushions are laid. These 
latter are soaked in a solution of sulphate of zinc, 
and kept in their places by plates of ebonite con- 
nected with the zinc. The inside and edges of the 
zinc vessels are carefully amalgamated, while their 
outside is thickly coated with a varnish formed of 
asphaltum dissolved in turpentine ; and the clamp CHAP. I.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
101 
which connects one end of the multiplier with the 
deriving vessel is varnished with shellac dissolved in 
alcohol. 
The whole is enclosed in the 'moist chamber,' which 
consists of a mahogany floor resting on four blocks 
of wood, which are raised up on well-varnished 
pieces of plate-glass. The roof and sides of the 
chamber are made of glass. The interior wall of the 
chamber consists of two pieces of glass touching one 
another in the middle, and sliding in grooves, so 
as to allow the hand to be introduced in order to 
arrange the apparatus for experiments. With the 
exception of the anterior wall, the sides and the roof 
of the chamber are covered inside with thick layers 
of moist blotting paper, so as to fill the chamber with 
vapour. Two porous cells filled with water are placed 
on the bottom plate, in order to maintain the moisture 
of the chamber and to receive any water which may 
flow off from the cushions. A closing cushion is laid 
over the two deriving cushions. The animal tissues 
which are examined are protected from the corrosive 
action of the zinc solution by interposing between 
the cushions thin layers of sculptor's clay, which is 
moistened with a solution of chloride of sodium, in 
order to increase its conducting power. This is like- 
wise unpolarisable. 
The following is the way in which the experiment 
is conducted:-The two deriving cushions are placed 
in close contact with one another, and the closing 
cushion is laid over them; the multiplier is then tested, 102 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. I. 
and if the apparatus is in order no deflection of the 
needle ought to occur. If there be any deflection, 
there must be some fault either in the zinc vessels, 
or in the conducting liquid, or in the cushions, which 
must be rectified previous to the experiment being 
commenced. If there be no deflection, the closing 
cushion is removed, and the part to be examined 
placed on the clay-guards; the circuit of the mul- 
tiplier is then opened, and if there be any current of 
animal electricity in the part, the needle suffers a 
deflection indicating the presence, direction, and kind 
of electricity inherent to the part examined. 
Dr. Radcliffe * has lately recommended the use of 
electrodes consisting of platinum wires flattened at 
the end, and thickly coated with moist sculptor's clay; 
but this would appear to be a step backwards in 
experimental precision, as it has been indisputably 
proved that platinum is a most polarisable metal, 
and should therefore be eschewed in all delicate 
electro-physiological observation s. 
Nervous Current.-If the multiplier has been ar- 
ranged in Du Bois-Reymond's fashion, and we now take 
a fresh piece of the sciatic nerve 
(p, c) of a frog, and bring various 
parts of it in connection with the 
two cushions, we notice the fol- 
lowing phenomena: if any two 
symmetrical parts of the longitu- 
dinal or of the transverse section of the nerve are 
* The Lancet, April 24, 1869, p. 574. 
Fig. 20. CHAP, i.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
103 
placed upon the cushions, there is no deflection of the 
needle; if two dissymmetrical points of the longitu- 
dinal section are taken, we obtain a feeble deflection 
of the needle, varying from 6° to 7°; and if the nerve 
be in contact with the cushions on one side by its lon- 
gitudinal section, and on the other by its transverse 
section, the needle suffers a deflection varying from 
15° to 30°. The current thus indicated moves from 
the longitudinal section of the nerve through the gal- 
vanometer wire to the transverse section of the nerve ; 
and the points which are nearest to the middle of the 
nervous fragment are positive in respect to those which 
are nearer to the extremities. The results are the same 
if we employ the galvanoscopic frog; and whether we 
employ nerves of sensation of of motion, or mixed 
nerves, oi' pieces taken from the spinal cord; as to 
the brain, every artificial section of it is negative to 
every point of its natural surface. 
Electrotonus.-Remarkable changes are produced 
in the intensity of the nervous current if a part of 
the living and excitable nerve of a frog be subjected 
to the action of a continuous galvanic current, another 
part of the same nerve being placed upon the cushions. 
The intensity of the nervous current is increased if 
the galvanic current, which is made to act upon the 
nerve, moves in the same direction with the nervous 
current (positive phase of the nerve) ; on the other 
hand, it is diminished if the direction of the galvanic 
current be opposed to that of the nervous current 
(negative phase of the nerve). The alteration thus 104 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
produced in the nervous current has been termed by 
Du Bois-Reymond the electrotonic state. This state 
commences as soon as the circuit of the battery is 
closed ; it then remains unchanged all the time that 
the galvanic current continues to circulate in the 
nerve, and disappears immediately when the circuit 
is opened. The electrotonic state is not due merely 
to the transmission of the galvanic current through 
the nerve, but to a real alteration in the electrical 
properties of the nerve ; for the electrotonic state is 
not induced if a wet thread be interposed between 
the two parts of the nerve, and tightly drawn together, 
since now both parts are no longer connected by 
nervous matter, but only by the neurilemma and the 
wet thread, which offiS1 little resistance to the trans- 
mission of the galvanic current. Besides, the electro- 
tonic state is not induced if the nerve has lost its 
excitability. From these facts Du Bois-Reymond 
has concluded that the nerves consist of an innumer- 
able multitude of electrical molecules, which are 
differently arranged according to the different states 
of the nerves. Indeed, the electric currents in the 
nerves show, in some instances, such sudden varia- 
tions both of intensity and of direction, as to make 
it impossible to account for them by any change of 
larger heterogeneous elements, or in any other way 
than by assuming corresponding changes of position 
in almost infinitely small centres of action. When 
the living nerve is at rest, Du Bois supposes these 
molecules to be turned towards each other with CHAP. I.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
105 
equal extremities, so that two molecules form, as it 
were, only one molecule, possessed of one positive 
zone, and two negative poles. This he calls the 
peripolar arrangement. In the electro-tonic state, 
however, the molecules are thus arranged that un- 
equal poles are turned towards each other; this he 
terms the dipolar arrangement. 
Negative Variation of the Current.-There are other 
important changes induced in the nervous current, 
as soon as the nerve enters that active state which 
enables it to cause motion, sensation, and secretion, 
whatever may be the means by which the nerve is 
excited. For demonstrating this, we may tetanise 
the nerve by strychnia, or excite it by burning, or by 
bruising its free extremity, which is placed between 
the cushions. When this has been done, the needle, 
which had been deflected by the nervous current 
during the peripolar arrangement, returns imme- 
diately more or less towards its previous position of 
equilibrium: that is to say, the nervous current 
suffers a great and sudden diminution, which is 
called by Du Bois the negative variation of the 
current. This lasts only as long as the nerve is kept 
in an excited state; if it be no longer excited, the 
previous effects of the nervous current again become 
perceptible. The negative variation of the current, 
however, is not permanent, even when the contraction 
seems to be so, as in the state of tetanus ; but, like 
the contraction, it is always composed of a very rapid 
succession of single and sudden variations. 106 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. j. 
When the nerve is no longer able to cause motion, 
sensation, or secretion, the nervous current appears 
very feeble, or its original direction becomes inverted, 
the negative surfaces being now positive, and the 
positive surfaces negative. If we now again endea- 
vour to cause the electrical phenomena inherent to 
the living nerve, we may perhaps succeed in produc- 
ing the electrotonic state to a trifling degree, but we 
shall always fail to induce the negative variation of 
the current. Moreover, the electrotonic state ceases 
so shortly after the cessation of the excitability of 
the nerve, that we may just as well say that all the 
electrical phenomena in the nerve disappear at the 
same time with its vitality. 
Moleschott,* who has lately made a series of ex- 
periments on this subject, found that, if a nerve had 
been submitted to the influence of a powerful con- 
tinuous current and was then tetanised by strong 
induction currents moving alternately in different 
directions, there was not unfrequently a positive, 
instead of a negative variation of the current; and 
he was therefore led to believe that the active state 
of the motor nerve was not always accompanied 
by a negative, but sometimes by a positive variation 
of the current. To this Du Bois replied! that 
the positive variation which had been observed by 
Moleschott had nothing to do with the active con- 
* Untersuchungen zur Naturlehre, 1861, vol. viii. p. 1. 
t Positive Schwankung des Nervenstroms, etc., in Reicherts und 
Dubois' Archiv., 1861, p. 786. CHAP. I.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
107 
dition of the motor nerve, but was owing to the 
natural preponderance of the positive over the nega- 
tive phase of electrotonus, which is chiefly observed 
when the nerve has already to some extent lost its 
excitability, in consequence of having been for some 
time separated from the body of the animal, and of 
having been subjected to injurious influences. It 
seems that Moleschott had omitted to take this fact 
into consideration. Du Bois, however, was thereby 
induced to show, by other than electrical means, 
that the active condition of the nerve is really, and 
under all circumstances, accompanied by a negative 
variation, and he has succeeded in proving that the 
negative variation also appears when the nerve is 
excited mechanically, chemically, or by heat, and 
that it must therefore be looked upon as the 
electrical expression of the state of activity in the 
nerve. 
The nervous current may be weakened, diverted, 
or even totally destroyed by repeated and strong elec- 
trical shocks. Opium, morphia, strychnia, prussic 
acid, and most substances which have a decided 
chemical effect on the nerve, such as ether, alcohol, 
and mineral acids, rapidly destroy the nervous cur- 
rent ; the only exception to this rule being formed 
by a concentrated solution of arsenious acid, which 
has only a slow and feeble action on the same. Ex- 
tremes of cold and heat, desiccation, and imbibition 
of a large quantity of water, are also deleterious to 
the nervous current. 108 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
Muscular Current.-For investigating the electric 
properties of the muscles, Du Bois-Reymond selected 
likewise the multiplier and the 
galvanoscopic frog. But as 
the muscles produce currents 
of far greater intensity than 
the nerves, the multiplier must 
not possess so many convo- 
lutions as that intended for demonstrating the 
nervous current (4,000 to 6,000 instead of 24,000). 
The muscular current appears to be perfectly ana- 
logous to the nervous current, except that it is 
stronger. We do not perceive a deflection of the 
magnetised needle if the muscle (a, 6) is placed upon 
the cushions with two symmetrical points, whether 
of the longitudinal or of the transverse section; the 
more dissymmetrical the two points, the stronger 
will be the deflection of the needle; the current is 
strongest when a portion of the fleshy surface of 
the muscle is laid upon one of the cushions, and 
a portion of the surface formed by cutting the 
muscles across, upon the other-that is to say, be- 
tween the natural longitudinal section and the artifi- 
cial transverse section; whilst the current is very 
feeble between any two points in the same section, 
whether longitudinal or transverse. 
It should be understood that the tendinous portion 
of the muscle is its natural transverse section, and 
that the fleshy surface of the muscle is its natural 
longitudinal section. The artificial transverse section 
Fig. 21. chap, i.l 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
109 
is produced if the muscle be divided perpendicu- 
larly, and the artificial longitudinal section if the 
muscle be torn in the direction of its fibres. 
The direction of the muscular current is the same 
as that of the nervous current. In the living muscle 
each point of the longitudinal section, whether 
natural or artificial, is positive in respect to the 
points of the transverse section, whether natural or 
artificial. Each time that a conducting arch is 
established between any point of the longitudinal 
section of the living muscle, and any point of its 
transverse section, the needle indicates a current in 
this arch, moving from the longitudinal section to 
the transverse section. This law has been established 
on the muscles of the frog, and verified on the 
muscles of an amputated leg of a man, on the 
muscles of rabbits, mice, sparrows, and even of the 
common earth-worm; it has been verified not only 
with an entire muscle, but with a single primitive 
fasciculus; indeed, we may obtain a deflection of 
8° to 10° by means of a single elementary bundle, if 
we connect the transverse and the longitudinal sec- 
tion of a muscle. 
The variations in the intensity and direction of 
the muscular current are, in certain instances, so 
sudden and so extensive, that we are compelled to 
assume corresponding changes of position in the 
molecules of the muscle, which are analogous to 
those supposed to be in the molecules of the nerve. 
Muscular Currents in the Living Man.-It is much 110 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
more difficult to demonstrate the muscular current in 
man than in the muscles of a frog. We know, how- 
ever, that the current in the arm of man travels 
from the shoulder to the hand, whilst in the frog it 
travels in a contrary direction. It is especially the 
resistance offered by the skin of the human body 
which diminishes the action on the magnetised 
needle. The deflections of the needle become much 
more extensive as soon as the cuticle is removed, or 
the portion of the body subjected to the experiment 
is placed in communication with the salt water which 
closes the circuit. For proving the existence of the 
muscular current in man, a multiplier of 27,000 to 
30,000 convolutions is required. Care must be taken 
to exclude any electric currents arising from other 
sources, such as from the unequal transpiration of 
the skin on two points placed in connection with 
the multiplier, from inequality of temperature, from 
the want of simultaneity in establishing the contact 
of the two points placed in the circuit, etc. The 
intensity of the current produced by the voluntary 
contraction of the muscles of man may be considerably 
increased if the cuticle be removed by a blister applied 
to the arm, and the denuded corium is in commu- 
nication with the multiplier. By experimenting in 
this way, Du Bois-Reymond obtained a current of 
60° to 70°, whilst, if the skin in its usual state com- 
municated with the multiplier, the deflection of the 
needle was only from 2° to 3°. 
Parelectronomic Layer.-An analogous phenomenon chap, i.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
111 
is observed in the frog. If the animal has been 
skinned, it is very easy to demonstrate its muscular 
current; but if the skin be left intact upon the mus- 
cles, we obtain irregular results, which are partly 
due to the circumstance that the skin possesses 
an electromotive force of its own. If we wish to 
show the muscular current in all its intensity, the 
surface of the muscle should be moistened with salt 
water. As long as the tendon of a fresh muscle is 
touched merely by blood or lymph, the current going 
from the longitudinal section to the transverse section 
is very feeble. Its intensity is immediately increased 
if the tendon be immersed in some other liquid ; it is 
likewise increased if the tendon be totally taken away 
or destroyed by the contact of a piece of porcelain 
highly heated. Hence it results, that the fresh muscle, 
as long as it is touched only with blood and lymph, 
possesses a superficial layer, which more or less pre- 
vents the manifestation of the contrast between the lon- 
gitudinal and transverse section. Du Bois-Keymond 
has, therefore, termed it the parelectronomic layer. 
The parelectronomic layer exists in different pro- 
portions in different animals. It is most complete 
in frogs which have been for some time subjected to 
the temperature of melting ice; in the muscles of 
these animals there is either no current at all, or an 
inverse current, due to the preponderance of the 
parelectronomic layer. But even under these cir- 
cumstances, the current may be instantly revived if 
the tendon be touched by water, albumen, alcohol, 112 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
acids, alkalies, or salt water. The muscles of mam- 
malia, birds, and fishes, present the same property, 
although in a less degree. 
Secondary Contraction.-The phenomenon compre- 
hended under the name of induced or secondary con- 
traction, was first observed by Matteucci. He pre- 
pared a frog in the manner originally devised by 
Galvani, and placed upon the thighs of the frog the 
nervous filament of another rheoscopic limb, uniting 
both, as it were, by a bridge. He then caused a 
continuous current to pass into the lumbar nerves of 
the first frog, and caused a powerful contraction, not 
only in the muscles of these thighs, but at the same 
time in the galvanoscopic frog, the nerve alone of 
which was in contact with the thighs of the first frog 
to which alone the current was applied. Du Bois- 
Reymond has succeeded in inducing a contraction of 
the third, fourth, fifth, and even of the sixth ofder, 
in rheoscopic limbs, which communicated with each 
other merely by the nerves. These induced or 
secondary contractions are due to variations of the 
density of the current in the rheoscopic limb. No, 
or little effect, however, is obtained, if the nerves be 
made to communicate with two points symmetrically 
situated in the muscle; if it be intended to produce 
secondary contractions, it is necessary that the two 
points of the nerve of that limb which is to suffer a 
commotion, should be laid upon those points of the 
muscle in contraction which are as dissymmetrical as 
possible. CHAP. I.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
113 
It appears, indeed, that Matteucci's contraction 
obeys the general law of the muscular current, being 
strongest when the most effective arrangement for 
the latter is used ; and feeble when a weak arrange- 
ment is employed. It is therefore most striking 
when the nerve of the rheoscopic limb is made to 
touch the natural longitudinal and the artificial 
transverse section of the muscle; and it is feeble 
when the nerve is made to touch other sections. 
The diminution of the intensity of the muscular 
current after death is proportional to the degree of 
excitability possessed by the muscles. It is therefore 
more rapidly diminished in warm-blooded animals 
than in reptiles and fishes. As soon as rigor mortis 
sets in, which Briicke has shown to be due to the 
coagulation of the liquid fibrine contained in the 
muscles outside of the blood-vessels, both the excita- 
bility of the muscles and their electro-motive force 
disappear in equal proportion, never to appear again, 
not even when the rigidity has ceased in consequence 
of the decomposition of the fibrine. 
The phenomenon of the muscular current is there- 
fore inherent to the living and excitable animal 
tissue. 
In warm-blooded animals, such as the dog and the 
rabbit, it sometimes disappears within half an hour 
after death, while in a frog's limb, which is carefully 
protected from injurious influences, and kept at a 
low temperature, it will sometimes continue for a 
fortnight or even a month. It also varies with the 114 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
seasons. Cold weather is generally more favourable 
to the persistence of the currents of animal electricity, 
while hot weather often causes them to disappear 
rapidly. In frogs the irritability lasts longer in 
spring, previous to spawning-time. 
The local application of poisons to the nerves and 
muscles appears to be more effective in altering the 
muscular current than their introduction into the 
system. Prussic acid, extract of opium, the acetates 
of morphia and of strychnia, and veratria, when 
brought into direct contact with the muscular sub- 
stance, render it rapidly rigid, and acid, and deprive 
it of its natural electricity. Substances which have 
a considerable chemical action on vitalised tissues, 
such as mineral acids, alcohol, ether, nitrate of silver, 
and creasote, utterly destroy the texture, and simul- 
taneously with it the physiological properties of the 
muscular fibre. 
Matteucci affirms that poisoning by woorara di- 
minishes the intensity of the muscular current; but 
this is denied by Claude Bernard, von Bezold and 
Kolliker*. 
Dr. Radcliffe t sees reason to believe that the 
primary electrical condition of living muscle and 
nerve during the state of inaction is that of static 
electricity, and that the muscular current and the 
* Comptes rendus, vol. xlviii. p. 1145.-Lemons sur la Physiologie 
etc,---Reichert's Archit., 1860, p. 168. 
t Lectures on Epilepsy, Pain, Paralysis, and certain other disorders 
of the Nervous System. London, 1864. CHAP. I.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
115 
nerve current, which may pass from the muscle or 
nerve during the state of inaction, are only secondary 
phenomena. He believes, with Matteucci, that the 
state of action in a muscle and in a motor nerve is 
accompanied by a discharge of electricity analogous 
to that of the torpedo; and that when a muscle is 
made to contract by means of its nerve, the elec- 
trical discharge which accompanies nervous action 
has reversed the electrical relations of the exterior 
and interior of the muscular fibres in the part acted 
upon; that this reversal has led to the discharge of 
the electricity, which is present in the muscular 
fibres during the time of rest, and which keeps these 
fibres in a state of relaxation as long as it is present; 
and that this discharge of electricity brings about 
muscular contraction by leaving the muscle free to 
yield to the action of the attractive force which is 
inherent in the physical constitution of the muscular 
molecules. Dr. Radcliffe has supported his views by 
an ingenious argumentation ; but he has failed to 
shake the force of Du Bois-Reymond's observations 
and theories, which may be considered as thoroughly 
established in physiology. 
It is not only the nerves and muscles, the brain 
and the spinal cord of the living animal, which are 
possessed of electro-motive force, but all tissues in 
which active nutrition is going on give rise to elec- 
tric currents. Pieces of lung, liver, and kidney, 
cause weak currents, which partially obey the laws 116 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
of the muscular current, and which continue long 
after death. Currents of animal electricity have also 
been discovered in the intestines of the frog, the iris 
of birds of prey, the ovary of the rabbit, the oviduct 
of the frog, the ureter, urinary bladder, and aorta of 
the rabbit, and the spleen, testicles, tendons, and 
bones of the frog. These currents have one point in 
common with the muscular current, viz. that the 
external and internal surfaces of these tissues are 
inversely electrified. In no other tissue, however, is 
the electro-motive force so strong, nor are there such 
great and sudden variations in the intensity and 
direction of the current, as in the nerves and the 
muscles. 
Cutaneous Currents in Frogs.-Du Bois has found 
that when the two extremities of the galvanometer 
are made to touch the external surface of the skin of a 
frog by means of paper cushions moistened with salt 
water, a strong current is shown to travel from the 
point which was last touched to that which was first 
touched. The needle, however, gives no indication 
of a current, if the contact is as far as possible simul- 
taneous. The current obtained by the first proceed- 
ing disappears rapidly, as the salt solution destroys 
the electro-motive force of the skin. On examining 
the internal surface of the skin, a regular but feeble 
current is observed to travel from the point first 
touched to the one last touched; and, if the extre- 
mities of the multiplier are applied at the same time 
to the external and internal surfaces, a current is CHAP. I.] 
AN LAI AL ELECT] tICIT Y. 
117 
noticed to travel from the external to the internal 
surface. This latter current also disappears rapidly, 
from which Du Bois has concluded that the skin of 
the frog possesses an electro-motive force acting from 
the external to the internal surface, and which is 
readily destroyed by the application of salt. Solu- 
tions of chloride of ammonium, iodide of potassium, 
sulphate of zinc, sulphate of copper, diluted sul- 
phuric acid, liquor potassse and liquor ammonite, also 
destroy this electro-motive force in a short time. 
Du Bois has found that these cutaneous currents 
are peculiar to the naked amphibia, and do not occur 
in fishes; he therefore thinks that they are connected 
with the secretion from the glands of the skin, which 
is very abundant in frogs and toads. They are vital 
phenomena, for the skin taken from a frog in a state 
of putrefaction does not show any electric currents 
at all. 
Budge * has more recently investigated these con- 
ditions, and has come to the conclusion that the 
longitudinal section of the frog's skin is negative to 
its transverse section. He found that when a piece 
of frog's skin is rolled up into a thin cylinder, and a 
transverse section is made, the needle is deflected to 
an angle of from 50° to 80°, if the extremities of the 
multiplier are brought into contact with the longitu- 
dinal and transverse section. If the cushions are 
moistened with a solution of sulphate of zinc, the 
* Ueber den galvanischen Strom welcher sich in der Haut des Frosches 
zu efkennen gibt. Poggendorff's Annalen, vol. oxi. p. 537. 118 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. I. 
current remains very constant for some hours, but 
disappears rapidly when a solution of chloride of 
sodium is used. Budge also found that the rheoscopic 
limb may be made to contract by this current. 
Rosenthal,* who repeated these experiments, has 
shown that when the cushions are moistened with a 
solution of sulphate of zinc, a strong current is per- 
ceptible in the frog's skin, travelling from without 
inwards. This current only slowly diminishes in 
intensity, and even less so if clay-guards are inter- 
posed between the cushions for protecting the skin. 
He discovered another current flowing from the 
external surface to the transverse section, this being 
weaker than the one just mentioned; and a third, 
moving between the internal surface and the trans- 
verse section, this latter being the weakest of all. 
He thinks that these latter currents are artificial 
productions, and that the electro-motive force really 
inherent in the frog's skin is the one moving from 
without inwards. He agrees with Du Bois in as- 
suming that the layer of secreting glands is the 
source of this electricity, just as the current observed 
in the stomach of the frog and the rabbit, which also 
moves from the excretory ducts of the glands to the 
glandular substance. It might be objected to this 
view that the origin of this electricity was merely due 
to chemical action, for the mucus secreted by the 
glands of the frog's skin, and the gastric juice, are 
both acid, while the deeper layers of the skin and 
* Reichert's and Du Bois-Reymond's Archiv, 1865, p. 301. CHAP. I.J 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
119 
stomach, are alkaline; but this objection is removed 
by Du Bois having proved that these vital electrical 
currents are much stronger than those of the most 
powerful acid and alkali pair. The chemical compo- 
sition of the mucus has therefore little or nothing to 
do with the glandular electricity, which seems indeed 
to be entirely owing to the living glandular tissue 
itself. The circumstance of some other glands not 
showing any electro-motive signs is explained by 
Rosenthal as arising from their more complex struc- 
ture, not allowing the electricity which really exists, 
making any outward manifestation. Experiments 
undertaken by Rosenthal and Valentin render it 
probable that the glandular cun-ent, just as the mus- 
cular current, experiences certain definite variations 
when the nerves animating the glands are galvanised. 
Griinhagen * has lately given a different version of 
the electrical conditions of the frog's skin; but 
Rosenthal's experiments and argumentation recom- 
mend themselves more to our acceptance, as sources 
of error seem to have been more carefully excluded 
in his investigations than in those of Griinhagen. 
Cutaneous Currents in Man.-It is easy to discover 
indications of electricity on the human skin; but not 
every electricity that is observed there is true animal 
electricity. Thus, a thermo-electrical current can be 
produced by heating unequally two symmetrical parts 
of the skin, for instance, the corresponding fingers of 
* Ueber die elektrischen Strome der Froschhaut. Henle und Pfeuffer's 
Zeitschrift, vol. xxvii. p. 268. 120 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. I. 
the two hands. A finger at the temperature of 32° 
F, is strongly positive to one at 90° or 98°; while a 
finger at 60° is feebly positive to one at 80°, and 
strongly so to one at 120°. The electro-motive force 
of these thermic currents is greater than that of a 
thermic copper and iron pair, and lasts as long as 
differences of temperature continue to exist. 
If two fingers which are of the same temperature 
are simultaneously immersed into the vessels of Du 
Bois' apparatus, there does not appear to be complete 
homogeneity between them; for, after some irregular 
oscillations of the needle, a feeble but constant cur- 
rent is observed, flowing in the same direction for 
months consecutively. This current varies consider- 
ably in different persons, both in direction and inten- 
sity. It is sometimes found that in the same person 
the direction is suddenly reversed, and the current 
will then flow for some months in an opposite direc- 
tion to that which was first observed. This electric 
current is called the individual current of the finger. 
Again, if two equally warm fingers are immersed 
into the testing-vessels, not simultaneously, but the 
one some time after the other, it appears that the 
finger immersed last is strongly positive to the other. 
The same may be observed if, instead of the fingers, 
the two hands, feet, or elbows are immersed. After 
a time, however, this current gives place to the 
' individual current,' unless one part be more deeply 
immersed than the other, oi' its position be otherwise 
changed. This current retains its character, if ordi- CHAP. I.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
121 
nary water instead of salt water is used, but its 
direction is reversed in diluted sulphuric acid, and 
extremely irregular in a solution of caustic potash or 
of acetate of soda. 
These currents due to dissiniultaneous immersion 
are quite different from the thermic currents; the 
former are stronger than the latter, and the direction 
of the latter is not changed in diluted sulphuric acid. 
They may, however, both appear simultaneously in 
the same experiment. Dissimilar stretching of the 
skin, and dissimilar sweating, may also give rise to 
electro-motive action. 
After eliminating all these sources of electricity, 
Du Bois found that, if the electricity inherent to the 
skin is examined, it appears that the palm of the 
hand is strongly negative to its back, and the entire 
hand negative to the elbow and the chest. The 
elbow is feebly positive to the chest. The sole of 
the foot is strongly negative to the back of the foot, 
and the whole foot negative to the chest. The hand 
is generally negative to the foot, but sometimes the 
reverse is observed in the beginning of the experiment. 
All these currents are strong and constant. They are 
not thermic currents, because their direction is not 
changed if one of the testing vessels is heated first to 
60° and then to 80°, while the other is heated first to 
80° and then to 60°. Nor are they traces of the mus- 
cular current, for they appear right through the hand 
and the foot, where it is difficult to conceive that a 
strong muscular current should exist; and they do not 122 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[chap. i. 
show any negative variation, from which it appears 
that they must be simply cutaneous currents, similar 
to those which are observed in the frog's skin. 
Gastro-hepatic Current.-We have seen that the 
electrical properties of the tissues are in direct pro- 
portion to the activity with which the general meta- 
morphosis of matter is being carried on in them. 
Electricity is everywhere manifested where there is a 
disturbance going on in the equilibrium of molecules; 
and the more rapidly and extensively this equilibrium 
is disturbed, the more striking will be the manifes- 
tations of electricity. But we must take care not to 
confound the true animal electricity, which is a vital 
phenomenon, with electric currents arising merely 
from chemical action, and which may be observed as 
well in dead as in living animals, and in vessels filled 
with heterogeneous liquids as well as in the animal 
body. A current of this kind is the so-called gastro- 
hepatic current, which has been described by Matteucci. 
This philosopher has asserted that metal salts, 
-when brought into the blood, were decomposed; the 
acids being attracted and excreted by the kidneys as 
electro-positive organs, while the alkalies were drawn 
to the liver as electro-negative organ. M. Donne 
afterwards stated that, if equal extremities of the 
multiplier were brought into contact with chemically 
dissimilar organs of secretion (as, for instance, the 
skin and the mucous membrane of the mouth, or the 
liver and the stomach), considerable deflections of the 
magnetised needle were observed. Matteucci then CHAP. I.] 
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY. 
123 
expressed his belief that these currents resulted from 
the contrary electric states of the organs of secretion, 
which were the cause of the chemical dissimilarity. 
In order to prove the existence of a current moving 
from the stomach to the liver, Matteucci introduced a 
plate of platinum into the stomach of a living rabbit; 
placed another plate on the liver, and connected both 
of them with the extremities of a galvanometer. He 
then noticed that the needles instantly traversed an 
arc of 20°, showing the existence of a powerful cur- 
rent between the liver and the stomach. He now 
endeavoured to decide the question whether this 
current ought to be considered as the effect or the 
cause of the chemical differences alluded to, since it 
is generally known that an electric current is deve- 
loped, if an alkaline and an acid liquid be separated 
by permeable structures; and the stomach contains 
an acid, the liver an alkaline secretion. In order to 
arrive at a satisfactory result, he divided the nerves 
and vessels passing into the abdomen above the 
diaphragm, and observed, that in an instant the 
needle of the galvanometer deviated to 3° or 4°, in- 
stead of 20°; and after he had cut off the head of the 
rabbit, hardly any deflection was obtained. But if a 
wire was inserted into the spinal cord, and muscular 
commotions were produced, the gastrohepatic current 
was temporarily re-established. 
From these experiments Matteucci concluded that 
the gastro-hepatic current was not the effect, but the 
cause, of the chemical metamorphosis of the saline 124 
FORMS OF ELECTRICITY. 
[CHAP. I. 
ingesta, the decomposition of which furnished acid 
to the stomach and alkali to the liver; that it was 
not yet known how this current was excited, but that 
the existence was definitely proved of an electric 
current between the stomach and the liver, which 
would nearly cease on division of the nerves, and 
completely vanish with the death of the animals. 
This current should be competent to the evolution of 
sufficient free acid in the stomach, to enable diges- 
tion to go on, an equivalent of soda being determined 
to the liver. 
Both the experiments and conclusions of Matteucci 
have since been proved to be erroneous by M. Donne, 
who showed by experiments made on twelve rabbits, 
that the so-called gastro-hepatic current may be ob- 
served on dead as well as on living animals; from 
the liver of one rabbit to the stomach of another, and 
vice versa,; that neither the section of nerves and ves- 
sels, nor cutting off the head, nor the excitation 
of the spinal cord, whether mechanical or electrical, 
has any influence whatever on the intensity of the 
current; that unequal organs, cut out of the body and 
held in the hands, continue to give rise to electric 
currents; and that, in fact, the so-called gastro- 
hepatic current is only an artificial electro-chemical 
phenomenon, and has nothing whatever to do with 
animal electricity. 125 
CHAPTER II. 
ELECTR O-PIIYSIOL O G Y. 
I now proceed to describe the physiological effects 
produced by the application of electricity to the dif- 
ferent tissues of the living body in their normal con- 
dition. I shall successively consider the action of 
electricity upon the brain and the spinal cord, the 
organs of special sense, the sentient nerves, the 
motor nerves and the muscles, the sympathetic nerve, 
the contractile fibre-cells, the heart, the blood, the 
skin, and the bones. A thorough knowledge of these 
effects will enable us to form more accurate notions 
of the value of electricity in its application to disease, 
than might otherwise be obtained. The literature of 
this subject is, however, now so extensive that it 
would be quite impossible to refer, within the limits 
of the present work, to all the books and papers 
which have been written upon it; and it must there- 
fore suffice to give the results chiefly of those investi- 
gations which are either of historical interest, or have 
a direct and important bearing on the therapeutical 
application of electricity* 
The physiological effects of electricity are partly 126 
ELECT110-PHYSI0L0GY. 
[chap. ii. 
dependent upon the electricity itself, and partly upon 
the property and function of the organ that is sub- 
mitted to its action. In the first instance, the form 
of electricity which is used is of great importance. 
Thus, if sparks from the common electrical machine 
are applied to the skin, they produce a sensation of 
pricking and pain; if they are large, the skin becomes 
red, and a papular eruption resembling the lichen 
urticatus is produced. If a continuous galvanic 
current is made to act upon the skin, a sensation of 
heat, redness, inflammation, and even destruction of 
the skin and the subjacent structures may be caused, 
especially if the current be powerful and the appli- 
cation prolonged. An induced electro-magnetic cur- 
rent may produce sensations varying, according to 
its intensity, from a slight pricking to an acute 
burning pain; but, although the tension of the cur- 
rent may be very high, it will not cause inflammatory 
effects like the continuous current. To give another 
instance, if sparks from the common electrical machine 
are applied to the face, they produce a faint sensation 
of light; if the continuous current be applied to the 
face, a decided flash of light is perceived by the one 
subjected to the experiment, and if the current has 
a certain intensity the sensations of light become 
positively dazzling. Again, if an induced current be 
applied to the face by means of moistened conductors, 
it produces no sensation of light, but contractions of 
the muscles of the face anjl a variety of physiog- 
nomical expressions; the retina is only affected by CHAP. IT.] 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
127 
the induced current, if it possesses a high tension, 
and even then not nearly to the same degree as by 
the continuous current. 
Besides the form, the quantity and tension of the 
electricity have an important bearing on the produc- 
tion of the physiological effects. A large quantity of 
electricity causes more striking effects than a small 
one. If an induced current of low tension is employed, 
such as is produced in a short and thick wire, feeble 
contractions of the muscles are produced, but the 
sentient nerves are not much affected; on the other 
hand, a current of high tension, as produced in a 
long and fine wire, causes not only muscular con- 
tractions, but also decided sensations; and if the 
intensity of the current be very high, pain will be 
felt which surpasses that produced by the application 
of the actual cautery; and muscular contractions 
will appear, resembling the violent commotions ob- 
served in persons poisoned by strychnia. 
The physiological effects caused by electricity are 
also different according to the mode in which electri- 
city is transmitted to the organs, and to the length of 
time during which its action is kept up. An induced 
current, applied to the skin by moistened conductors, 
produces contractions of those muscles which are 
beneath that part of the skin to which the electrodes 
are directed. If dry metallic conductors are used, 
an effect will be produced on the sentient nerves of 
the skin, but not on the contractile power of the 
muscles; provided that the tension of the current is 128 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
not very high. If the electrodes are firmly pressed 
against the skin at a point where a motor nerve is 
superficial, contractions of all the muscles take place 
which are animated by that nerve; but if the con- 
ductors are not pressed against the skin, the current 
runs along the cellular tissue which envelopes the 
nerve, and no muscular contractions will take place. 
The length of time during which the electricity is 
allowed to act on the different organs is likewise of 
much importance. If a continuous current of mode- 
rate power is made to act on the skin for a short 
time, it will enlarge the blood-vessels and stimulate 
circulation; but if it be applied for several hours suc- 
cessively, as is often done with Pulvermacher's chains, 
the blood-vessels become paralysed, and sloughs are 
produced. If an induced current is made to act for 
a short time on the motor nerves and muscles, it will 
stimulate their vital energy; but if its action is con- 
tinued for an hour or more, the motor power of those 
organs will be more or less exhausted, and temporary 
paralysis may be produced. 
The physiological effects of electricity are further 
determined by the special property of the organ to 
which it is applied. The same electric current which 
produces a flash of light when applied to the eye, 
causes a special sensation of taste when directed to 
the tongue; sounds, when applied to the ears ; mus- 
cular contractions, when directed to a motor nerve, 
and sensations of pricking and heat when applied to 
any part of the skin. Finally, the different states of chap, n.] 
THE BRAIN. 
129 
vitality of the organ, at the time when the electricity 
is applied to it, are of great importance. Thus, a 
morbid increase of sensibility in a nerve, as is ob- 
served in sciatica, tic douloureux, and other forms of 
neuralgia, may be reduced; while, on the other hand, 
a nerve, the vital energy of which is gone or mate- 
rially diminished, may by electricity be restored to 
its normal condition. 
L-ACTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT UPON THE 
BRAIN. 
The action of the induced current upon the brain 
of living animals has been investigated by Professor 
Weber.* He observed no effects if the electrodes 
were applied to the hemispheres of the brain or to 
the cerebellum-not even if they were inserted into 
the depth of the medullary substance-but by di- 
recting them to the tubercula quadrigemina, irregular 
convulsions were produced, which either appeared as 
clonic cramps, such as are observed in patients suf- 
fering from certain diseases of the brain, or resembled 
reflex movements ; that is to say, they did not occur 
irregularly in all the muscles, but in certain groups 
of muscles which are naturally combined in action. 
If the medulla oblongata was excited, tetanic convul- 
sions took place, as in persons poisoned by strychnia. 
Professor Weber thought we might infer from this 
that clonic cramps clinically observed in patients 
pointed to disease of the brain; and that there was 
* Article ' Muskelbewegung,' in Wagner's ' Handwdrterbuch der Phy- 
siologie,' vol. iii. part 2. 130 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. it. 
disease of the medulla oblongata, or of the spinal 
cord, if tonic cramps occurred; but these conclu- 
sions have not been entirely justified by clinical 
experience. Another phenomenon observed by him, 
after the application of the induced current to the 
medulla oblongata, was stoppage of the action of the 
heart. 
Matteucci has made some experiments on the ac- 
tion of the continuous current upon the brain of 
living animals.* He observed that when the poles of 
a pile of sixty pairs were applied to the hemispheres 
of the brain, the animal did not start, nor was any 
effect visible if the cerebellum was touched; but 
when the electrodes were directed to the tubercula 
quadrigemina and the crura cerebri, the animal 
cried out lustily, and at the same time all the 
muscles of the body were contracted. These phe- 
nomena lasted for several seconds, but were not 
observed on the cessation of the current. 
The only form of electricity which, if applied in 
moderate intensity, has a distinct physiological action 
on the brain of the living man, is the continuous 
galvanic current. Static electricity, electro-magne- 
tism, and magneto-electricity, only affect the brain 
if applied so powerfully as to interfere with health, 
and perhaps life; but a gentle continuous current, 
directed to the face, scalp, or neck, and which causes 
no, or scarcely any, sensation of pain, is readily 
* Traite des phenom&nes electro-physiologiques des animaux. Paris, 
1844, p. 242. CHAP. II.l 
THE BRAIN. 
131 
transmitted from those parts to the cerebral sub- 
stance. This is shown by the sensations of light, 
sound, smell, and taste, perceived on applying the 
continuous current at a distance from the organs of 
special sense, from which it appears that the nerves 
animating those organs are encountered by the gal- 
vanic influence at the base of the brain. Further- 
more, sensations may be caused which can only be 
explained by a direct action of the current on the 
cerebral substance itself, viz. dizziness, giddiness, 
sickness, fainting, vomiting, and even convulsions. 
The latter phenomena only appear if the current 
is one of considerable power; but giddiness and 
faintness are often felt even when a gentle current is 
used. 
Many physiologists and physicians have denied the 
possibility of guiding a galvanic current of moderate 
power through the brain of the living man, thinking 
that its passage to that organ was prevented by the 
resistance of the soft parts and the bones of the skull. 
Professor Erb,* of Heidelberg, however, has justly 
contended that the obstacles encountered by the gal- 
vanic current on its way to the brain are not so 
great as has been generally supposed. With regard 
to the conducting power of the bones, we have already 
seen (p. 68) that it is better than it was formerly 
believed to be. In fact, the epidermis is a worse 
conductor than the bones, because it does not contain 
so much water as they do. It only conducts at all 
* Deutsches Archiv, etc. 1867, vol. iii. p. 237. 132 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
in consequence of being perforated by numerous 
small canals, such as the excretory ducts of the 
sudoriferous glands and the sebiparous follicles, which 
are, it is true, better conductors than the tissue 
proper of the epidermis, but do not conduct electri- 
city so well as the bloodvessels which traverse the 
bones. Moreover, if applied to the skull itself, the 
current is only slightly diverted from its direction by 
better conducting soft parts; since the epidermis, 
the corium, the galea aponeurotica, the periosteum, 
and the bones form layers directly superposed upon 
one another, and will not prevent a current of mo- 
derate power from entering the cavity of the skull. 
The following experiment, made by M. Erb, shows 
that a portion of the current will follow the shortest 
way between the two electrodes :-The two forearms 
of a man are crossed over, so that they touch one 
another about three inches above the wrist, the an- 
terior surfaces having previously been well moistened. 
One electrode is then placed on the dorsal surface of 
the right, and the other on that of the left, forearm, 
and a current of some intensity sent through the 
same. After some time, a sensation of heat is felt 
in the dorsal surfaces, and a sensation of the same 
kind, but much more feeble, on the volar surfaces. 
On removing the electrodes, it appears that not only 
is that part of the skin which was in contact with 
them diffusely reddened, but that a similar effect has 
been produced at the point where the volar surfaces 
touched each other, although it is there not so uni- CHAP. II.] 
THE BRAIN. 
133 
form, and appears more in patches, corresponding to 
the sebaceous follicles. In this experiment there are 
two roads open to the current, viz. a longer one 
through the muscles of the arm and trunk, which 
offer less resistance; and a shorter one right through 
the forearms themselves, where more resistance is 
offered by the epidermis. The result is, that a por- 
tion of the current travels by the long road, which 
has a better conducting power; but a not incon- 
siderable part of it takes the short way, as is shown 
by the sensation of heat which is experienced, and 
the redness which is perceptible, at the end of the 
experiment. Now, as the resistance of the bones 
appears to be less than that of the epidermis, M. Erb 
concludes that a current which is applied to the two 
opposite surfaces of the skull must, if not wholly, at 
least partially, penetrate into the cavity of the skull, 
and act upon the cerebral matter. 
The same observer has made experiments on dead 
bodies which go far to prove that the galvanic current 
may really be sent straight through the substance of 
the brain. He opened the skull, removed the brain, 
and covered the top of the skull with a layer of mus- 
cular substance, two inches wide and three-quarters 
of an inch thick, so that it went from the occipital 
spina to the glabella. Pieces of skin were interposed 
between the muscular flesh and the electrodes. The 
skull-cap was then filled with cerebral matter, but 
the contact of this with the muscular substance was 
carefully avoided. The edges of the skull having 134 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. n. 
been well dried, a prepared frog's limb, resting on 
the cerebral matter, was then interposed between 
the two electrodes, and a feeble current, which pro- 
duced only slight pricking when applied to the face, 
sent through the tissues; w'hen it was observed that, 
on closing and opening the circuit, the physiological 
galvanoscope contracted vigorously. M. Erb con- 
cludes from this that, in spite of the well-conducting 
muscular substance which connected the electrodes, a 
current of sufficient power entered the brain to make 
the frog's limb contract. The induced current pro- 
duced the same effect on the frog's limb as the con- 
tinuous current. 
Another experiment, performed by the same ob- 
server on the dead body, is the following :- 
A rectangular piece of bone was removed from the 
skull-cap, and the skin and periosteum dissected 
away from the edges of the bones, and retracted; 
part of the dura mater was then removed, and the 
blood and the cerebro-spinal fluid were allowed to 
escape. The edges of the bone were then carefully 
dried, and the body was left for three hours in a 
warm room, so as to remove all the moisture from 
the edges of the bones. A piece of cerebral substance 
was then taken out, and the nerve of a frog's limb 
was placed in the fossa thus formed, while the 
other parts of the frog's limb were insulated by a 
thick covering of dry paper. The electrodes were 
then applied above the ears, the result being that a 
current which could easily be borne on the face CHAP. II.] 
THE BRAIN. 
135 
caused distinct contractions in the frog's limb; these 
contractions became stronger, if one pole was put to 
one side of the forehead, and the other one to the 
mastoid process of the opposite side. The application 
of the induced current produced the same effect. 
M. Erb has therefore shown that during the ap- 
plication to the head of a continuous and an induced 
current, which are so feeble as to be perfectly suitable 
for therapeutical application, portions of the current 
traverse the brain in such quantity and intensity as to 
cause a decided effect upon the frog's limb, although 
this occupied only a small space in connection with 
cerebral matter; and he argues that, in the living 
body, circumstances would be even more favourable 
for the transmission of the current to the brain, 
because there the temperature is higher, and circu- 
lation active. 
It might be objected to these conclusions that a 
current which is sufficiently powerful to excite the 
nerve of a frog's limb is hardly sufficiently strong to 
produce an appreciable therapeutical effect on the 
brain. But if we consider that the frog's nerve 
touches only a very small portion of cerebral matter, 
and that, in all probability, the current, when ap- 
plied to the head, traverses all portions of the brain 
equally, this current cannot be quite so feeble as 
might be imagined. Moreover, it has not been 
shown that a current must necessarily be very 
powerful in order to be useful. Such ideas might, 
perhaps, apply to the induced current, which is 136 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. n. 
nothing but a powerful stimulus; while the con- 
tinuous current has not only stimulating, but also 
catalytic, electrolytic, and electro-endosmotic effects. 
It is true that the induced current may penetrate 
into the brain, but it seems to exert only little in- 
fluence on it, just as on the retina and the other 
organs of special sense. Induction currents applied 
to the temples only cause pain and muscular con- 
tractions, but no giddiness or sensations of light, 
except in persons who are unusually sensitive to all 
forms of electricity. 
It is therefore certain that a continuous current of 
moderate power may be made to traverse the cerebral 
substance of the living man; and the only question 
we still have to consider in regard to this is whether 
the current is directly transmitted to it in the way 
described by M. Erb, viz. by way of the bloodvessels 
which penetrate from without to the inside of the 
skull; or whether the reflex function of the fifth pair 
of cerebral nerves is the chief medium by which the 
current is propagated to the brain, as I have always 
been inclined to assume. 
The principal reason for my theory was, that we 
see cerebral symptoms produced not only by sending 
the current straight through the head, as, for in- 
stance, when one pole is put to the occiput and the 
other to the forehead, or one to the right and the 
other to the left temple, but also by applying the 
poles of the battery to any parts of the face close 
together, where no portion of the brain is included CHAP. II.] 
THE BRAIN. 
137 
in the circuit; and this argument has never been 
refuted. An opportunity has, however, recently been 
afforded to me of carefully studying this question in 
the living subject, with due elimination of all sources 
of error; as I have been fortunate enough to observe, 
clinically, a case of complete anaesthesia of the entire 
fifth pair of cerebral nerves. In this patient, the 
reflex function of the trifacial nerve was completely 
excluded, and it appeared that no cerebral symptoms 
could be produced, even if a current which caused 
intolerable sensations to a healthy person was sent 
straight through the head. The case alluded to ap- 
pears to me to have a most important bearing on the 
settlement of this question, which has for a long time 
perplexed all those who have occupied themselves 
with electro-physiology and electro-therapeutics, and 
I therefore subjoin the following particulars of the 
same:-• 
Case I.-Anaesthesia of the Fifth Pair of Cerebral 
Nerves. 
P. G., aged 27, unmarried, a sheep-farmer living in 
Australia, had been in good health until June 1866, when 
on riding across a vast plain in Queensland, and being much 
exposed to a keen wind blowing steadily into his face, he 
was suddenly seized by severe pain in the left side of the 
head, eyes, and face. At first, the sensation was as if the 
face were frost-bitten. The pain then became of a dull 
throbbing character, and continued so for five weeks. He 
put himself under the care of a local practitioner, who pre- 
scribed iodide of potassium and a blister. Some time after, 138 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
on a similar exposure again taking place, the right side of 
the face became affected in the same manner, but the pain 
was not so severe, and the attack did not last so long as the 
first. When the pain was quite gone, the corneas of both 
eyes became covered with thick opacities, and the patient 
completely lost his sight on the right side, while on the 
left he could still faintly distinguish light and objects at 
a short distance. The power of mastication also became 
completely lost, and the skin and mucous membranes of the 
face quite numb. He then went to Sydney, where he was 
admitted into the Hospital, in which he remained five 
months. The surgeon under whose care he was there, 
ordered the eyes to be strapped up, probably with the in- 
tention of preventing perforation of the cornea) (Snellen). 
As time went on, some of the symptoms were rather im- 
proved, but as he was still incapacitated from doing any 
work whatever, he came to England, and placed himself 
under my care. 
I first saw the patient on April 21, when I found him in 
the following condition :- 
His intellect and memory were in no way impaired. He 
was able to fix his attention on subjects quite as well as 
previous to this affection ; indeed, he complained much of 
the idleness caused by the loss of sight. This made him 
occasionally irritable and low-spirited. There was a pe- 
culiarly hard, almost statuesque expression of the features, 
which was due partly to a slight oedematous effusion into 
the cellular tissue of the face, and partly to the complete 
loss of muscular sensibility. 
On applying Faradisation by moistened conductors to the 
muscles of the face, these responded readily by contraction 
to the electric stimulus; but there was a complete absence 
of that peculiar sensation which in a healthy person always 
accompanies electro-muscular contractions, and which is 
caused by the stimulation of the sentient nerve-fibres 
which are distributed in the muscular substance. This 
latter was in no way affected, showing that the morbid CHAP. II, j 
THE BRAIN. 
139 
influence had not reached the portio dura. All the varieties 
of physiognomical expression could be produced at will, 
but the effect made was more like that of an automaton 
than the natural appearance of sentient and animated 
features. 
The sense of smell was quite normal, and had never 
been impaired. On applying a sufficiently powerful con- 
tinuous galvanic current to the mucous membrane of the 
nose, a decided phosphorous smell was perceived by the 
patient. 
Vision was obstructed by thick leucoma of both cornefe, 
although the optic nerve was not affected. Indeed, the 
patient was able not only to distinguish light and shade 
with both eyes, but he could also see near objects, and read 
single letters of No. 20 (8-line roman) of Jaeger's test types, 
with the left eye, where the leucoma was not so thick as in 
the right. He was, however, quite unable to guide himself 
in the streets. He suffered a great deal from photophobia, 
and had to wear an eye-shade. This was a remarkable 
circumstance, as, in consequence of the leucoma of both 
corneas, only very little light could penetrate to the retina. 
Mr. Soelberg Wells has been kind enough to make a 
careful ophthalmoscopic examination of the fundus of the 
eye, and has furnished me with the following report of the 
appearances noticed by him :- 
" In both eyes, the pupils became well dilated under 
atropine. In the right there are very delicate, threadlike 
adhesions between the edge of the pupil and the leucoma- 
tous portion of the cornea. In the left eye there are slight 
remnants of uveal pigment on the central portion of the 
anterior capsule, indicating that a slight iritis had formerly 
existed. The lens and vitreous humour are clear, and the 
background of the eye quite normal. In the right eye, on 
account of the dense central leucoma, the optic disc could 
be only imperfectly seen, but in the left eye it was quite 
visible." 
The motor nerves of the eye were in their normal condi- 140 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
tion, there being neither ptosis nor strabismus nor double 
vision, and all movements of the eye, upwards, downwards, 
and laterally, being easy of execution. 
The pupils were rather constricted, and were only very 
slightly influenced by variations of light and shade. 
In describing the condition of the fifth nerve, I shall 
speak, 
1st. Of the skin of the face and scalp ; 
2nd. Of the mucous membranes of the eye, nose, and 
mouth; and 
3rd. Of the muscles of mastication. 
1st. The common sensation of the face and scalp was 
entirely lost in both sides, the limit of the anaesthesia being 
vertically a line running one sixth part of an inch inwards 
from the horizontal and ascending branches of the lower 
jaw ; and horizontally a line drawn from the tragus of one 
ear, right across the skull, to the tragus of the other ear. 
All the parts comprised between these lines, including the 
temples, forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin, had lost their 
sensibility. As regards the ear, the tragus was anaesthetic, 
and part of the external meatus benumbed, while the con- 
cha was perfectly sensible. In like manner, the skin of 
the back part of the skull, and the skin of the neck, had 
preserved their ordinary sensibility. In the anesthetic 
parts of the face and scalp just alluded to, neither pricking 
nor pinching nor any other mechanical irritation was in 
the least degree perceived by the patient. With regard to 
electricity it appeared that Faradisation by dry conductors 
did not produce any sensation, even when a powerful cur- 
rent was used. On applying to the face the continuous 
current of ten cells of Daniel's battery which deflected the 
needle of the galvanometer to an angle of thirty-five degrees, 
and which, in a healthy person experimented upon at the 
same time, caused not only a feeling of heat and pricking in 
those parts of the skin to which the electrodes were applied, 
but also a sensation of taste on the tongue, and a flash of 
light, chiefly on breaking the circuit, no physiological effect CHAP. II.] 
THE BRAIN. 
141 
whatever was produced in the patient. On using a current 
of twenty cells of the same battery, which deflected the gal- 
vanometer to an angle of fifty degrees, and in a healthy per- 
son caused contractions of the muscles of the face, both at 
the entrance and the cessation of the current, together with 
strong pricking and heat, vivid flashes of light, giddiness, and 
strong galvanic taste, no sensation whatever was produced in 
the patient, but the facial muscles responded readily, chiefly 
on making the circuit. On further increasing the power of 
the current to thirty cells, which deflected the galvanometer 
to an angle of seventy-two degrees, and in a healthy person 
caused the perception of dazzling flashes of light, a hissing 
noise, a phosphorous smell, and such powerful feelings of heat, 
giddiness, and sickness as to be unbearable for more than 
a second, the patient perceived a slight sensation of warmth 
and pricking, a slight coppery taste, a slight phosphorous 
smell, and slight giddiness. These sensations had much 
the same degree of intensity whenever the poles were ap- 
plied. 
The sense of temperature was completely absent, for 
neither intense cold, as caused by the application of ether 
spray or ice, nor heat, caused the least sensation. This 
had been so from the commencement of the affection ; and 
the patient had several times, on lighting a pipe, acci- 
dentally scorched his face without being aware of it at the 
time. 
The sense of touch was entirely gone; for neither of the 
two points of the (esthesiometer was in the least degree per- 
ceived by the patient. Nor was the sense of locality pre- 
served, for the patient could not tell where he was touched 
or pinched. 
2nd.-The Mucous Membranes of the Eye, Nose, and Mouth. 
•-a. The conjunctiva of both eye and eyelid was completely 
anesthetic on both sides, and could be touched by the fin- 
ger, and blunt and sharp instruments, without exciting 
reflex movements or lachrymation. The patient stated 
that when he washed his face, he always kept the eyes 142 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap, il 
open, and never felt the contact of either water or 
soap. 
The secretion of the lachrymal gland appeared to have 
totally ceased; and the application of substances which 
generally excite a flow of tears, such as ammonia and 
mustard, had no effect whatever. There was, however, pa- 
thological hypersecretion of conjunctival mucus, by means 
of which the eye was kept moist. Indeed, the cornea 
appeared covered with streaks and shreds of mucus, which 
gave a death-like appearance to the eyes. This mucus was 
most probably secreted by those mucous follicles which 
were first described by Professor Krause, and which are 
situated below the conjunctiva, where this membrane is 
reflected from the eyeball upon the eyelid. 
b. The mucous membrane of the nose was quite insen- 
sible to the touch of blunt or sharp instruments, and no 
sneezing followed the application of snuff. There was, 
however, an abundant secretion of mucus, which had 
at one time been so excessive that thick scabs were con- 
tinually forming in the nose. This mucus was of so acrid 
a nature that on running down to the lip it made the skin 
of the sulcus naso-labialis, and part of the lip beyond the 
sulcus on both sides, very sore, and caused the moustache 
to fall out there. Otherwise, the beard and hair altogether 
were in perfect condition, from which it appears that the 
growth of hair is not under the direct influence of the fifth 
nerve. That part of the upper lip, where the acrid secret 
tion from the nose used to run, appears now quite white, 
similar to a scar from burning, or from the application of 
sulphuric acid. At one time the nose used to bleed very 
readily when slightly touched, but it had not done so lately. 
The reaction of the nasal mucus was neutral. 
c. The mucous membrane of the mouth was also com- 
pletely anaesthetic, as far as the gums, the tongue, the 
inner surface of the cheeks, and the hard palate were con- 
cerned. The tongue presented a most frightful spectacle, 
having been severely bitten and lacerated in every direction CHAT. II.] 
THE BRAIN. 
143 
during the act of taking food, the patient being entirely 
unconscious of his biting the tongue whenever he did so. 
Some parts of the inner surface of the cheeks had also been 
bitten, and were badly ulcerated. The secretion of buccal 
mucus was so excessive as to oblige the patient to have a 
pocket-handkerchief constantly applied to the mouth, in 
order to prevent the liquid from running down the chin. 
The lips appeared covered with a sort of froth, such as we 
see in a patient who has just come out of an epileptic attack. 
Both corners of the mouth were very sore, being macerated 
by the constant flow of mucus. The reaction of the liquid 
was slightly alkaline. 
The insensibility of the gums was so complete, that on 
one occasion, when the patient had a tooth drawn, he felt 
nothing whatever of the operation. The remaining teeth 
were perfectly healthy. 
The sense of taste was not lost, for the patient tasted 
sugar, quinine, and salt on the front as well as on the back 
part of the tongue ; yet in the anterior portion of the organ, 
the perception of taste seemed to have lost its quickness, 
for while, on my applying sapid substances to the pos- 
terior part of it, the patient would at once exclaim ' sweet,' 
' bitter,' ' salt,' he took about five or six seconds on the 
front part of the tongue, to describe the taste, but he never 
made a single mistake there. He also perceived the gal- 
vanic taste of five cells of Daniell's battery, if directly 
applied to the tongue. 
3rd. The Muscles of Mastication.-The muscles of masti- 
cation, which are animated by the minor portion of the fifth 
nerve, had not escaped the pathological influence. At one 
time the temporal and masseter muscles, which move the 
jaw upwards, were completely paralysed, so that it dropped, 
as in a dead body, and the mouth was always open. Both 
pterygoid muscles being also completely paralysed, masti- 
cation was rendered impossible ; the patient never mastica- 
ted the food he took for sixteen months consecutively. He 
was therefore obliged when taking solid food to have it 144 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
cut very small, and then bolt it. Curiously enough, digestion 
had never suffered in consequence of the want of mastica- 
tion, which I think must be explained by the circumstance 
that a thorough moistening and soaking of the food taken, 
with a slightly alkaline liquid, went on at least as copiously 
as it could have done before, owing to the pathological 
hyper-secretion of buccal mucus, of which I have already 
spoken, and which therefore, in this case, seemed to exercise 
a kind of compensating influence. 
For several months previous to the patient's coming 
under my care, the voluntary power had gradually returned 
in the temporal and masseter muscles, so that the mouth 
could be closed, and the vertical movements of mastication 
were well carried out. The pterygoid muscles, however, 
remained paralysed, so that the lateral movements of 
the jaw were impossible. He had also great difficulty in 
putting out his tongue. 
Other muscles, animated by the minor portion of the 
fifth nerve, are the mylohyoid, the digastricus anticus, the 
tensor palati mollis, and the tensor tympani. As regards 
the three first named, no morbid symptoms could be dis- 
covered showing that they were paralysed. The position 
and function of the soft palate were in no way altered, 
which is probably due to the circumstance that the tensor 
palati mollis receives nervous fibres not only from the minor 
portion of the trifacial, but also from the pneumogastric 
and the accessory nerve. 
The patient complained of a continuous rushing noise in 
the head, which he compared to that made by the paddle- 
wheel of a steam-boat. It would, however, be difficult to 
determine, at present, whether this symptom was due to 
paralysis of the motor fibres animating the tensor tympani 
muscle, or to anaesthesia of the sentient petrosus super- 
ficialis minor nerve, which proceeds from the ganglion 
oticum to the tympanic plexus of nerves. 
The sense of hearing was perfectly normal. 
The speech was rather thick and indistinct, in conse- CHAP. II.] 
THE BRAIN. 
145 
quence of the lacerated condition of the tongue, but not 
from any affection of the hypoglossus nerve. 
All the remaining parts of the nervous system were in 
good condition ; nor was there any disorder of the chest, 
stomach, liver, bowels, skin, or genito-urinary organs. 
There was no history of scrofula or syphilis. 
Such being the condition of the patient, no real difficulty 
could be experienced in determining the nature and exact 
seat of the pathological lesion. The patient had evidently 
suffered from rheumatic inflammation of the neurilemma, 
first of the left, and afterwards of the right, trifacial nerve, 
where it emerges from between the transverse fibres of the 
pons Varolii at the base of the brain. This inflammation 
had resulted in effusion, and subsequent compression and 
atrophy of nervous matter. 
The affection had to be traced to the nerve-trunk at the 
base of the brain, and not to any more peripheral part, 
because not a single fibre of the trifacial nerve had escaped 
the injury; if the lesion had been more peripheral-for 
instance, if it had been confined to the Gasserian ganglion- 
the muscles of mastication would not have suffered. At 
the same time it was evident that the disease could not 
have spread to the pons Varolii, because there was an en- 
tire absence of all symptoms which occur in disease of the 
pons. The lesion was therefore confined to the course of 
the fifth nerve between the pons and the Gasserian ganglion. 
As the case did not end fatally it was impossible to verify 
the diagnosis by actual inspection, which however could 
have added but little to the pathology of the case. 
Without entering at present into all the points of 
interest in physiology and pathology upon which 
the case just related is apt to throw some light, I 
will only make a few remarks on the curious fact of 
the absence of cerebral symptoms during the applica- 
tion of a powerful continuous current to the head. 146 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap, ii 
Indeed, it was only by increasing the power of the 
current to such a degree as to rouse the faint remnant 
of sensibility of the trifacial nerve that a slight feel- 
ing of giddiness was caused. Now, as the physical 
relations of the skull, brain, and blood-vessels were in 
no way altered in this case, there ought to have been 
no alteration as regards the production of cerebral 
symptoms, if M. Erb's theory were correct; but, as 
there was a decided diminution of cerebral reaction, 
it is satisfactorily proved that the transmission of the 
continuous galvanic current to the brain is effected 
not physically, but physiologically, by nervous action. 
IL-ACTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT UPON 
THE SPINAL CORD. 
Professor Weber lias observed that, if an induced 
current is applied to the spinal cord, one electrode 
being directed to the upper, and the other one to the 
lower extremity of the cord, all the muscles of the 
trunk and of the extremities are thrown into tetanic 
convulsions. The same occurs if one electrode is 
placed to the anterior, and the other one to the pos- 
terior, surface of the upper portion of the cord; and 
likewise when both electrodes are applied to its lower 
portion, provided that the integrity of the organ has 
not been destroyed. Hence it would result that the 
cord is the nervous centre for all the muscles of the 
trunk and the extremities; for if the cord were only 
the common trunk of all the motor nerves emerging CHAP. II.] 
THE SPINAL CORD. 
147 
from the vertebral canal, the application of the 
induced current to the lower portion of the cord 
would only produce a convulsion of the hind-legs, 
but not of all four extremities. If, however, the 
spinal cord is divided in the middle, and the lower 
half is then submitted to the electric stimulus, only 
the muscles of the hind-legs enter into contraction; 
and even if both parts of the cord are made to touch 
one another closely at those points where the section 
has been made, so that there is no impediment to 
the passage of the electric current to the upper 
portion of the cord, the muscles of the upper extrem- 
ities nevertheless remain perfectly quiet. From this 
Professor Weber has inferred that the convulsions 
described are not produced because the electric 
current is transmitted from the cord to the motor 
nerves, but because the passage of the electric 
current excites the action proper of the cord, which 
in its turn excites the property of the motor nerves 
to produce commotions of the muscles. He also 
observed that the tetanic convulsions produced in 
the extremities by the same means continued for a 
certain time, say half a minute, after the cessation 
of the current; while, if the anterior roots, or the 
mixed nerves were excited, the commotions disap- 
peared immediately after the circuit had been broken. 
If the spinal cord be subjected to the action of a 
continuous current, convulsions of the extremities 
are produced on making the circuit, but if the 
current continues to traverse the cord, an inhibitory 148 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. it. 
effect is caused, whatever may be the point to which 
the poles are directed. As long as the cord is 
traversed by the continuous current, it remains 
insensible to a stimulus which may be applied to it. 
Thus we may prick the cord by a pin or excite it by 
an induced current, and the extremities will never- 
theless remain perfectly quiet; but at the cessation 
of the continuous current, mechanical or electrical 
excitation of the cord will again give rise to tetanic 
convulsions of the limbs. It was first pointed out 
by Baierlacher * that this diminution of excitability 
is confined to the spinal cord, and does not extend 
to the motor nerves and muscles; for if an induced 
current is applied to the motor nerves of the hind 
legs, while at the same time the cord is being 
traversed by a continuous current, commotions are 
produced in the muscles the nerves of which are 
submitted to the action of the induced current. The 
inverse continuous current appears to have a more 
powerful inhibitory action on the spinal cord than 
the direct current. 
Weber's experiments, although carefully performed, 
have not been entirely confirmed by other observers. 
Thus Van Deen, Schiff, and other physiologists con- 
tend that the substance of the cord itself does not 
respond at all to the electric stimulus, and that if 
convulsions are observed in consequence of such an 
application, this is due to the propagation of the 
electricity to the roots of the spinal nerves. En- 
* Die Inductions-Elektricitat. Niirnberg, 1857, p- 102. CHAP. II.] 
THE SPINAL CORD. 
149 
gelken and Fick, however, support Weber's asser- 
tions. Wislocky found that, if the induced current 
was applied to the upper portion of the cord, it 
caused tetanic contractions of the lower extremities 
only if part of the current was diverted to the roots 
of the lower spinal nerves. 
S. Mayer,* who has made the latest experiments 
on this subject, has shown that, if a gentle induced 
current was cautiously applied to the cervical portion 
of the cord in frogs, which were highly excitable at 
the time, ' orderly movements ' of the lower extremi- 
ties took place; and these movements were more 
easily produced by electrisation of the posterior than 
of the anterior columns. The difference appeared 
most striking in the upper intumescence of the cord. 
After the posterior columns had been carefully re- 
moved, no further movements took place; but if the 
cord was divided into an anterior and posterior half, 
both of which were connected just above the origin 
of the sciatic nerve, electrisation of the posterior 
half wTas effective, and of the anterior half ineffective. 
The same power of current which caused movements 
if applied to the cord itself, produced them if applied 
to the posterior roots on the trunk of the brachial 
nerve. These observations seem to point to the 
conclusion that the movements which have been 
observed after electrisation of the cord, are only 
reflectory, and caused by the stimulation being trans- 
ferred to the posterior roots; but further investiga- 
* Pfliiger's Archiv. fur Physiologic, 1869, Heft i. p. 166. 150 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
tions of this subject are necessary before exact notions 
of the mode of action of electricity on the cord can 
be formed. 
Professors Budge and Waller have observed, that 
the pupil becomes dilated, if the induced current is 
applied to that portion of the cord which is situated 
between the seventh cervical and the sixth dorsal 
vertebrae; and this has, therefore, been termed by 
them the ciliospinal region. From this part of the 
cord the excitation is transmitted to the cervical 
sympathetic nerve, which takes its rise from it, and 
which animates the radiar fibres of the iris (musculus 
dilatator). These fibres contract energetically, if 
the cervical sympathetic nerve is excited, and coun- 
terbalance the action of the circular fibres of the iris 
(musculus constrictor) ; thus dilatation of the pupil 
must ensue. After the section of the sympathetic 
nerve the pupil becomes constricted, as by such an 
operation the radiar fibres of the iris are paralysed, 
while the circular fibres remain in their normal con- 
nection with the nerves. 
Professor Budge * has discovered a similar centre 
for the lumbar portions of the sympathetic, in that 
portion of the spinal cord which corresponds to the 
fourth lumbar vertebra. By the application of the 
induced current to the same, powerful contractions 
of the vasa deferentia, the bladder, and the lower 
portion of the rectum are caused. The same effects 
are produced by stimulating a small ganglion situated 
* Virchow's Archiv., 1859, p. 115. CHAP. II.] 
THE SPINAL CORD. 
151 
in the neighbourhood of the fifth cervical vertebra, 
and which receives branches from the third and 
fourth lumbar vertebrae. This ganglion Budge has 
called the genito-spinal ganglion. The section of 
the sympathetic on one side does not quite prevent 
the effects of the application of electricity to the 
ganglion of the same side, although it considerably 
diminishes them. That any effect at all is pro- 
duced under these circumstances, is due to a pro- 
pagation of the electric stimulus being effected by 
means of the connecting branches between the nerves 
of both sides. 
Whether any form of electricity, applied in moderate 
power to the spine of the living man, is transmitted 
to the spinal cord, has until now been a matter of 
controversy. Judging from therapeutical effects, I 
am led to believe that static electricity, electro- 
magnetism, and magneto-electricity only act on the 
nerves of the skin of the back, and not on the substance 
of the cord, but that the continuous current has a 
decided action on the latter. M. Erb* is inclined to 
think that the bones of the vertebral column offer 
less resistance to the passage of the current than the 
skull. They are more spongy, contain more water, 
and the several bones are separated from one another 
by large and numerous lacuna?, fitted up with blood- 
vessels, nerves, and connective tissue, along which 
the current may easily penetrate into the spinal 
canal. There is however this difficulty, that we can 
* L.c. p. 435. 152 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
only apply the current to one surface of the cord, 
and that it cannot be sent right through it, as it 
may be through the head; but, on the other hand, 
a much more powerful current may be safely applied 
to the cord than to the brain, whereby some com- 
pensation is afforded for the disadvantageous ana- 
tomical position of the cord. 
M. Erb performed the following experiment on a 
dead body with the view to elucidate these condi- 
tions :-He removed the bodies of the seventh cervical 
vertebra and of the first three dorsal vertebrae, and 
the dura mater, so as to lay the cord open, the parts 
being dried as carefully as possible. The nerve of 
an isolated frog's limb was then placed on the cord, 
and the positive pole of a constant battery directed 
to the mastoid process, while the negative pole was 
applied to the sixth dorsal vertebra. Contractions 
took place in the frog's leg on opening as well as on 
closing the circuit, showing that the current actually 
passed through the cord. 
Experiments on the living man have shown that 
it is possible, by applying the two electrodes of a 
somewhat powerful constant battery to the spine, to 
produce contractions of muscles, which are animated 
by nerves situated far below the points where the 
electrodes are applied. Thus, for instance, if one 
large electrode was placed near the first dorsal ver- 
tebra, and the other to the spinous process of the 
second and third lumbar vertebrae, and a current of 
some power was sent through, contractions were CHAP. II.] 
ORGANS OF SPECIAL SENSE. 
153 
caused not only in the muscles of the back, but also 
in the hamstring muscles of the thigh, which are 
animated by the sciatic nerve; care being taken 
that the direction of the current was occasionally 
rapidly changed in the metallic circuit. By this 
latter proceeding voltaic alternatives are produced, 
which considerably increase the excitability of the 
nerves; and after several such alternatives had 
taken place, contractions of the same muscles could 
be caused by simply interrupting the current. This 
shows that the sciatic nerve must have been electri- 
cally acted upon within the spinal canal, and that a 
continuous current, sufficiently powerful to produce 
decided physiological effects, may be sent through 
the cord of the living man. 
It will be shown in another part of this volume 
that it is not necessary to cause pain or muscular 
contractions by such an application if it be intended 
to affect beneficially the motor or sentient properties 
of the cord. 
III.-ACTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT UPON 
THE ORGANS OF SPECIAL SENSE. 
All the different forms of electricity are capable of 
exciting the nerves of the organs of special sense; 
the effect, however, is much more remarkable, if we 
employ the continuous current than if frictional 
electricity or the induced current are used. With 
regard to induction currents, it appears that the 154 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
magneto-electric current has more effect on the 
organs of sense, and more especially upon the retina, 
than the electro-magnetic current; which is probably 
due to the circumstance, that the variations of 
the magneto-electric current are not so sudden and 
considerable as those of the current induced by 
voltaic electricity. 
1. Organ of Vision.-If the continuous current of a 
single galvanic pair is caused to act upon the optic 
nerve, one of the metals being placed to the con- 
junctiva or to the well-moistened eyelid, and the other 
metal to the other eye or eyelid, a faint flash of light 
is perceived at the commencement of the current; 
while the circuit is closed, luminous appearances are 
only seen by persons whose retina is highly sensitive ; 
but there is again a distinct flash when the circuit is 
broken. This is, of course, no real development of 
light, but the flash is only seen by one subjected to 
the experiment, in consequence of the vital energy 
of the optic nerve being roused by galvanism. 
Sparks taken from the common electrical machine 
and applied to the eyes, produce also luminous 
appearances, though not very distinct. The elec- 
tricity of the electrophorus machine, if of somewhat 
high tension, causes a continuous perception of bluish- 
white light, together with pain, and spasmodic 
contractions of the muscles of the jaw.* Electro- 
magnetism has much less effect on the retina than 
the continuous current. The extra-current of an 
* Schwanda, l.c., p. 199. CHAP. II.] 
ORGAN OF VISION. 
155 
induction machine, which circulates in a short and 
thick wire, and has therefore a low tension, has no 
such effect at all; while the current induced in a 
long and fine wire has a slight effect on the retina. 
Magneto-electricity affects the optic nerve more 
than electro-magnetism, but not nearly as much as 
the continuous current. 
The flash of light perceived in consequence of the 
galvanic stimulation of the retina appears coloured; 
it is bluish when the positive pole is applied nearest 
to the eye; and Ruete observed that, in this case, 
the sensation of light is strongest at a point which 
corresponds to the macula lutea, becoming gradually 
darker as it approaches the periphery of the field, 
while if the negative pole is directed to the eye, a 
yellow-reddish or orange-coloured light is perceived, 
which appears strongest in the periphery of the field 
and gradually darkens towards the centre. 
Purkinje has made an extensive series of observa- 
tion on this subject; but no other observer has been 
able to confirm his results; and it is therefore probable 
that the extraordinary appearances he has described 
were due to a hypersesthetic condition of the retina 
brought on in him by over-stimulation of that organ. 
The luminous appearances just described are pro- 
duced by reflex action from the sentient fibres of the 
trifacial nerve to the retina ; and they may be 
perceived, whatever be the position of the poles, pro- 
vided that one of them touches a point of the skin or 
of a mucous membrane animated by a filament of the 156 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
fifth pair. It is, therefore, unnecessary to touch one 
or both eyeballs or eyelids; we may perceive the 
flash, for instance, if one pole be directed to the 
Schneiderian membrane, and the other to the mucous 
membrane of the cavity of the mouth. Mr. George 
Hunter observed, that by placing one of the metals 
as high up as possible between the gums and the 
upper lip, and the other in a similar situation with 
respect to the lower lip, a flash was produced as 
vivid as that occasioned by passing one of the metals 
up the nose and placing the other upon the tongue.* 
It differs, however, from the flash produced in any 
other way by the singular circumstance of not being 
confined to the eye alone, but appearing diffused 
over the whole of the face. The flash may also be 
perceived, if one pole is placed in the mouth and the 
other in the rectum ; this experiment was first made 
by M. A chard, of Berlin.! 
The flash becomes more distinct and of a stronger 
colour on darkening the room, and Humboldt relates 
that, during storms, the effect of galvanism upon the 
eyes is most remarkable. Fowler made the experi- 
ment on himself at a time when one of his eyes was 
inflamed, and noticed that the flash produced in the 
inflamed eye was much more considerable than in 
the uninflamed one. On the other hand, Humboldt 
* Experiments and Observations relative to the Influence lately dis- 
covered by M. Galvani, and commonly called Animal Electricity. By 
Richard Fowler. Edinburgh, 1793, p. 64. 
+ Versuche liber die gereizte Muskel und Nervenfaser. Von Alex- 
ander von Humboldt. Posen und Berlin, 1797, vol. i. p. 334. chap, n.] 
ORGAN OF VISION. 
157 
states that when he was affected by a bad cold he 
was not able to perceive the flash at all, even if he 
made use of an otherwise most efficacious arrange- 
ment of the metals. 
The intensity of the flash is directly proportional 
to the intensity of the current employed, and in- 
versely proportional to the resistance offered to the 
passage of the current. A flash is produced by a 
very feeble current, such as is excited by a half- 
crown piece and a penny; it is more distinct if, 
instead of copper and silver, tinfoil and silver, or 
zinc and gold, are used. The excitation of the retina 
produced by a pile consisting of a number of pairs, is 
very violent, and instantaneous blindness may ensue 
from it. Duchenne, who was unacquainted with the 
power of the continuous current to excite the retina 
in this remarkable manner, relates a case which 
fully proves the practical importance of the know- 
ledge of the physiological effects which electricity 
will invariably produce. He galvanised a patient 
suffering from paralysis of the portio dura, at first 
by the induced current, and afterwards by the 
continuous current of a pile. Immediately after 
the electrodes of the pile had been applied to the 
face, the patient exclaimed that he saw the whole 
room in a blaze ; he afterwards complained of having 
lost his sight on that side where the electrodes had 
been applied: and he never regained it. Duchenne 
claims for himself the discovery of the special action 
of galvanism on the retina; but this was already 158 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
known to Volta, before the commencement of the 
present century. 
If the resistance to the passage of the current be 
great, the flash perceived in consequence of the gal- 
vanic excitation of the retina is very feeble. Thus, 
if the two metals are applied to the face at two 
points where the skin is quite dry, the flash is much 
less vivid than if the skin be previously moistened. 
Besides, the flash is stronger if the electrodes are 
directed to the conjunctiva, or to the Schneiderian 
membrane, or to the mucous membrane of the cavity 
of the mouth, than if they are applied to the skin of 
the face ; since the delicate epithelium of the mucous 
membranes offers much less resistance to the passage 
of the current than the epidermis. 
2. Organ of Smell.-We have already seen that near 
the electrical machine when in action a peculiar 
smell is perceived which is half sulphurous and half 
phosphoric. It was formerly believed that this odour 
was due to a peculiar state of the olfactory nerve 
excited by electricity ; but it is now well known that 
it is due to the development of ozone (p. 4). 
Neither the common electric sparks, nor the elec- 
tricity of the electrophorus machine, nor electro- 
magnetism, nor magneto-electricity have any effect 
in exciting a peculiar smell when applied to the 
mucous membrane of the nose. By applying these 
forms of electricity to the Schneiderian membrane a 
more or less disagreeable scratching and tickling is CHAP. II.] 
ORGAN OF SMELL. 
159 
caused, owing to the irritation of the sentient nerves, 
with which this membrane is richly endowed: and, 
by reflex action, sneezing is often produced. 
The continuous current is the only kind of electri- 
city which is capable of rousing the vital energy of 
the olfactory nerve. But in order to effect this, a 
current of high tension is required, such as is hardly 
possible to bear for more than a second, on account 
of the concomitant symptoms of dazzling flashes of 
light, giddiness, and faintness which it induces. The 
case which has been related above (p. 141) shows that 
when the function of the fifth pair is in abeyance, 
the peculiar smell due to the galvanic stimulation of 
the olfactory nerve, is perceived without being accom- 
panied by any further inconvenience. 
Ritter * has experimented upon his own Schnei- 
derian membrane with the current of a voltaic pile 
of twenty pairs, and says that the inconvenience 
caused to him by the experiment was 4 awful.' 
He gives as the result of his researches, that a 
peculiar smell was perceived at the commencement 
of the current, while the circuit remained closed, on 
opening the circuit and some time afterwards. The 
effects were different according to the direction of the 
current. If it was inverse, he observed at the com- 
mencement of the current, and while the circuit was 
closed, an acid smell and loss of the capability of 
sneezing; at the cessation of the inverse current, 
and a short time after the circuit had been broken, 
* Beitrage zur naheren Kenntniss des Gralvanismus. Weimar, 1805. 160 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
he perceived an ammoniacal smell and disposition to 
sneezing. If, on the other hand, the direct current 
was used instead of the inverse, the contrary occurred, 
viz. ammoniacal smell and disposition to sneezing on 
establishing the circuit, and while the current con- 
tinued to pass; and an acid smell and loss of the 
capability of sneezing, on breaking the circuit, and a 
short time after it had been broken. 
I regret that I have not been able to verify Ritter's 
observations in any single particular. The condition 
of the brain during the passage of such a powerful 
current as is necessary for affecting the olfactory 
nerve, is not favourable to accurate observations ; but 
I certainly never felt during that time either dispo- 
sition to sneezing, or that peculiar sensation which is 
constituted by ' loss of the capability of sneezing.' 
The smell was neither ammoniacal nor acid, but 
phosphorous, and, as far as I have been able to judge, 
there was no difference whether the current was 
direct or inverse. The patient whose case is described 
on p. 137 never sneezed during the application of the 
current to the nose, nor did he feel any inclination to, 
or aversion from, sneezing; and his statement on the 
nature of the smell was that it was something like 
sulphur or phosphorus. 
3. Organ of Hearing.-Static electricity appears to 
have no special effect on the organ of hearing; but 
both the continuous and the induced current are able 
to rouse the vital energy of the auditory nerve, which CHAP. II.] 
ORGAN OF HEARING. 
161 
responds to the stimulus by sounds. The best way to 
make the experiment is, to fill the external opening 
of the ear with water, the person experimented upon 
lying on the side; an insulated sound with a metallic 
top, and connected with one of the poles of the 
battery, or induction apparatus, is then held in the 
liquid, and the circuit is closed by placing another 
moistened conductor on the nape of the neck. 
If the continuous current is used, sounds may be 
produced, not only at the commencement of it, but 
also while the circuit remains closed, and on opening 
the same. Volta* relates, in a letter to Sir Joseph 
Banks, that when he introduced the poles of a pile of 
from thirty to forty pairs into the external opening 
of the ear, he felt a shock to his head, and some 
moments afterwards he heard a sound, or rather a 
noise, like scratching and bubbling, or like that of a 
viscid substance boiling. This noise continued with- 
out interruption, and became even stronger, until the 
circuit was opened. But sounds may be produced by 
means of a much feebler current, such as is produced 
by a battery of from three to four pairs. The effect is 
generally stronger if the negative pole be applied to 
the ear. 
The action of the induced current upon the drum 
of the ear presents some differences according to the 
tension of the electricity, and the greater or less 
velocity with which the shocks succeed each other. 
A single shock from an induction apparatus produces 
* Philosophical Transactions, 1800, p. 423. 162 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
a noise like a scratch.; if the currents succeed each 
other rapidly, the noises do so likewise, and then 
resemble the buzzing of a fly on a window, or the 
blow of a distant trumpet. At the same time a 
sensation of pricking, and even pain, is perceived, if 
the current be of high tension. 
Ritter was the first who endeavoured to distinguish 
the pitch of the tone produced by the galvanic excita- 
tion of the drum of the ear. He states that, when 
both his ears were enclosed in the circuit, he felt at 
the commencement of the direct current a strong 
shock, and heard the sound g. This persisted as long 
as the direct current continued to circulate; if the 
intensity of the current was augmented, the sound 
became higher than g. On the contrary, when the 
inverse current was used, the sound was lower than 
g, and continued to become lower in proportion as 
the intensity of the current was increased. Both 
sound and shock were weak on breaking the circuit, 
whether the current was direct or inverse. 
I have made a number of experiments with all 
sorts and directions of currents, and compared the 
sound produced by the galvanic excitation of the 
auditory nerve with that given by a tuning fork of 
the present philharmonic pitch; and I have always 
found the sound produced by electricity as near as 
possible to a. I have never observed that by changing 
the direction of the current, or by increasing its 
intensity, the pitch of the sound was changed; the 
Qnly difference I have perceived was in the intensity CHAP. II.] 
ORGAN OF HEARING. 
163 
of the tone. It was louder if the negative pole was 
directed to the ear, and the positive to the nape of the 
neck, than if the position of the poles was reversed. 
The tone was hardly perceptible if a current of low 
tension was used, and very loud if it was of high 
tension; but the pitch invariably remained the same. 
If a somewhat powerful continuous current be used, 
it is not necessary, for the response of the auditory 
nerve to take place, that one of the poles of the 
battery should be in the external meatus; but it is 
quite sufficient to touch with the electrodes any 
portion of the skin of the face or head animated by 
the fifth pair of cerebral nerves. Thus, on applying 
a current of forty cells of Daniell's battery, by means 
of moistened conductors, to both cheeks, I not only 
perceive sensations of giddiness, pricking, heat, taste, 
smell, and flashes of light, but I also hear a distinct 
hissing sound, resembling the gushing of the wind 
through the rigging of a ship. It is therefore evident 
that the effect of the continuous current on the organ 
of hearing takes place by reflex action from the peri- 
pheral branches of the trifacial to the auditory nerve, 
at the base of the brain. 
Dr. Brenner,* of St. Petersburg, has made the 
latest researches on the action of electricity upon the 
auditory nerve. According to him the induced cur- 
rent is almost useless for experiments of this kind, 
* Untersuchungen und Beobachtungen uber die Wirkung elektrischer 
Strome auf das Gehororgan im gesunden und kranken Zustande. 
Leipzig, 1868. And a number of papers in different periodicals from 
1863 to 1869. 164 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. it. 
because the rapidity with which induction currents 
succeed each other, produce highly unpleasant effects 
on the nerves of common sensation, without acting 
upon the nerve of special sense. A specific response 
of the auditory nerve may nevertheless be obtained, 
but only by single closing or opening shocks from an 
induction apparatus, the opening shocks being the 
more effective ones. The most convenient form of 
electricity for acting on the auditory nerve is, how- 
ever, the continuous current, not only because it is 
more certain in its effects, but also because the 
different responses of the nerve on closing the circuit, 
during the closed circuit, and on opening it, may be 
separately studied; while the induced current, which 
has only an instantaneous duration, offers insuperable 
obstacles to the true appreciation of the phenomena 
separately. The best mode of experimentation is, to 
direct one electrode to the external meatus, while the 
other one is placed to any part of the body. It 
matters not to which part this latter is directed, for 
the phenomena observed always remain the same, if 
only the same electrode is in the external meatus. 
The following is the normal reaction of the audi- 
tory nerve : at the cathode the nerve responds with 
sounds on closing the circuit, and during part of the 
closed circuit; while at the anode the nerve answers 
only on opening the circuit. If a current of such 
intensity is used as is proper for physiological and 
therapeutical experiments, there is no response at 
the anode when the circuit is closed and while the CHAP. II.] 
ORGAN OF HEARING. 
165 
current continues to circulate, nor at the cathode 
when it is opened. If the power of the current be 
increased, the response at the cathode on closing 
appears first, while the nerve answers somewhat later 
on opening at the anode; on the other hand, if the 
power of the current be diminished, the effect at the 
anode on opening disappears sooner than the one at 
the cathode on closing. 
The response at the cathode, on closing, appears 
at once in its full intensity, and gradually diminishes 
as the current continues to act; while the response 
at the anode on opening is only noticed after the 
current has acted for a certain length of time ; and, 
if the circuit be opened soon after it has been closed, 
the response at the anode on opening may sometimes 
be entirely wanting. If the direction of the current 
is changed so that the anode is replaced by the ca- 
thode, sounds may be produced with a much weaker 
current, which would not produce any sound at the 
cathode, on simply closing the circuit; the reason for 
this being, that after the circuit has been opened at 
the anode the nerve is in a condition of increased 
excitability. This condition continues for some time 
after the opening at the cathode, so that, if the cir- 
cuit be repeatedly closed at the cathode within a 
certain period, stronger sounds are produced than at 
first; or, which amounts to the same thing, a less 
considerable galvanic power is sufficient to produce 
the specific response of the nerve, on repeatedly 
closing at the cathode, than was previously required. 166 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
It is, however, not only the variations in the den- 
sity of the current from its maximum to zero which 
cause sounds, but a response also occurs in conse- 
quence of variations during the continuous passage 
of the current, and this obeys the same law as above, 
inasmuch as a variation of increase will cause the 
effect on closing, if the cathode is in the meatus, and 
a variation of decrease will produce the response on 
opening, if the anode is in the meatus. 
The degree of response of the auditory nerve is 
not only caused by the absolute amount of the varia- 
tions of the current,.but also by the di stance at which 
they are from zero; and with a current that is at all 
effective it will be found that the less powerful the 
original force of the current was, the slighter may 
be the variations which will cause a response of the 
nerve. 
The sounds which are caused by the galvanic ex- 
citation of the auditory nerve vary in kind and in- 
tensity according to the peculiarity of the person 
experimented upon, and according to the intensity 
of the current. They are variously described as 
humming, hissing, rolling, whistling, ringing, etc. 
The last named sensation is the one most frequently 
experienced, and when in its full development be- 
comes a clear tone, the pitch of which may be musi- 
cally determined, and which varies in different 
individuals. There are many persons who, when 
the power of the current is increased, perceive a 
regular scale of auditive sensations, which proceed CHAP. II.] 
ORGAN OF HEARING. 
167 
from ' humming ' through all the varieties mentioned 
above to ' ringing,' and who hear £ sounds ' with low 
power, but ' tones ' with high power. 
An increase of the strength of the current raises 
the pitch when the auditory nerve is under the influ- 
ence of the cathode, and lowers it when the nerve is 
under the influence of the anode. 
M. Brenner's publications have given rise to an 
animated discussion, which was commenced by Dr. 
Schwartze,* of Halle, who declared every one of 
Brenner's statements to be erroneous and utterly de- 
void of value in a diagnostic, prognostic, and thera- 
peutical point of view. He was answered by Dr. 
Hagen,f of Leipzig, who confirmed Brenner's state- 
ments in almost every particular; and by Brenner 
himself,X who justly contended that Schwartze's 
' experiments of control ' had been made without any 
regard to the mode of experimentation recommended 
by himself, and were therefore worthless. As a 
curiosity it may be mentioned, that Dr. Sycyanco,§ 
of Charcow, has, by a series of experiments, been led 
to the conclusion that the continuous current pro- 
duces no response of the auditory nerve at all, neither 
on opening nor on closing the circuit, and neither at 
the anode nor at the cathode; an assertion which is 
certainly novel, but hardly requires serious notice. 
* Arehiv der Ohrenheilkunde, 1865, Bd. i. Heft 1. 
f Electro-otiatrische Studien. Leipzig, 1866. 
I Virchow's Arehiv. 1867, Bd. xxxi. 
§ Deutsches Arehiv etc., vou Ziemssen und Zeunker, 1867, Bd. iii. 
Heft 6. 168 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
Time has not yet allowed me to fully examine and 
repeat all of Brenner's experiments in detail; but 
from the observations I have made on this subject 
since the publication of Brenner's treatise, I feel 
compelled to dispute his statements with regard to 
the physiological inefficacy of the induced current, 
while I am inclined to corroborate most of his con- 
clusions as far as the action of the continuous cur- 
rent is concerned. 
By the application of electricity to the membrana 
tympani in the living man two other remarkable 
phenomena are produced, viz. a slight and unpleasant 
metallic taste, and a more or less abundant flow of 
saliva. The former of these phenomena has been 
noticed by Duchenne,* and Baierlacher; f the latter 
was discovered by myself in 1858. 
The production of the peculiar sensation of taste 
which is caused by the application of the induced 
current to the drum of the ear, is due to excitation 
of the trunk of the chorda tympani, which, after 
having emerged from the cavity of the tympanum 
through the fissura Glaseri, descends towards the 
lingual nerve, in the sheath of which it enters, 
and then proceeds towards the tongue. Thus it 
is proved by electro-physiology that the chorda 
tympani essentially contributes to the perception of 
taste; and clinical experience has confirmed this 
* De 1'Electrisation localisee et de son application a la physiologic, 
la pathologie et la therapeutique. Paris, 1855, p. 809. 
f Die Inductions-Elektricitat. Niirnberg, 1857, p- 98. CHAP. II.] 
ORGAN OF HEARING. 
169 
physiological induction; since in certain cases of 
paralysis of the portio dura, loss of taste has been 
observed, together with palsy of the muscles of the 
face; this loss of taste exists only on the affected 
side, and usually disappears at the same time with 
the other symptoms of paralysis of the portio dura. 
Several cases of this kind have been recorded by Dr. 
Gull* and others. 
A not less remarkable phenomenon is the flow of 
saliva produced by the application of both the con- 
tinuous and induced currents to the drum of the ear. 
My attention was directed to this fact in the follow- 
ing way: having often been requested to try the 
• fects of galvanism on patients suffering from ner- 
vous deafness, I noticed that the patients during the 
operation made movements of deglutition; I then 
experimented on myself with the view of ascertaining 
the cause of these movements, and found that, if a 
current of rather high tension was caused to act 
upon the chorda tympani, the saliva began to flow 
more or less abundantly; the effect being more 
marked with the continuous than with the induced 
current. It is evident that this is due to electric 
excitation of those fibres of the chorda tympani 
which do not proceed towards the tongue with the 
lingual nerve, but are detached from the principal 
part of the chorda, and penetrate into the submaxil- 
lary ganglion. The saliva, therefore, which is ob- 
* A further report on the value of electricity as a remedial agent, in 
Guy's Hospital Reports, 1852, vol. viii. part i. p. 81. 170 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. n. 
served to flow when the chorda tympani is galvanised, 
is secreted in the submaxillary gland. 
4. Organ of Taste.-That a peculiar sensation of 
taste is perceived when the tongue is touched by 
two heterogeneous metals, has been known long 
before the discovery of galvanism. M. Sulzer * 
seems to have been the first whose attention was 
directed to this fact. In a paper which was pub- 
lished by him in the Reports of the Berlin Academy 
of Sciences, in 1754, the following remarks occur: 
' If a piece of lead and a rod of silver be connected 
with one another, and approached to different parts 
of the tongue, a sensation of taste is experienced, 
which resembles that produced by' vitriol of iron ; 
while, if we employ either of the metals alone, not 
the slightest taste is perceived. It is probable that 
by the connection of the two metals a vibration is 
produced in the smallest particles, either of the lead 
or of the silver, or of both; and that this vibration, 
which must necessarily affect the nerves of the tongue, 
produces the taste described.' This is in so far inter- 
esting, as it is in all probability the first observation 
ever made on the physiological effects of galvanic 
electricity. 
If a single pair of zinc and silver be applied to the 
tongue, the zinc being directed to the top, and the 
* Recherches sur 1'origine des sentimens agreables et desagreables, 
in Histoire de 1'Academie des Sciences et Belles-Lettres de Berlin, 
1754, p. 356. CHAP. II.] 
ORGAN OF TASTE. 
171 
silver to the back, of that organ, a decidedly acid 
taste is produced under the zinc, and a feebly alka- 
line taste under the silver plate. These sensations 
are not only perceived at the commencement and at 
the cessation of the current, but also as long as the 
circuit remains closed. The effect is most striking 
when the tongue is at its ordinary temperature, and 
when the metals have the same temperature as the 
tongue. When either the metals, or the tongue, or 
both, are heated or cooled, as far as can be borne 
without inconvenience, scarcely any sensation is pro- 
duced ; and whatever has a tendency to blunt the 
sensibility of the tongue, such as acids, pepper, laud- 
anum, spirits, &c., diminishes the effect of galvanism. 
M. Tripier * has directed attention to the circum- 
stance that when the tongue is not in direct commu- 
nication with the electrodes-as for instance, when 
one moistened conductor is placed to the right, and 
the other to the left cheek-the taste is neither acid 
nor alkaline, but metallic. This taste persists longer 
after the circuit is opened than is the case when the 
tongue itself is galvanised, and becomes stronger at 
the moment of breaking the circuit, which is like- 
wise not the case when the tongue itself is galvanised. 
I have frequently observed that a metallic taste, such 
as of copper or iron, is produced when the positive 
pole of the battery is placed to the sacrum, and the 
negative to the nape of the neck.. The sensation of 
* Electrolyse et Resolution; Tribune medicale. Paris. Octobre 
1868. 172 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
taste gradually increases as the current continues to 
circulate, becomes very powerful at the moment of 
breaking the circuit, and generally continues in a 
modified manner from five to fifteen minutes after 
the current has ceased to act. 
A powerful continuous current applied directly to 
the tongue, produces not only the specific sensation 
of taste, but also a flash of light, and pain in, and 
commotions of, the tongue. The induced current 
produces only the lattei' phenomena, but no sensation 
of taste. Frictional electricity, however, has an 
action on the tongue which resembles that produced 
on it by galvanism. Fowler has compared the taste 
produced by common electric sparks to the taste of 
vinegar, and that produced by galvanism to the taste 
of diluted sulphuric acid. Volta found that if a chain 
was formed of several persons, one touching with his 
finger the tongue of his next neighbour, and so on, 
while each of the two who formed the first and last 
link of the chain took hold of one of the poles of the 
battery, every person in the chain perceived a distinct 
sensation of taste. I have often observed that per- 
sons who are highly sensitive to the application of 
electricity, feel the galvanic taste distinctly if the con- 
tinuous current is applied merely to the arms or legs. 
This remarkable influence of electricity upon the 
tongue has been explained in various ways. Some 
observers consider that the taste arises from a pecu- 
liar condition of the gustatory nerve produced by 
electricity, just as the retina responds to the galvanic CHAP. II.] 
ORGAN OF TASTE. 
173 
stimulus by a flash of light, and the auditory nerve 
by sounds. On the other hand, the differences in the 
taste beneath the two poles seem to point to the con- 
clusion that the effect is due to an electrolytic de- 
composition of the salts of the saliva; as from chlo- 
ride of sodium, which is contained in that liquid, 
chlorine or hydrochloric acid would be evolved at the 
positive pole, whence the acid taste; and soda at the 
negative pole, whence the alkaline taste. But it 
must be objected to this explanation that a current 
which is so feeble that its positive pole does not even 
redden litmus paper, yet produces a distinct sensa- 
tion of taste ; while highly diluted acids will redden 
litmus paper visibly, even if they are so weak that 
they cannot by taste be distinguished from distilled 
water. Frictional electricity, which has very feeble 
chemical properties, yet produces a marked sensation 
of taste; and Volta has observed that an acid taste 
was perceived under the zinc pole, even when the 
mucous membrane of the tongue was in contact with 
an alkaline solution, by which the acid, which might 
have been formed, would immediately become neu- 
tralised, so as to produce no physiological effect 
whatever. Another important fact which is opposed 
to the theory of electrolysis, is one observed by 
Monro, viz., that the taste is perceived, not only 
when the metals are directly applied to the tongue, 
but also when pieces of raw or boiled meat are placed 
between the electrodes and that organ. Now, if the 
acids and alkalies deposited by electrolysis on the 174 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
tongue were really the cause of the taste, this latter 
ought only to be perceived when the tongue is in 
direct contact with the electrodes; since it is a well- 
known fact, that the electrolytic deposition of acids 
and alkalies does not take place within the electrolyte 
itself, but merely at the extremities of the metallic 
electrodes. 
Rosenthal,* who has recently investigated this 
subject, has observed that, if the positive electrode 
of a galvanic battery is surrounded with a piece of 
blue litmus paper, which in order to make it conduct 
has been moistened with distilled water, and placed 
on the tip of the tongue, the acid appears at first 
only on that side of the litmus paper which is turned 
towards the metal, and not on that which touches the 
tongue; for if the current acts for a short time, a red 
spot will appear on that side which is turned towards 
the metal, while there is no change of colour on the 
opposite side. Nevertheless, the acid taste is per- 
ceived immediately on closing the circuit, that is, 
before the surface of the tongue is in contact with 
an acid solution. 
Rosenthal also made the following experiment:- 
The poles of a Daniell's battery of from one to four 
pairs were connected with zinc plates immersed in 
two small vessels filled with a solution of sulphate 
of zinc. These vessels were connected by means of 
syphon-tubes, with two other vessels, one of which 
* Ueber den elektrischen Gesehmack. Du Bois-Reymond's and 
Reichert's Archiv, 1860, p. 217. CHAP. II.] 
ORGAN OF TASTE. 
175 
was filled with, a solution of table-salt, and the other 
with distilled water. A cushion of blotting paper 
moistened with distilled water, was made to emerge 
from the latter vessel; and a contrivance was inter- 
polated into the circuit which allowed the experi- 
menter rapidly to change the direction of the current. 
If now one hand was immersed into the solution of 
table-salt, and the paper cushion touched with the tip 
of the tongue, the current could be made to travel 
either from the tongue to the cushion, or in the 
opposite direction. A piece of blue and one of red 
litmus paper were now placed on the cushion, so that 
both touched the tongue; and it was found that the 
blue paper remained unchanged, while the red one 
was rendered slightly blue by the alkaline buccal 
mucus. This was observed whether the current was 
direct or inverse, and it was therefore proved that 
no perceptible quantity, either of acid or alkali, is 
set free between the tongue and the cushion. 
Nevertheless, the sensation of taste was eminently 
acid when the current moved from the cushion to the 
tongue, and feebly alkaline when it travelled in the 
opposite direction. 
Rosenthal found that the acid taste is not only 
more intense, but also more immediately perceived 
on closing the circuit, while the alkaline taste is 
more gradually developed as the current continues 
to act. The acid taste persists a short time after the 
circuit is broken, while the alkaline taste disappears 
immediately afterwards. If the direction of the cur- 176 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
rent is suddenly reversed, the alkaline taste yields at 
once to the acid, while the acid only gradually merges 
into the alkaline taste. 
It appears from these researches that the deposi- 
tion of free acid or alkali on the surface of the tongue 
is not a necessary condition for the perception of the 
sensation of taste. The only objection that might 
still be raised against this conclusion would be, that 
Du Bois-Reymond has shown polarisation to take 
place on the point of contact of two electrolytes; and 
that therefore acid or alkali might be set free at the 
end of the tongue or the cushion. But this objection 
is overruled by Volta's experiment, already mentioned, 
which shows that the chemical composition of the 
liquid which is in contact with the tongue has no 
influence on the perception of taste, since an alkaline 
liquid has an acid taste when an electric current is 
made to pass from that liquid to the tongue. Rosen- 
thal has, however, made an experiment to prove that 
polarisation has nothing to do with the production 
of the galvanic taste :-One of two persons takes hold 
of the positive and the other one of the negative pole 
of the battery, after which they touch each other by 
the tips of their tongues ; the one who holds the 
negative pole, then perceives the acid, and the other 
one, who holds the positive pole, perceives the alka- 
line taste. In this experiment both persons are 
under similar conditions, except as far as the direc- 
tion of the current in their tongues is concerned. 
This is the reverse in each, and both perceive the chap. nJ 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
177 
opposite taste, although one tongue touches the 
other, and therefore the same capillary layer of liquid 
covers either tongue. It is therefore evident that 
the electrolytic theory of the galvanic taste is unten- 
able. The long persistence of the taste after the 
galvanism has been applied in a peculiar manner 
(p. 171) is likewise opposed to the electrolytic theory. 
Professor Schonbein has suggested another expla- 
nation.* He supposes that by the galvanic current 
air becomes decomposed, and that, at the positive 
pole, the oxygen and nitrogen combine to form nitric 
acid, which would produce the acid taste. But 
Schonbein does not explain the cause of the alkaline 
taste which is perceived under the negative pole, and 
it seems almost impossible that the action of a single 
galvanic pair, or of a few and small electric sparks on 
air, should form a sufficient quantity of nitric acid 
to produce a decidedly acid taste. We are therefore 
led to the conclusion that the galvanic taste is due 
to a peculiar Condition of the gustatory nerves caused 
by electricity. 
IV. ACTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT UPON 
THE MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
Experiments in Animals.-If a motor nerve of an 
animal recently killed be subjected to the action of 
a continuous galvanic current, contractions of all the 
* Ueber einige mittelbare physiologische Wirkungen der atmospha- 
rischen Elektricitat. Henle xmd Pfeufer's Zeitschrift, 1851, Heft iii. 
p. 385. 178 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
muscles animated by this nerve are produced, on 
closing as well as on opening the circuit, whether the 
current be direct or inverse. Care must be taken, 
however, that the electrodes connected with the poles 
of the battery be placed at two points of the nerve 
which, although they may be near each other, are at 
a different height, so that the electric current may 
traverse the nerve in an oblique direction. If the cur- 
rent were to pass transversely through the nerve, one 
electrode being applied to the right and the other to 
the left side of it, at the same point of its transverse 
section, no contractions would take place. 
It was Luigi Galvani,* of Bologna, who first ob- 
served, in 1786, that when the nerves and muscles 
of a frog were connected by means of an arc composed 
of two different metals, powerful contractions of the 
muscles took place. Soon after Galvani's discovery 
had been made known, Volta f found that these con- 
tractions also took place if the nerves alone were 
enclosed in the circuit. In their first experiments, 
Galvani and Volta noticed only the contraction pro- 
duced on establishing the circuit; it was another 
Italian philosopher, Valli,J who soon afterwards ob- 
served another contraction caused by breaking the 
circuit. It has lately been asserted by M. Du- 
* De viribus electricitatis in motu musculari commentarius. Bologna, 
1791. This essay was published five years after Galvani had first 
made his discovery. 
f Collezione dell' opere del Cavaliere Conte Alessandro Volta. Flo- 
rence, 1816, vol. iv. p. 134. 
J Reinhold, Geschichte des Galvanismus etc., 1792, p. 25. chap, ii.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
179 
meril,* that these observations had been made a long 
time ago by the Dutch philosopher, Swammerdam, 
who had shown the experiment to the Grand Duke 
of Tuscany in 1668. Dumeril's assertion has been 
repeated by Matteucci and Dr. Golding Bird; but a 
close examination of Swammerdam's experiments 
shows that the contractions he observed were pro- 
duced by a mechanical irritation of the nerve, and 
not by galvanism. 
Before we enter more fully into the interesting 
phenomena brought about by the application of gal- 
vanism to the motor nerves and muscles, it is neces- 
sary to state that the contractions produced by the 
entrance and the cessation of the current do not 
take place in consequence of the motor nerve simply 
conducting the electric fluid to the muscles ; although 
the nerve is, as we have already seen, a conductor 
of electricity. But the mere conductivity of the 
nerves does not explain the physiological effect pro- 
duced by their electric excitation; for if a wet thread 
be tightly applied to a nerve so that it becomes thin 
and reduced to its neurilemma, no contractions can 
be caused in the muscles animated by it, if the 
electrodes be applied to the nerve above the point 
where it has been tied; although by such a proceed- 
ing the propagation of electricity is not arrested, 
since the wet thread conducts equally well as the 
nerve. Another still more remarkable proof is, that 
* Annales des Sciences naturelles, 2e serie. Zoologie. Paris, 1840, 
vol. xiii. p. 65. 180 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
a few drops of ether applied to any point of the nerve 
will suspend the contractions of the muscles, if the 
electrodes be placed above or at the point where the 
ether has been applied; the contractions, however, 
will re-appear as soon as the effects of the ether have 
passed off. Finally, if the nerves of a frog are gal- 
vanised which has been previously poisoned by woo- 
rara, not the least contraction occurs in the muscles 
animated by these nerves ; although woorara does in 
no way affect the electric conductivity of the nerves, 
which remains perfectly intact; nor the contractile 
power of the muscles, for they are seen to suffer 
commotions if the electric current is directly applied 
to their substance without the intervention of the 
nerves; it is only because woorara destroys that 
peculiar force by which the nerves are enabled to 
produce the play of the muscles. Hence it results 
that contractions of the muscles cannot be produced by 
the galvanic excitation of the motor nerves, unless the 
nerves be in a state of integrity. The electric current 
excites the nerve and rouses its power of producing 
muscular contractions; it causes a disturbance in 
the molecular equilibrium of the nerve, whereby this 
is enabled to cause a shortening of the muscular 
fibres, attended by an increase in their diameter. 
Volta,* whose genius unfolded so many phenomena 
relating to galvanic electricity, thought the contrac- 
* On the electricity excited by the mere contact of conducting sub- 
stances of different kinds. In a letter to the Right Honourable Sir 
Joseph Banks. Philosoph. Transactions, 1800, p. 421. chap, n.] MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
181 
tion produced at the commencement of the current 
easy to explain, but could not well understand why 
a similar contraction should take place on break- 
ing the circuit; he erroneously supposed that this 
second shock was due to a sort of counter-current, 
produced at the moment when the circuit is broken 
causees par une espece de reflux du fluide elec- 
trique'). Another view was taken by Lehot,* who 
stated that during the passage of an electric current 
through a nerve, part of the electricity accumulated 
in it, and on the interruption of the current dis- 
charged itself, traversing the nerve in an opposite 
direction, and thus giving rise to contraction. Nearly 
thirty years later Lehot's theory was again taken up 
by Marianini ; f but neither Volta, nor Lehot, nor 
Marianini have been able to furnish any conclusive 
proofs in support of their opinions, and we are now 
able to explain the phenomenon described in a satis- 
factory way without having recourse to hypotheses 
unsupported by facts. 
We have seen that during the time that a contin- 
uous galvanic current traverses a motor nerve, no 
visible effect takes place in the muscles, providing 
the current of the battery is constant. It appears, 
therefore, strange that Matteucci, J in a paper on the 
measurement of the nervous force developed by the 
* Gilbert's Annalen der Physik, 1801, vol. ix. p. 188. 
t Sur la secousse qu'eprouvent les animaux, ete., in Annales de 
Chimie et de Physique, par Guy-Lussac et Arago. Paris, 1829, vol. 
xl. p. 225. 
J Annales de Chimie et de Physique, 1844, 3e serie; vol. xi. p. 403. 182 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY, 
[chap. it. 
electric current, should have asserted that a constant 
relation existed between the consumption of zinc in 
the production of electricity, and the mechanical effect 
produced by the contraction of a frog's leg, the nerve 
of which was traversed by the current; as it is obvious 
that we may with the same quantity of zinc in a 
galvanic circuit obtain ad libitum few or an immense 
number of contractions, in proportion as we make 
and break the circuit more or less rapidly. Indeed, 
the visible physiological effect occurs at the moment 
when the density of the current suddenly rises from 
zero to a certain height, as is the case on establish- 
ing the circuit; and, on the other hand, when the 
density of the current descends again from a certain 
height to zero, as is the case on breaking the circuit. 
Proceeding from these facts, Du Bois-Reymond* has 
established an electro-physiological law for the mo- 
tor nerves, which he has proposed in the following 
terms :-c The motor nerve is not excited by the 
absolute amount of the density of the current, but 
merely by the variations which occur in the density 
of the current from one instant to the other; and 
the physiological effect is the greater, the more 
considerable are the variations of the density of the 
current; that is, in proportion as they take place 
more rapidly, or as they are more considerable in a 
given space of time.' This affords a striking analogy 
to the development of induction currents in coils of 
* Untersuchungen uber thierische Elektricitat. Berlin, 1848, vol. i. 
p. 258. chap. ii.J 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
183 
wires connected with the poles of a battery; since 
induction currents are only produced on making and 
breaking the circuit of the battery, but not while the 
circuit remains closed. 
By Du Bois-Reymond's law it is easy to explain a 
number of phenomena which had been observed a 
long time ago. Thus, it is not absolutely necessary 
for producing contractions, that the current travers- 
ing a nerve should be closed or opened, as thereby 
only the maximum of variation is produced. Physi- 
ological effects may likewise be caused by minor varia- 
tions in the density of the current; for instance, if 
the power of the current traversing a motor nerve 
be suddenly increased ; or if another current be sud- 
denly brought to bear upon a nerve traversed by a 
continuous current; or if a portion of the current 
passing through a nerve be suddenly diverted, as 
may be done in the following way:-the legs of a 
frog which has been skinned and prepared as usual, 
are immersed in two separate vessels filled with 
water, and connected with the poles of the battery; 
the two vessels are then suddenly connected by means 
of an arc of copper or silver wire; by this wire a 
portion of the current is withdrawn, and a contraction 
is immediately produced. Variations of this kind are 
however not so considerable, and the physiological 
effect therefore is not so striking, as that observed 
on closing or opening the circuit. 
It also easy to understand from Du Bois-Reymond's 
law the action of an induced current upon the motor 184 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
nerves and muscles. Induction currents are instanta- 
neous, they consist only of great and sudden varia- 
tions, which succeed each other more or less rapidly, 
in consequence of the commencement and the ces- 
sation of the current of the battery, and the magne- 
tisation and demagnetisation of the soft iron. A 
single induction shock has the same effect as the 
opening or closing of the circuit of the battery; 
contractions appear in consequence of the disturb- 
ance of the molecular equilibrium of the nerve ; but 
the muscles relax immediately afterwards. But when 
the induction currents succeed each other rapidly, 
the contractions caused by them likewise occur in 
rapid succession, and the muscles relax less and less 
the more rapidly the shocks be given. With a 
certain rapidity of the shocks, the contraction ap- 
pears continuous, as if produced by the will; but 
this apparently continuous contraction consists only 
of a very rapid succession of single contractions, 
the intervals between which are too short to be 
distinguished. The induction apparatus which I 
usually employ can furnish 120 currents in a second; 
so that if it be applied to a muscle, 120 single con- 
tractions may be produced in a second, and 7200 in 
a minute. 
Du Bois-Reymond's law was for some time be- 
lieved to be the absolutely correct expression of these 
conditions, but more recent researches of Pfliiger, 
Von Bezold, and others, have caused certain modi- 
fications of the same to be adopted. chap. nJ 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
185 
Pfliiger * has shown that, although excitation 
depends chiefly on the variations of the density of 
the current traversing a nerve, yet even a feeble and 
perfectly constant current may, under certain cir- 
cumstances, prove an excitant. The nerve is, accord- 
ing to him, excited as soon as any external force 
changes, with a certain rapidity, the molecular con- 
dition of the nerve, whereas a stationary condition of 
the same is incompatible with excitation. 
Von Bezold f has followed up Pfliiger's investiga- 
tions, and arrived at the following conclusions: A 
constant continuous current which traverses a nerve 
may, as long as it flows in the same direction, cause 
the molecular process of excitation. Where the 
variations in the density of the current are positive, 
and the current is perfectly constant, excitation is 
produced only in the neighbourhood of the negative 
electrode; but the nerve or muscle in the neighbour- 
hood of the positive pole is only excited, if at all, by 
the propagation of the excitation produced at the 
negative pole. Again, when the variations in the 
density of the current are negative, or on closing the 
galvanic current traversing the nerves or muscles, 
excitation only takes place proxiiiiately in the neigh- 
bourhood of the positive electrode; and those trans- 
verse sections of muscles and nerves which are in the 
neighbourhood of the negative electrode are only 
* UntersuchungenuberdiePhysiologied.es Electrotonus. Berlin, 1859. 
f Untersuchungen iiber die electrische Erregung der Nerven und 
Muskeln. Leipzig, 1861. 186 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
excited, if at all, by the propagation of the excitation 
produced near the positive pole. 
Finally, if the power of the continuous current, the 
closing or opening of which serves as stimulant, is 
below a certain standard, the molecular process of 
excitation in nervous and muscular fibres does not 
follow immediately upon the positive or negative 
variation in the density of the current, corresponding 
to its closing or opening; but a certain space of time 
elapses before the process of excitation commences, 
the length of time thus intervening being inversely 
proportional to the intensity of the current employed. 
The motor nerve is therefore, according to Von 
Bezold, not excited by variations which occur in the 
density of the current from one instant to another; 
but on closing the circuit the effect is produced by the 
continuous current traversing the organs in a perfectly 
constant manner; and on opening the circuit, the 
same takes place in consequence of the disturbances 
of molecular equilibrium in these organs, which per- 
sist for some time after the circuit has been opened. 
Von Bezold is, by these results of his investiga- 
tions, led to the conclusion that, as far as the con- 
tinuous galvanic current is concerned, its exciting 
effect is in reality due to its chemical action upon 
the nerves and muscles, and that galvanisation of the 
nerves and muscles acts by inducing chemical changes 
in the same. The induced current stands, according 
to the same observer, in a totally different position, 
and has more complicated effects. Each single chap, ii.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
187 
shock from an induction machine is composed of at 
least three different acts which have to be separately 
considered; viz. the rise, the constant flow, and the 
fall of the density of the current. 
A. Fick* has made some ingenious experiments 
on the effects of the continuous current upon the 
sphincter of the fresh-water mussel. He found 
that, generally speaking, variations in the density of 
the current stimulate the sphincter of the mussel in 
the same manner as the frog's muscles; it is, how- 
ever, in this case necessary that the rapidity of the 
variation should not fall below a certain standard. 
If the sphincter of the fresh-water mussel is very 
gradually subjected to, or withdrawn from, the influ- 
ence of the current, no contractions are perceived. 
Moreover the electric condition must have a certain 
duration, the length of which should be inversely 
proportional to the intensity of the current used; 
that is, where the current is very weak it must act 
longer, while with a strong current less time is 
required. 
Influence of intensity and direction.-If a feeble 
continuous current be applied to a nerve, the nerve 
may retain its excitability very long, and will not be 
destroyed, as is done by mechanical and chemical 
stimuli. But if the current be of some power; if, 
instead of a single pair, a pile be applied ; the nerve 
* Beitrage zur vergleichenden Physiologic der irritabeln Substanzen. 
Braunschweig, 1863. 188 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. n. 
is cauterised by the chemical action of the pile, es- 
pecially at the point where the negative pole has 
touched the nerve, for by the electrolysis of the 
saline solution contained in the nerve, caustic alkali 
is set free at the negative pole. 
No physiological effect whatever is produced if a 
nerve to which a powerful continuous current has 
been applied, be afterwards again subjected to the 
action of a feeble continuous current or an induced 
current, above or at the point to which the negative 
pole has been directed; but if the same nerve be ex- 
cited at a point nearer to the muscle and beneath 
the negative pole, the muscles animated by it may 
again be caused to contract. A wire rendered incan- 
descent by voltaic electricity will destroy the nerve 
by heat. Induction currents of ordinary power have 
no such destructive effects; but an induced current 
of very high tension, or powerful shocks of static elec- 
tricity, may annihilate the vitality of the nerve by 
the mere force of the concussion. 
The phenomena produced by the electric excita- 
tion of motor nerves also present certain differences 
according to the direction of the current. This was 
first pointed out by Pfaff.* For observing these 
differences, however, it is necessary to employ a 
feeble current, as furnished by a single galvanic pair. 
It is then noticed that when the nerves are in the 
highest degree of excitability, as is the case imme- 
diately after death, and when they have not yet been 
* Ueber thierische Electricitat und Beizbarkeit. Leipzig, 1795, p. 74, chap, ii.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
189 
subjected to the action of the galvanic current, the 
contractions are equally powerful on using the direct 
or the inverse current, and on closing and opening 
the circuit. But if the nerves have lost some of their 
excitability, as is the case a certain time after death, 
and when they have been somewhat exhausted by the 
application of electricity, a difference may be noticed 
in the physiological effect. It is then seen that, if 
a direct or downward current be applied to a nerve, 
the contraction is produced only at the moment when 
the circuit is established, but not while, the current 
continues to traverse the nerve, nor at the moment 
when it ceases to pass ; and, on the other hand, if an 
inverse or upward current be sent through the nerve, 
there are no contractions at the commencement of 
the current, nor while the circuit remains closed, but 
only at the moment when it is broken. If a frog 
prepared in Galvani's fashion is used, and the two 
legs are immersed in two vessels filled with water and 
connected separately with the poles of the battery, 
contractions will no longer take place in both limbs 
at the same time, as was the case immediately after 
the death of the animal; but a contraction is ob- 
served on making the circuit in that leg in which the 
current is direct or downwards, and on breaking the 
circuit in the other leg in which the current is in- 
verse or upwards. If the period elapsed after the 
death of the animal be still greater, or if the nerves 
have for a considerable time been subjected to the 
action of the galvanic current, only one contraction 190 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
will occur, viz. that produced by making the direct 
circuit; and finally, all contractility will disappear. 
These differences in the contractile power of the 
muscles were first investigated by M. Nobili,* of 
Reggio, who has distinguished five different periods 
of the excitability of the muscles, the first of which 
is, where, by the direct as well as by the inverse 
current, contractions are produced both at the com- 
mencement and at the cessation of the current; the 
last, where neither by the direct nor by the inverse 
current contractions are to be perceived, whether the 
circuit may be opened or broken. 
The following table may serve to illustrate 
I. 
II. 
III. 
IV. 
V. 
Direct Current 
Inverse Current 
Making 
Breaking 
Making 
Breaking 
Contraction 
Strong contract. 
Strong contract. 
Contraction 
Contraction 
Feeble contract 
Contraction 
Contraction 
Strong contract. 
Strong contract. 
Nobili's Law of Contractions. 
It is very probable that these differences depend 
upon certain changes which occur in the current 
proper of the nerves after their separation from the 
animal body. But Nobili's law is not invariable; 
* Memorie ed Osservazioni edite ed inedite del cavaliere Leopoldo 
Nobili, Florence, 1834, vol. i. p. 135; and Annales de Chimie et de 
Physique, mai 1830, vol. xliv. p. 60. chap, ii.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
191 
for in some instances just the contrary will happen, 
viz. a strong contraction on breaking the direct and 
on making the inverse current. These exceptions, 
which, it is true, are of rare occurrence, are probably 
to be accounted for by certain differences which 
exist in the nutrition of the nerves and muscles, and 
by the different way in which these parts have been 
treated after death. It is a curious fact that two 
and even three of these different periods of excit- 
ability of the muscles may exist in the same nerve at 
the same time, provided that the nerve be excited at 
different points of its length. This depends upon 
the circumstance that the nerves, when they have 
been separated from their centres, die in a direction 
from the centre to the periphery, as was first pointed 
out by Valli and Ritter. The vital energy will, 
therefore, continue longest in the terminal branches 
of a nerve. Thus contractions may occur both at the 
commencement and at the cessation of the current, 
whatever may be its direction, if the intra-muscular 
branches of the nerve be excited; but if the nerve be 
galvanised nearer to the centre, only two contractions 
may appear, viz. on making the direct and on breaking 
the inverse; while if the nerve current is applied close 
to the spinal cord, a contraction is caused only on 
making the direct current. From this it may be in- 
ferred that the manifold differences noticed in the 
electro-muscular contractions have not that important 
physiological bearing which had been attributed to 
them by previous observers. It is quite true that there 192 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[CHAP. II. 
are different periods of excitability in the nerves 
after they have been separated from the animal 
body. But these do never occur in the living nerves, 
so long as they are connected with the nervous 
centres ; they are merely the result of the fatigue of 
the nerves which necessarily occurs a certain time 
after their separation from the animal body; and 
after they have been repeatedly subjected to the 
action of the galvanic current. 
Pfliiger was led by his researches to the establish- 
ment of a different law of contractions, which has 
superseded Nobili's law. It is as follows :- 
Strength of Current 
Direct Current 
Inverse Current 
Feeble 
Making: contraction 
Making: contraction 
Breaking: rest 
Breaking: rest 
Medium 
Making: contraction 
Making: contraction 
Breaking: contraction 
Breaking: contraction 
Strong 
Making: contraction 
Making: rest 
Breaking: rest 
Breaking: contraction 
Before we leave this subject, it is necessary to 
mention the experiments which have been made by 
Messrs. Longet and Matteucci,* in order to deter- 
mine if different physiological effects would be brought 
about by the application of galvanism to the motor 
and the mixed nerves ; that is, the pure motor nerves, 
* Annales de Chimie et de Physique, 3e serie. Paris, 1844, vol. xii. 
p. 574. CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
193 
before they have received sensitive fibres from the 
posterior roots, or the motor nerves after sensitive 
fibres have been associated with them. They say that 
if the anterior roots were galvanised, contractions 
were produced on making the inverse current and on 
breaking the direct, while the contrary was observed 
if the mixed nerves were subjected to the action of 
the current; viz. contractions on making the direct, 
and on breaking the inverse current. Hence they 
concluded that it might be possible to tell the nature 
of nerves, whether mixed or purely motor, by merely 
applying to them a continuous current, and noticing 
the physiological effect produced by it. These results 
have, however, not been confirmed by the recent and 
more exact researches of Claude Bernard and Rous- 
seau,* so that the assertions of Messrs. Longet and 
Matteucci deserve a place only in the history of 
physiological science. 
Effects on Living Nerves.-When the motor nerves 
are in their normal connection with the nervons 
centres, the application of galvanism produces some- 
what different effects from those which are observed 
in nerves separated from the body of the animal. 
It was first pointed out by Valentin and Bernard, 
that if a nerve was galvanised while still connected 
with the spinal cord of the living animal-that 
is to say, in its normal physiological condition- 
* Lemons stir la Physiologie et la Pathologie du Systeme nerveux, 
par M. Claude Bernard. Paris, 1858, vol. i. p. 167. 194 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
a contraction was produced only on establishing the 
circuit, whatever might be the direction of the current. 
But if the nerve was fatigued by any cause, as for 
instance, by the prolonged and energetic action of 
the galvanic current, or by the action of heat during 
summer, or if the nerve was ligatured or divided 
above the point touched by the electrodes, two con- 
tractions were produced, one at the commencement 
and another at the cessation of the current. These 
two contractions are, therefore, an indication of a 
fatigued state of the nerve. If the fatigue becomes 
greater, contractions are only produced on making 
the direct and breaking the inverse current; finally, 
only a single contraction is obtained on making the 
direct current. These four different periods succeed 
each other much more rapidly in summer than in 
winter, as cold weather is favourable to the con- 
tinuance of the excitability of the nerve. 
Effects on the Living Nerves of Man.-If in a healthy 
man a feeble or moderately powerful continuous 
current is made to act on a motor nerve, there is 
only a contraction on establishing the circuit, whatever 
may be the direction of the current, and whether the 
closing and opening is effected with the positive or 
the negative pole. At the cessation of the current 
there is no contraction at all. The negative pole is, 
however, in so far more effective than the positive, 
that, if the negative is applied to the nerve, and the 
positive to the muscle, a contraction on closing will CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
195 
be produced by less galvanic power than if the 
position of the poles is reversed. 
Galvano-tonic Contractions.-If the power of the 
current used is very high, tonic contractions may be 
observed during the whole time the circuit is closed, 
and also on opening it. These contractions have by 
Remak* been described as galvano-tonic contractions. 
He observed that if a very powerful current was sent 
through certain nerve-trunks, tonic contractions were 
apt to occur in the antagonistic muscles. Thus, for 
instance, when he acted upon his own median nerve, 
he felt tingling in all the parts animated by branches 
of the median nerve, and observed a contraction, 
which gradually increased, in the extensors of the 
wrist and of the fingers. The hand was raised to an 
angle of about 45°, and the fingers were extended. 
This contraction continued as long as the current of 
the battery circulated in the median nerve, but the 
hand immediately dropped on breaking the circuit. 
He states that he was able to resist the involuntary 
extension of the hand while the circuit was closed, 
since he preserved the full force of volition over the 
muscles animated by the median nerve ; but as soon 
as he ceased to resist, the extension of the wrist and 
the fingers was again produced. The same took 
place if he sent a continuous current through the 
trunk of the radial nerve, by placing one electrode to 
* Galvanotherapie der Nerven- und Muskelkranklieiten. Berlin, 1858, 
p. 56. 196 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
the point between biceps and triceps, where the 
radial nerve is accessible, and the other electrode 
on the back of the fore-arm, where the inter-osseous 
nerve is superficial. He then perceived tonic con- 
tractions of the muscles animated by the median 
and ulnar nerves, that is to say, flexion of the hand 
and the fingers. He termed these contractions gal- 
vano-tonic contractions in order to distinguish them 
from the clonic contractions which are caused in the 
muscles by the induced current or a rapidly inter- 
rupted continuous current; and he believes them to 
be due to variations in the density of the current, 
inasmuch as the resistance in the circuit varies as 
the current continues to circulate. In order to pro- 
duce galvano-tonic contractions, a current of great 
power is necessary. Usually this current causes 
much pain, and in some instances the pain may be 
severe even if no galvano-tonic contractions take 
place; while in other instances less pain may be 
experienced, and the contractions be well marked. 
If a somewhat considerable length of the nervous 
trunk be traversed by the current, the contractions 
are more easily produced than if only a small portion 
of the nerve is acted upon. In some cases it is suffi- 
cient to employ from twenty to thirty plates of 
Daniell's battery charged with acid; in other in- 
stances, however, fifty are necessary. Besides, in the 
same individual the phenomena may be different on 
different days; so that at first contractions occur in 
the muscles animated by branches of the nerve which CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
197 
is traversed by the current, while at another time the 
antagonistic muscles are affected; sometimes even a 
struggle may be observed between the different groups 
of muscles, so that at first there is flexion, and some 
time afterwards extension, wdiile the current continues 
to traverse the same nerve. In Remak's opinion 
these contractions are not produced by direct excita- 
tion of the nerves, but are reflex movements, caused 
by the propagation of the galvanic current to the 
nervous centres. It is however most probable that 
these incongruous phenomena observed by Remak are 
due to galvanic ill-usage of the nerves and muscles. 
The circumstance whether the circuit is closed in 
the battery after the electrodes have been placed in 
contact with the nerves and muscles, or whether it is 
closed by directing electrodes already traversed by 
the current to the nerves and muscles, does not 
appear to cause any differences in the physiological 
effects of the current. 
A phenomenon which is invariably observed when 
the continuous current is applied to the nerves and 
muscles of the living man, is that the power of the 
contraction produced on closing the circuit gra- 
dually increases, while if the induced current be 
used, the extent of the contractions remains the 
same. Benedict,* who alludes to this increase of 
galvano-muscular contractions during the application 
of the continuous current, ascribes it to an increase 
of nervous excitability in consequence of the applica- 
* Electrotherapie. Wien, 1868, p. 32. 198 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
tion of the galvanism. But this only partially explains 
the circumstances of the case, the chief cause of the 
phenomenon being, in my opinion, that by the appli- 
cation of the current the resistance of the skin is 
considerably diminished. 
Soon after the current has been made to act, the 
skin is seen to assume a pinkish hue, in consequence 
of the dilatation of the blood-vessels of the corium; 
and as the blood is the chief conducting medium of 
the human body, an increased quantity of it in any 
organ must of course improve the electric conductivity 
of that organ. The induced current, which, if applied 
in moderate power and by moistened conductors, has 
no influence on the blood-vessels of the skin, produces 
therefore generally the same effects at the commence- 
ment and at the end of the operation; but a continuous 
current, which at first may produce hardly any con- 
tractions at all, generally causes extensive contrac- 
tions after the circuit has been made and broken 
ten or twenty times, or after the electrodes have 
remained fixed for half-a-minute or a minute on those 
points of the skin which correspond to the motor 
nerves. 
The galvano-muscular contractions are much more 
marked if a portion of the nervous centres is included 
in the circuit, than if merely the motor nerve and 
muscle be acted upon. Thus, for instance, a current 
which, if applied from the peronseal nerve down to 
the foot, will not produce any contractions, does so if 
one pole is placed to the lumbar portion of the spine; CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
199 
and even more so if one pole is placed to the cervical 
portion of the spine, or to the head. If an inverse 
current is directed from the nerve to the spine, 
contractions are only observed on opening the cir- 
cuit. 
Effects of the Closed Circuit.-The first who directed 
his attention to the question whether any physio- 
logical effects are produced during the time that 
a closed continuous current traverses a nerve was 
Ritter,* who observed that if a frog's leg be traversed 
for a certain time, say half an hour, by a direct con- 
tinuous current, it did no longer exhibit any contrac- 
tions, if the current was interrupted and afterwards 
established and broken again ; but that it suffered a 
commotion if an inverse current was applied to the 
nerve; this commotion being feeble on making the 
circuit and strong on breaking it. If now an inverse 
current was made to act upon a leg, its excitability 
appeared to be increased. Hence Ritter concluded 
that the direct current exercised a paralysing action 
on the nerve, while the inverse current was apt to 
augment its irritability. 
Ritter also discovered that, when a nerve has for 
some time been traversed by a continuous galvanic 
current, the muscles animated by this nerve pass at 
once into strong tetanic contractions when the circuit 
* Beweis dass ein selbststandiger Galvanismua etc. Weimar, 1798, 
p. 119. 200 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. !!.■ 
is opened.* A direct current does not give rise to 
this tetanus, noi' does the inverse current do so un- 
less it has acted for a sufficient length of time. This 
phenomenon is called ' Ritter's tetanus.' 
Three years afterwards Volta made some experi- 
ments to determine the effect of the closed circuit 
upon the motor nerves.f While Ritter had operated 
with a single galvanic pair, Volta employed the 
stronger current of the pile, and therefore obtained 
different results, which may be described as follows : 
Both the direct and inverse current exercise a para- 
lysing action when they have traversed the nerve for 
a certain length of time. When the nerve has for 
some time been subjected to the action of a direct 
current, the frog's limb no longer responds to the 
same; but it may be convulsed anew if an inverse 
current be substituted for the direct, and vice versa. 
This may be repeated several times, and we may thus 
annihilate and revive ad libitum the readiness of the 
muscles to respond to the galvanic current. The 
succession of phenomena just described has been 
designated by the name of Voltaic alternatives ; but 
to Ritter the merit is due of having first proved that 
the closed circuit has a distinct action upon the 
motor nerve. 
In 1834, Volta's researches upon the action of the 
closed circuit were repeated by Marianini,J who 
* Beitrage etc. 1800, vol. x. p. 142. 
t Collezione dell' opere, etc., vol. ii. p. 219, note (a). 
J Annales de Chimie et de Physique, vol. Ivi. p. 387. Paris, 1834. CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
201 
operated with a pile consisting of sixty pairs of plates, 
and confirmed Volta's results. Nobili* endeavoured 
to explain these phenomena in the following way:- 
He assumed three different states in the nerve-a. 
the natural state; b. the state of direct alteration, 
brought about by a prolonged action of a direct con- 
tinuous current; and c. the state of inverse altera- 
tion produced by the passage of the inverse current. 
He thought it necessary for the production of con- 
tractions, that there should be a sudden transition 
in the nerve from one state to the other; and be- 
lieved that by the prolonged action of a continuous 
current, whatever might be its direction, the nerve 
was rendered incapable of transmitting the action of 
a current moving in the same direction: but that it 
would regain this property if it were allowed to rest 
for some time, or if it were acted upon by a current 
guided in a contrary direction. 
Rosenthal,f who has investigated this subject very 
carefully, has come to the conclusion that if the con- 
tinuous current traverses a motor nerve for a certain 
length of time, it causes a peculiar condition in the 
same in which its excitability is increased to the 
opening of the acting current, and the closing of one 
flowing in an opposite direction; and diminished to 
the closing of the acting and the opening of the 
opposite current. 
* Ibid., vol. xliv. p. 60. 
t Mbnatsberichtc der Berliner Akademie. December 1857, p. 640. 202 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
Inhibitory effects.-That a continuous current may- 
under certain circumstances soothe an irritated 
condition of a nerve, had already been observed by 
Nobili,* who remarked now and then in the course 
of his experiments, that prepared frogs were affected 
by violent tetanus without any apparent cause, and 
again became quiet if a continuous current was sent 
through their limbs in a certain direction, while the 
tetanus continued if the current moved in the con- 
trary direction. (Nobili does not state in which 
direction.) Matteucci f afterwards observed that 
when frogs, tetanised by strychnia, were subjected to 
the action of a continuous galvanic current, the 
tetanus disappeared rapidly, and did not return ; the 
frogs died from the effects of the poison, but without 
the convulsions which are otherwise the consequence 
of the absorption of strychnia. With regard to the 
direction of the current, he stated that tetanus was 
arrested by the passage of the inverse and increased 
by that of the direct current. Together with M. 
Farina he endeavoured to utilise this effect of the 
continuous current in a patient who suffered from 
traumatic tetanus in consequence of having been 
shot through the leg. He caused a current of from 
thirty to forty pairs of plates to pass along the spinal 
cord in the direction from the sacrum to the nape of 
the neck, and introduced the patient gradually into 
the circuit in order to avoid muscular commotions. 
* Memorie etc., p. 91. 
+ Comptes rendus etc., mai 1838, vol. vi. p. 680. chap, ii.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
203 
The lockjaw was relieved for a time, circulation 
and respiration were re-established, and the patient 
appeared generally comforted, but died nevertheless 
afterwards, the irritation having been kept up by 
foreign bodies in the wounded limb. 
Another instance of this has been mentioned by 
Du Bois-Reymond,* who remarked that in a tetan- 
ised frog's limb the gastrocnemius muscle became 
quiet as soon as the sciatic nerve was laid upon the 
tendon of the muscle ; that is, if the inverse current 
proper of the muscle was made to pass through the 
nerve ; but that the tetanus continued unchanged if 
the nerve touched the flesh of the muscle, that is, if 
the direct current proper of the muscle traversed the 
nerve. 
Further researches bearing upon this question 
were undertaken by Professor Eckhard,f of Giessen, 
who was led to the conclusion that if a continuous 
current of a certain intensity and direction was made 
to pass through a nerve, the excitability of this nerve 
was so much diminished that any mechanical, chem- 
ical, or electrical stimuli which would otherwise 
cause contractions of the muscle, no longer induced 
any when the galvanic current continued to traverse 
the nerve; but that as soon as the circuit had been 
opened contractions again appeared if the nerve was 
excited. 
In order to ascertain the differences in the action 
* Untersuchungen etc., vol. i. p. 384. 
f Beitrage etc., p. 2a. 204 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
of a direct and of an inverse current, M. Eckhard 
made three series of experiments. 
a. He placed the positive electrode at a certain 
point of the nerve, and the negative lower down; he 
then tetanised the muscles by applying salt water to 
the nerve, at a point between the two electrodes. As 
soon as the electrodes had been connected with the 
poles of the battery, that is, when a direct continuous 
current traversed the nerve, the tetanus was arrested; 
but when the circuit was opened, the tetanic con- 
vulsions re-appeared. This inhibitory effect was more 
striking if, instead of the direct, the inverse current 
traversed the nerve. 
b. The continuous current was made to pass 
through a motor nerve, as above, and afterwards a 
stimulus applied, not between, but above the elec- 
trodes. The result was the same as in a; both the 
direct and the inverse current exercised an inhibi- 
tory influence, but that of the inverse was stronger 
than that of the direct. If, instead of a mechanical 
or chemical stimulus, an induced current was used 
for exciting the nerve, the inhibitory effect was 
strongest, if both the continuous and the induced 
current were inverse. 
c. An inverse continuous current was sent through 
a nerve, and the stimulus no longer applied between 
or above, but beneath the electrodes; the inhibitory 
effect was again observed, whether a salt solution or 
the induced current were used as excitants. A direct 
continuous current was then made to pass through CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
205 
the nerve, and the curious fact elicited that in this 
instance the continuous current did not only exer- 
cise no inhibitory effect at all, but that, on the 
contrary, the excitability of the nerve was increased 
by its passage. Tetanus, caused by the application 
of a salt solution to a nerve, became much stronger 
as soon as the electrodes of a direct continuous 
current were placed above the excited point; and if 
a nerve had been immersed in salt water, and the 
tetanus had not yet made its appearance, it came on 
immediately after the circuit had been established in 
the way described. If two shocks of an induction 
apparatus were applied to the nerve, one before 
making the circuit, and another one after it had been 
established, the contraction produced by the second 
shock was stronger than that by the first. Hence 
Eckhard concluded that an inverse continuous current 
of a certain intensity, when traversing a motor nerve, 
would enfeeble its excitability altogether, whatever 
might be the point of the nerve to which the stimulus 
was applied, and whatever might be the nature of 
the stimulus itself; while a direct continuous cur- 
rent, when passing through a motor nerve would 
diminish its excitability only at those points to which 
the electrodes themselves were applied, and at all 
points beyond the positive pole; but that it tended 
to increase the excitability of the nerve on all those 
points which were beneath the negative pole. 
Pfliiger* has shown that Eckhard's method cf 
o 
* Ueber das Hemmungs-Nervensystem etc., p. 3. 206 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
experimentation is liable to give rise to errors, inas- 
much as he quite omitted to take into consideration 
the intensity of the continuous current used, which 
is of great influence in these conditions. Pfliiger's 
more careful experiments have led to the following 
results:- 
а. If a motor nerve be excited above an inverse 
continuous current which is not very powerful, the 
contraction is not in the least diminished, as Eckhard 
has asserted; but a diminution takes place by the 
influence of a direct current of the same strength. 
If the power of the current goes beyond a certain 
degree, the contrary is observed. 
б. Eckhard's assertion that the excitability of a 
nerve subjected to the influence of an inverse con- 
tinuous current is everywhere diminished, is in- 
correct ; for if the power of the current does not go 
beyond a certain degree, the contraction obtained by 
exciting a portion of a nerve situated above the 
electrodes is not in the least enfeebled, but on the 
contrary increased. If, however, the current is one 
of very high power, the reverse occurs, viz. enfeebled 
contraction. 
Restorative Effects.-Heidenhain has discovered that 
if the muscles of a frog had lost their excitability in 
consequence of fatigue or ill-usage, but were not 
quite dead yet, their excitability could be restored 
by directing to their substance a somewhat powerful 
continuous current for half-a-minute or more; and CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
207 
that the inverse current was more effective than the 
direct. Remak first noticed that in the living man 
the continuous current may increase the excitability 
of both sentient and motor nerves. Thus, for instance, 
if a feeble induced current is applied to a nerve, and 
a feeble muscular contraction is caused, the same 
induced current applied to the same nerve will cause 
a strong contraction, after a continuous current of 
twenty or twenty-five cells of Daniell's battery has 
passed for half-a-minute or more through the nerve 
and muscle. 
On the other hand, the excitability of the nerves 
and muscles may be diminished, if the stimulation is 
too powerful or too long repeated. If a muscle has 
been caused to contract for a short time and in a 
moderate manner, the intensity of the current proper 
of the muscle does not appear to be diminished; but 
if powerful contractions have taken place for a con- 
siderable time, the deflection of the magnetised needle 
appears less than it was before, showing a weakening 
of the muscular current. M. Brown-Sequard* has 
shown that if a powerful induced current was applied 
for half-an-hour consecutively to the hind leg of a 
rabbit, and the animal was then killed, rigor mortis 
and putrefaction appeared much more rapidly in the 
limb which had been galvanised than in the others. 
Electrotonus.-Pfliiger f has shown that a con- 
* Gazette medicale de Paris, 1849, p. 881. 
t Untersuchungen etc., p. 95. 208 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
tinuous galvanic current which traverses a certain 
length of the nerve, divides this latter into two 
physiologically different sections or zones, which pass 
into one another at a point where the condition of 
the nerve is unchanged {point of indifference), and 
which is situated at an equal distance from either of 
the poles. One of these sections or zones is placed 
into a condition of increased excitability {catelectro- 
tonus), while the other section is in a condition of 
diminished excitability {anelectrotonus). The zone 
of increased excitability is in the neighbourhood of 
the cathode or negative pole, while the zone of 
diminished excitability is in the neighbourhood of 
the anode, or positive pole. The condition of in- 
creased excitability is propagated from the negative 
pole towards either side, and the condition of dimi- 
nished excitability is propagated from the positive 
pole towards either side. This alteration of excita- 
bility in the extra-polar portions of the nerve dimi- 
nishes in the same ratio as the distance at which 
they are from the electrodes increases, and at a 
certain distance it completely disappears. As a rule 
the positive zone of the nerve diminishes in extent 
proportionately to the intensity of the current; and 
if the latter be very feeble, almost the whole portion 
of the nerve included between the twTo electrodes 
may be in a state of increased excitability. 
M. Eulenburg,* of Berlin, has investigated these 
conditions in the living man, and has come to the 
* Deutsches Archiv von Ziemssen und Zencker, 1867, Bd. iii. p. 117. CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
209 
following conclusions :-Certain motor nerves wliicli 
are easily accessible to the galvanic current, such as 
the spinal accessory, the median, ulnar, and peroneeal 
nerves, and certain muscles which are easily accessible, 
such as the deltoid and the opponens pollicis, may 
be made to assume the electrotonic state during life. 
He placed the negative electrode of an induction 
apparatus on the nerve, and the positive electrode 
on the sternum; after which he sent a direct or 
inverse continuous current through the nerve above 
the negative electrode. It was then seen that if the 
inverse current was used, a negative, and if the 
direct current was used, a positive modification of 
excitability took place in that portion of the nerve 
which was behind the electrodes; and that the extent 
of the positive and negative modification, and the 
duration of the subsequent effects, increased in pro- 
portion to the power of the current, and the length 
of time during which the circuit remained closed. 
As regards the muscles, Eulenburg found that there 
was a distinct positive modification with catelectro- 
tonus, while the negative modification with anelec- 
trotonus was less perceptible. 
M. Samt * has likewise made a series of experi- 
ments on this subject, the results of which do not 
quite agree with those obtained by Eulenburg. Ac- 
cording to Samt, this is due to the circumstance 
that in Eulenburg's experiments the excitability of 
the nerves is modified, not only by the pressure of 
* Centralblatt fur die med. Wiss. November 1868. 210 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
the electrodes upon the same, but also by the effect 
of the induced current which is used as a stimulant. 
Von Bezold has shown that during electrotonus 
the power of conduction is diminished, in the an- 
electrotonic as well as in the catelectrotonic portion 
of the nerve; and that if the nerve be excited by 
closing the circuit, more time is required for making 
the contraction appear than if it be excited by opening 
the circuit. This is more especially the case if the 
inverse current be used, and not so much with the 
direct current. Von Bezold believes that whenever 
a continuous current enters a nerve, a certain space 
of time is necessary for preparing the nerve to respond 
to the current, and that this time of preparation is 
the shorter the greater is the power of the current. 
According to the same observer, the conduction is 
also retarded in the muscular fibre during the electro- 
tonic state; but this is exactly limited to the place 
where the electrodes are applied, and does not extend 
beyond them, as it does in the nerve. 
Electrotonus is only produced by the continuous 
current, and not by induction currents. It appears 
probable that this is to some extent the cause of the 
therapeutical superiority of the continuous over the 
induced current. 
Remak has observed in some cases that if a direct 
current of from twenty to thirty pairs of Daniell's 
battery was applied to a motor nerve in the living 
man there was only pain, while if the inverse current 
was used there was only contraction. If forty pairs chap, ii.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
211 
or more were used there were contractions on closing 
the circuit, both with the direct and the inverse 
current; and if the so-called ' uni-polar ' application 
was used, that is, if one conductor was placed on the 
nerve and the other on any other part of the body, 
the positive electrode corresponded in almost all 
respects to the direct current, while the negative 
electrode answered to the inverse current. 
Inherent Muscular Irritability.-So much for the 
remarkable phenomena brought about by the electric 
excitation of the motor nerves: we now proceed to 
consider the question whether or not the electric 
current has any direct and immediate action upon 
the muscular fibre without the intervention of nervous 
filaments. Is there a vis musculosa insita, a property 
inherent to the muscular fibre, which is capable of 
being excited to action independently of the imme- 
diate instrumentality of the nerves; or are the nerves 
the only excitors of muscular motion, and is it always 
necessary, in order to cause muscular contractions, 
that the vital energy of the motor nerve animating 
the muscle should have been previously roused ? 
It is obvious that it would not be difficult to settle 
this question, if it were as easy to prepare muscular 
fibres without nervous matter, as it is to prepare 
nerves without muscular substance. But even if the 
greatest care t>e taken to remove every nervous fibre 
from the muscular tissue, generally, by means of the 
microscope, small nervous filaments may be discovered 212 
ELECTRO-PHY SIOLOG Y. 
[chap. it. 
still adhering to the muscular fasciculi. Many phy- 
siologists have therefore been of opinion that the 
question could never be decided, and that irritability 
belonged in all probability to the compound structure. 
Glisson seems to have been the first who used the 
word irritability. He says : * ' Motiva fibrarum fa- 
cultas, nisi irritabilis foret, vel perpetuo quiesceret 
vel perpetuo idem ageret. Actionum igitur earum 
varietates et differentiae earundem irritabilitatem clare 
demonstrant.' But Glisson ascribed an irritability 
proper to all the tissues, even to the bones and 
liquids of the human body, while Haller f was the 
first to point it out as a property inherent to the 
muscular fibre. He termed irritable part of the 
human body or muscular fibre that which is shortened 
if touched by any foreign body; and sensitive or 
nervous fibre that which, if touched, transmits to 
the mind the impression of contact, and the irritation 
of which in animals occasions evident signs of pain 
and discomfort. According to Haller, sensibility and 
irritability are properties totally independent of each 
other. Most tissues are sensitive, and this property 
is possessed by them in a direct proportion to the 
quantity of nervous fibres they contain ; a part, the 
nerves of which have been ligatured or divided, has 
lost its sensibility; parts which are devoid of nervous 
fibres, such as the dura-mater, the cornea, the tendons, 
* Francisci Glissonii Tractatus de Ventriculo et Intestinis. Lugdun. 
Batavor. 1691, p. 168. 
f Elements Physiologiae, vol. iv. lib. xi. Lausannae, 1762. CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
213 
are not sensitive. But the nerves do not possess the 
slightest amount of irritability, since they are never 
put in motion themselves, whatever stimulus may be 
applied to them. Sensibility is a property which 
ceases with life. Irritability, on the contrary, is to 
be observed a certain time after life has become 
extinct, or after the nerves of a part have been 
divided; it is by no means so generally diffused in 
the system as sensibility, as it is possessed merely 
by the muscles, the intestines, the chylifera, and the 
arteries. These parts are not sensitive, or, if they 
are, the property is not inherent to their structure, 
but merely due to the few nervous fibres which are 
mixed up with them; and if motion be caused by 
the instrumentality of the nerves, it is only by their 
conducting the orders of volition to the muscles, and 
by strengthening their inherent force. Haller was 
therefore the first to make a distinction between the 
functions of motion and sensation; he is, in this 
respect, the precursor of Sir Charles Bell, who pointed 
out that there are also different organs for motion 
and sensation, viz. the motor and sentient nerves. 
Haller supported his opinion especially by refer- 
ence to the disproportion that exists between the 
bulk of the nerves and the contractile power of the 
organs in which they are ramified; thus, for instance, 
the heart, which has the greatest contractile power of 
all the muscles of the animal body, has very few' and 
small nerves only. Haller's chief opponent in the 
last century was a distinguished German physician, 214 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
Dr. Unzer,* who proved that there are nerves in all 
muscular organs, and maintained that the nerves are 
the only excitors of muscular motion; when motion 
occurs in muscles, the nerves of which have been 
divided or ligatured, the motion is, according to 
Unzer, solely due to the fine intra-muscular nervous 
filaments. Unzer's view, however, was contested by 
Felice Fontana,f who supported his opinion by an 
important experiment. He divided the crural nerves 
of frogs, and observed that, after a certain time, the 
muscles of the thigh still contracted when a stimulus 
was applied directly to the muscular substance; but 
that the muscles remained perfectly quiescent if the 
nervous trunks were irritated. 
After the discovery of galvanism the question was 
again taken up with much interest. Galvani, Volta, 
and Valli maintained that muscular contractions 
were caused by the ' metallic stimulus,' if the muscles 
alone were touched by the galvanic pair; but others, 
like Fowler, J thought that we should never arrive at 
a solution of this question, since it would always be 
impossible to satisfy ourselves whether nerves had 
not been present in a muscle contracted by electricity. 
The same view was taken by Baron Humboldt, § 
who maintained that, if a piece of muscular flesh was 
* Erste Griinde einer Physiologie. Leipzig, 1771. 
t Eicerche fllosophiche sopra la Fisica Animale, 1775, vol. i. p. 123. 
t Experiments and Observations relative to the Influence lately dis- 
covered by M. Galvani, and commonly called Animal Electricity. 
Edinburgh, 1793, p. 64. 
§ Versuche uber die gereizte Muskel- und Nervenfaser. Posen und 
Berlin, 1797, vol. i. p. 105. chap, it.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
215 
so prepared that no nervous fibre was visible in it (as 
may best be done, he says, in the upper part of a 
frog's thigh, or in the fins of a fish), no contraction 
was caused by galvanism. If there was a contraction, 
however, it was easy to distinguish by means of a 
magnifying glass, traces of nervous filaments, which, 
in spite of careful dissection, had been left in the 
muscular substance. He was therefore led to the 
conclusion that irritability is a property of the com- 
pound structure, the nerves receiving the stimulus, 
and the muscles undergoing contraction. 
Fifty years later, the same opinion was given by 
Marshall Hall,* who thought the question, whether 
the property of irritability belonged to the pure and 
isolated muscular fibre, or to the muscular fibre com- 
bined with the nerves, could not be determined by 
direct experiment, and that irritability belonged, 
probably, to the compound structure. 
In 1834, Fontana's experiment, to which I have 
alluded above, was repeated by M. Sticker under the 
superintendence of J. Muller, of Berlin.f Sticker 
found that some weeks after the section of the nerves 
had been made, neither the nerves nor the muscles 
responded to the galvanic stimulus. But Longet 
rightly objected to this, that Sticker had allowed too 
much time to elapse before he compared the excit- 
ability of nerves and muscles. Another objection 
* Article ' Irritability,' in Cyclopaedia of Anatomy and Physiology, 
1847, vol. iii. p. 29. 
t Ueber die Veranderungen der Krafte durchschnittener Nerven. 
Muller's Archiv. etc., 1834, p. 202. 216 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
which, in my opinion, should be made to Sticker, is 
that in his researches he used only a single galvanic 
pair to excite the muscles, and that perhaps he might 
have succeeded in obtaining muscular contractions, 
if he had used a powerful battery instead. 
The experiments of Fontana and Sticker were re- 
peated by Longet,* who took care to examine the 
nerve during the first few days after the operation. 
He found that a motor nerve, which has been sepa- 
rated from the nervous centres, loses every trace of 
excitability on the fourth day after it has been 
divided; any mechanical, chemical, or electrical 
stimuli will then fail to produce muscular contrac- 
tions, if they be applied to the free extremity, or the 
branches of the nerve; but a muscle, the motor 
nerve of which has lost its excitability, may still 
visibly vibrate under the influence of a stimulus, even 
twelve weeks after the section of the nerve has been 
made. From this Longet inferred that the motor 
nerves are not the only excitors of muscular motion, 
and that muscular irritability is independent of the 
motor nerves, but depends essentially upon the supply 
of arterial blood, a condition necessary, not to impart 
or communicate to the muscles the property in ques- 
tion, but only to maintain in the muscular fibres the 
nutrition which keeps up the vital properties of all 
the tissues of the animal body. 
Dr. John Reid was led to the same conclusion as 
* Be 1'irritability musculaire. Archives generales de Medecine, 3' 
eerie. Paris, 1842, vol. xiii. p. 81. CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
217 
Longet.* He divided the spinal nerves in the lower 
part of the spinal canal of frogs, so that both hinder 
extremities were insulated from their nervous con- 
nection with the spinal cord. He then daily exer- 
cised the muscles of one of the paralysed limbs by a 
feeble galvanic current, while the muscles of the other 
limb were allowed to remain quiescent. This was 
continued for two months, and at the end of that 
time the muscles of the galvanized limb retained their 
original size and firmness, and contracted vigorously, 
while those of the quiescent limb had shrunk to at 
least one-half of their former bulk, and presented a 
marked contrast with those of the galvanised limb. 
But even at the end of two months the muscles of the 
quiescent limb had not lost their contractility. 
Stannius + repeated these experiments, and found 
that the muscles retained their irritability six months 
after the nerves had been divided, while the nerves 
had lost their excitability much earlier. The muscles 
which did not contract on irritation of the nerves, re- 
sponded readily to the electric current applied directly 
to their tissue. But Stannius himself suggested 
that this was no conclusive proof for the existence 
of Hallerian irritability, since the nerves die in a 
direction from the centre to the periphery (law of 
Valli and Ritter), and that therefore, while the trunks 
of the nerves had lost their excitability, yet the fine 
* Edinburgh Monthly Journal of Medical Science. May 1842, p. 
327. 
f Untersuchungen uber Muskelreizbarkeit. Muller's Archiv., 1847, 
p. 443. 218 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
nervous fibres contained in the muscular tissue might 
have retained their integrity. 
Marianini concluded from his experiments that 
the muscles may be directly acted upon by the elec- 
tric current without the intervention of the nerves, 
and that when a continuous current acts upon the 
muscles alone, contractions take place only at the 
moment the circuit is closed. He distinguished two 
sorts of contractions; viz. idiopathic contractions, 
such as are produced by the direct excitation of the 
muscles ; and sympathetic contractions, such as follow 
the application of the electric current to the motor 
nerves. But Marianini did not furnish any proofs in 
support of his opinion. 
Matteucci also adopted the view of an irritability 
proper of the muscles, which he thought was proved 
by his experiments on the different conductivity of 
the nerves and muscles. As muscles conduct electri- 
city better than nerves, he believed that no portion 
of the current could ever traverse the nerves which 
are mixed up with the muscles, if an electric current 
is caused to act upon the latter. He incised a muscle 
of the leg of a rabbit which had been dead so long 
that every trace of muscular irritability had disap- 
peared, and introduced into it the nerve of a very 
sensitive galvanoscopic frog. The current of a 
powerful pile was then sent through the substance 
of the muscle, by applying the electrodes to different 
points of it; nevertheless the galvanoscopic frog did 
not undergo any contractions, in spite of its nerve CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
219 
being enclosed in the muscle, and forming almost an 
integral part of it. Matteucci's reasoning is no doubt 
ingenious ; but I cannot admit its being conclusive, 
as the conductivity of a muscle which has lost every 
trace of excitability is greater than that of a living 
muscle, and the differences between the conducting 
power of nerves and muscles are not nearly so con- 
siderable as Matteucci imagined. 
Thus, after numerous and careful researches, the 
question still remained in suspense, since the sup- 
porters of Hallerian irritability had never attempted 
to prove a contraction of muscles which had been 
entirely isolated from all connection writh nervous 
fibres. The first step in this direction was taken by 
Mr. Bowman,* who adduced the evidence of direct 
microscopical observations made on living fragments 
of the elementary fibres of voluntary muscle, which 
he had entirely insulated from every extraneous sub- 
stance, whether nerve or vessel. He observed that 
if by design or accident a particle of foreign matter 
was included in the field, so as to touch the side of 
the fibre at a single point, the fibre exhibited a con- 
traction limited to the point touched, and not in- 
volving the whole of the muscular substance. Hence 
he concluded that the muscles possessed an irrita- 
bility proper, capable of being roused into action by 
a stimulus topically applied. Dr. Wundt, f of Heidel- 
* Article ' Muscular Motion/ in Cyclopaedia of Anatomy and Physio- 
logy, vol. iii. p. 519. 
f Die Lehre von der Muskelbewegung. Braunschweig, 1858, p. 122. 220 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
berg, lias likewise made some microscopic obser- 
vations, which are in favour of an irritability proper 
of the muscles. He observed that when the circuit 
of a galvanic battery was closed in the muscular 
tissue, the fibres were shortened, and that, after the 
contraction produced by the commencement of the 
current had passed off, the fibres did not immediately 
regain their previous appearance, but remained for 
several minutes somewhat shorter than they had 
been before. If the circuit was opened, there was a 
difference, according to whether a contraction was 
produced or not. . If there was no contraction at the 
cessation of the current, the muscular fibres suddenly 
regained their previous length, and if there was a 
contraction, the fibre appeared to be even longer than 
before, after the contraction had passed off. None 
of these phenomena, however, were observed, if 
instead of the muscular fibres the nerves were en- 
closed in the circuit. 
Another way by which it is possible to arrive at 
a satisfactory conclusion, was first pointed out by 
Harless.* He supposed sulphuric ether to be a sub- 
stance which would paralyse the nerves by dissolving 
the fat contained in them, but would not interfere 
with the muscular tissue. For proving this he made 
the following experiments :-He produced anaesthesia 
in rabbits; laid bare the brain and the spinal cord, 
and applied to them the electrodes of an induction 
apparatus. The muscles remained tranquil, under 
* Muller's Archiv., 1847, p. 228. CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
221 
these circumstances, but contracted powerfully as 
soon as the electric current was applied directly to 
their substance. Similar experiments, however, which 
were undertaken by Stannius,* did not yield the 
same results, and it remained doubtful if the terminal 
branches of the nerves had been really paralysed by 
the ether. 
Such was the state of the question when Claude 
Bernard first undertook his experimental researches 
on the physiological action of the woorara poison.f 
He took two frogs, and poisoned one of them by 
inserting under its skin a small piece of woorara. 
When, at the end of five or six minutes, the frog had 
ceased to show signs of life, the poison was with- 
drawn. A galvanic current was then caused to 
traverse a portion of the lumbar nerve of each of the 
frogs successively. The muscles of the frog which 
had not been poisoned were immediately seen to 
suffer a powerful contraction, but not the slightest 
twitching occurred in the other frog which had been 
poisoned. On the other hand, when the poles of the 
battery were directly applied to the muscles, both 
frogs suffered commotions, and it even appeared that 
the poisoned frog preserved the property of suffering 
contractions for a longer time than the one which 
had not been poisoned. 
Thus the existence of an irritability proper of the 
muscles appeared to be proved; but the old objcc- 
* Muller's Archiv., 1847, p. 443. 
t Coniptes rendus, 1850, vol. xxxi, p. 533. 222 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. n. 
tion was once more raised by Eckhard,* that paralysis 
of the intra-muscular nerves had not been proved. 
Eckhard concluded from his own experiments on the 
influence of a closed circuit upon the excitability of 
the motor nerves, that the muscles are devoid of an 
irritability proper; and maintained that, if there was 
such irritability a continuous current which inhibits 
the action of a motor nerve, would not be able to 
prevent the contraction of a muscle animated by this 
nerve, if a stimulus were applied to the muscular 
substance. But when he applied a stimulus to a 
muscle, the nerve of which was under the inhibitory 
influence of the continuous current, he perceived that 
the contraction was diminished, or that there was no 
contraction at all. Hence he concluded that the 
only exciters of muscular motion are the nerves. 
But it is obvious that Eckhard's reasoning is not 
conclusive. If an electric current applied to a muscle 
produces contractions, this is due to the excitation 
of both the muscles and the intra-muscular nerves; 
and if by a continuous current the action of the 
nervous fibres is inhibited, one element causing the 
contraction will be lost, and therefore, of course, the 
contraction will be diminished. Bernardf has, how- 
ever, recently completely refuted the fundamental ob- 
jection against Hallerian irritability, which has been 
raised over and over again tince the time of Unzer. He 
observed that the motor nerves lose their excitability 
* Beitrage etc., p. 47. 
f Lesons sur la Physiologic, etc. Paris, 1858, vol. i. p. 193. CHAP. II.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
223 
from the centre to the periphery (law of Valli and 
Ritter), only in case they have been previously 
separated from the nervous centres. Thus, when the 
sciatic nerve has been cut off from its connection 
with the spinal cord, galvanisation of the trunk of 
the nerve will, after a certain time, no longer cause 
contractions of the muscles; but if the branches of 
the nerve are galvanised nearer to the periphery, 
contractions will still appear. If, however, the nerve 
be kept in its normal physiological connection with 
the cord, it loses its properties in the inverse ratio, 
namely, from the periphery to the centre. Thus, if 
the crural nerve of a frog be laid bare, and contrac- 
tions are no longer produced by galvanisation of the 
nerve near the muscles, such may still be caused, if 
the nerve be galvanised near the cord; and if the 
whole nervous trunk has lost its excitability, the 
muscle may be made to contract by galvanisation 
of the anterior root of the nerve. This is the way in 
which the nerves lose their excitability if animals die 
from heemorrhage or from woorara ; and the different 
modes of death of the nerves may be demonstrated 
in one and the same animal. If the lumbar nerves 
of the right side of a frog are divided, and the animal 
be afterwards poisoned by woorara, the nerves lose 
their excitability in the direction from the centre to 
the periphery on the right side, where there is no 
longer any connection between the nerves and the 
spinal cord; and they die in the direction from the 
periphery to the centre on the left side, where that 224 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. h. 
connection is still kept up. Therefore, the terminal 
branches are the first, and not the last, which are 
destroyed by woorara : and as, in spite of the destruc- 
tion of the properties of these nervous fibres, the 
muscles nevertheless readily respond to the galvanic 
stimulus, the existence of Hallerian irritability is 
clearly proved. 
Bernard's researches have been confirmed by a 
series of experiments undertaken by Kblliker* with 
woorara and coniine : he found the action of coniine 
nearly equal to that of woorara. I have myself been 
able to experiment with woorara, a quantity of which 
I obtained from my friend, Dr. Stamm, on his return 
from the Brazils, and I can therefore fully corro- 
borate the accuracy of Bernard's and Kblliker's state- 
ments. The following experiment shows best that 
the motor nerves and not the muscles are killed by 
the poison : the crural artery and veins are closely 
tied up on one side, so that the circulation of the 
blood in the limb is arrested; and the animal is then 
poisoned by inserting a small quantity of woorara 
under the skin. If the motor nerves are a short 
time afterwards galvanised, it appears that all the 
nerves have lost their energy, with the only exception 
of the crural nerve of that side where the vessels were 
ligatured ; this nerve, when galvanised, produces the 
play of the muscles as usual. But if the electric stim- 
ulus be. then directed to the muscular substance itself, 
* Physiologische Untersuchungen etc. Virchow's Archiv., vol x. 
1856. chap. nJ 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
225 
contractions may be obtained in all the muscles ; and 
the contractile power will last even longer in those 
muscles from which the nervous influence has been 
removed than in those where it has been preserved 
through the stoppage of the circulation of the blood 
in the nerves. 
Von Bezold* found in his experiments with woorara 
that the contractions of the muscles caused by direct 
excitation of their fibres, after the nervous influence 
had been removed from them, commenced as rapidly 
after the application of the stimulus, and showed the 
same progress as regards time, as the contractions 
induced by the same excitants in muscles which had 
not been poisoned. According to this observer, 
woorara acts on the intra-muscular nerves, by re- 
tarding the propagation and transmission of the 
excitation from the nerve to the muscle; this re- 
tardation increases continually, and at last merges 
. into complete annihilation of the vital properties of 
the nerve. The same takes place in the nerve-trunks, 
although there the effect is not so rapidly produced 
as in the intra-muscular nerves, and larger doses of 
the poison are necessary for producing it. The 
maximum diminution of the velocity of propagation 
in the trunk of the sciatic nerve of the frog was from 
26 metres to 5'5 metres in the second. 
It is therefore evident that the molecular equilibrium 
of the muscles may be directly disturbed by the electric 
* Untersuchungen uber die Einwirkung des Pfeilgiftes. Reichert's 
und Dubois' Archiv. I860, p. 168. 226 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. it. 
current, just as well as the molecular equilibrium of the 
nerves. As soon as the equilibrium of either motor 
nerves or muscles is disturbed, contractions take 
place. The contractions produced by applying the 
electric current directly to the muscular substance, 
present, however, certain peculiarities which are 
worth mentioning. 
If the current be directed to a motor nerve, the 
whole substance of all the muscles animated by the 
nerve enters into contraction; but if the current 
be directly applied to a muscle, only those fibres are 
seen to contract which are traversed by the current; 
and if it is intended to produce a contraction of the 
whole substance of a muscle, one of the electrodes 
must be placed on its upper, and the other one 
on its lower end. Besides, a current of greater 
intensity is required for producing muscular con- 
tractions without the intervention of nervous fila- 
ments, than is necessary if contractions are caused 
by excitation of the motor nerves. Hence we may 
conclude that the molecular equilibrium of the nerves is 
more easily disturbed by the electric current than the 
molecular equilibrium of the muscles. 
If a muscle is caused to contract by the application 
of an induced current, the contraction is composed 
of two elements; viz. of direct excitation of the 
muscles, and of excitation of the intra-muscular 
nerves. Muscular contractions will therefore be 
most easily produced if those points are touched by 
the electrodes where the motor filaments are easily chap.il] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
227 
accessible; but if a sufficiently strong current be 
employed, contractions will be induced, even if the 
electrodes are placed on points of the surface of 
the muscle where dissection does not show the exist- 
ence of motor fibres. 
It was formerly believed that if a continuous cur- 
rent was directly applied to a muscle, a contraction 
was only produced on closing and opening the circuit; 
but Wundt, Von Bezold, and Fick have observed that 
if a continuous current traverses a muscle, contrac- 
tions take place not only on making and breaking 
the circuit, but also while the circuit remains closed, 
and that these contractions increase in proportion 
to the intensity of the current. 
Many interesting facts have been elicited by the 
application of electricity to the study of the functions 
of the muscles of the living body; and no observer 
has been more diligent or happy in his researches on 
this subject than M. Duchenne (de Boulogne).* 
It is true that the deep strata of the muscles, 
covered by the superficial ones, will not clearly 
exhibit their contraction. But here pathology has 
seconded physiology. In progressive muscular 
atrophy the superficial muscles are destroyed and 
the impediments to the passage of the electric current 
cleared away, so that in such cases the function of 
* De 1'Electrisation localisee, et de son application a la physiologie, 
la pathologic et la 1st edition, Paris, 1855; 2nd edition, 
Paris, 1862. 228 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
nearly every muscle in the living body may be ascer- 
tained. Many of the theories on the functions of 
the muscles formerly adopted have thereby fallen to 
the ground. One of the most interesting facts now 
established is that the extensor communis digitorum 
muscle has no influence whatever on the extension 
of the second and third phalanges of the fingers, but 
only on the first; that the interossei and lumbricals 
extend the second and third phalanges, and bend the 
first; and that the flexor sublimis and profundus 
muscles bend the second and third phalanges, but 
not the first. This is proved by many pathological 
facts which have been observed in cases of lead-palsy 
and muscular atrophy. In lead-palsy the extensor 
digitorum is paralysed, but not the lumbricals and 
interossei. Therefore, in this affection, the power of 
extension of the second and third phalanges is not 
interfered with, while the first phalanges cannot be 
extended. On the other hand, cases occur where 
the extensor digitorum is quite healthy, yet the hand 
has assumed the form of a claw, the interosseous 
spaces are deeply hollowed, the parts are very thin, 
the first phalanges are extended, but the second and 
third are bent. This condition of the hand is due to 
paralysis and atrophy of the lumbricals and inter- 
ossei, and may generally be cured by the local 
application of the electric current to the suffering 
muscles. 
M. Duchenne has given special study to the func- 
tion of the muscles of the face, in order to arrive at chap, ii.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
229 
a knowledge of the mechanism of physiognomical 
expressions ; for it is only the muscles which are put 
in action by thoughts, passions, and character ; they 
preserve during rest the predominance of tonic force, 
and stamp on every physiognomy its peculiar impres- 
sion. If there were not in every face this tonic 
predominance of certain muscles, all physiognomies 
would be nearly alike, as the muscles have the same 
direction, insertion, and strength, and the bones only 
differ in bulk. Although the facial muscles have 
only a very small surface, electricity may be localised 
in each one singly, so as to produce isolated con- 
tractions. A good way to show the part which every 
muscle plays in the different physiognomical expres- 
sions, is to electrify the muscles of the face of a man 
who has died a short time previously, and whose 
muscles still retain their excitability; for the living 
man, when electrified, always mixes involuntary 
movements with the contraction of the stimulated 
muscle ; which constitutes, of course, an impediment 
to the observation of the individual action of the 
muscles. The action of the facial muscles is how- 
ever shown with the greatest distinctness in patients 
suffering from anaesthesia of the fifth nerve, where 
the muscles may be faradised without inflicting the 
least sensation of pain, and therefore without the 
production of reflex movements. Cases of this kind 
are, however, unfortunately for clinical demonstra- 
tion, very rare. 
The following account is given by M. Duchenne of 230 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
the action of the muscles of the face, as shown by 
the local application of the induced current:- 
The frontal muscle, when slightly contracted, cheers 
up the face; when more contracted, it expresses 
doubt or surprise; and when in the highest degree of 
contraction and united with other muscles, it gives 
the expression of an agreeable surprise or of terror. 
It also produces horizontal wrinkles in the forehead, 
and when it is paralysed, the wrinkles disappear. 
The pyramidales nasi, which are in intimate con- 
nexion with the frontal muscle, and are therefore 
considered by many anatomists as identical with 
it, are nevertheless antagonists of the same; they 
give a sad expression, and, when more contracted, a 
threatening one. It forms a striking contrast to see 
these two opposite movements produced in so small 
a space as the level of the eyebrows. 
Isolated contraction of the orbicularis palpebrarum 
expresses contempt; that of the corrugator supercilii 
reflection, and when united to the pyramidalis, ma- 
lice. The platysma myoides gives an expression of 
pain; united with the frontal muscle, it expresses 
terror; and, with the pyramidalis, rage. Contraction 
of the triangularis nasi gives the expression of lust. 
The zygomaticus major always expresses mirth, from 
simple smiling to the most boisterous hilarity; united 
with the frontalis, it gives the expression of an 
agreeable surprise; with the platysma myoides, the 
sardonic laugh: while the zygomaticus minor, on the 
contrary, gives a melancholy air. The levator alee chap, n.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
231 
nasi, and labii superioris, is the crying muscle of 
children, and produces an ugly grimace. By the 
contraction of the external fibres of the orbicularis 
oris, the lips are protruded, as for kissing and 
whistling: the internal fibres press the lips against 
the teeth, as is done by players of the clarionet, for 
pinching the reed of their instrument between the 
lips. The levator menti is the only muscle in action 
in persons who repeat their prayers inaudibly, as is 
often seen in Catholic churches. The triangularis 
oris expresses sadness; in children it is the precursor 
of tears; in the maximum of its contraction it 
expresses disgust. 
The deltoid muscle, when galvanised, abducts the 
humerus, but does not raise it above the horizontal 
line. If the anterior fibres only are galvanised, the 
arm is at once raised, and moved forwards and 
inwards; if the middle fibres are galvanised, the arm 
is directed outwards; while, by galvanisation of its 
posterior fibres, the arm is carried backwards, and 
the hand raised behind the back. The deltoid muscle 
is very frequently attacked by wasting palsy. 
If the inferior portion of the trapezius be galvanised, 
the base of the scapula is approached to the spinous 
processes, and its inferior angle drawn downwards; 
this portion of the muscle tends by its tonic con- 
tractility to keep the base of the shoulder-blade at a 
distance of about two and a half inches from the 
median line. If the middle portion of the trapezius 
be stimulated, the scapula is raised, and its inferior 232 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
angle removed from the median line. Finally, if the 
current be applied to the clavicular portion of the 
trapezius, the head is drawn towards the side acted 
upon, and a little backwards, so that the chin is 
turned towards the opposite side; at the same time 
the clavicle is raised. If the clavicular portions of 
both trapezii receive the electric stimulus, the head 
is drawn backwards. The clavicular portion of the 
trapezius is very excitable, as it receives nervous 
influence from two sources, viz. from the spinal 
accessory nerve, and from the cervical plexus. 
The latissimus dorsi, when galvanised, draws the 
arm downwards and backwards; the scapula is at the 
same time approached to the median line, but it is 
not raised. 
The rhomboid muscle is only accessible to the 
electric current if the trapezius is destroyed. If it 
then be galvanised, the scapula is raised; at the 
same time it is so turned that its inferior angle is 
placed nearly in the same line with its external angle. 
The rhomboid, by its tonic contractility, fixes the base 
of the shoulder-blade against the thorax. If it be 
destroyed, the base of the scapula is removed from 
the thorax, and becomes prominent under the skin, 
so that a cavity is formed between the base of the 
shoulder-blade and the spine. 
The serratus magnus is chiefly inspiratory muscle; 
it raises the ribs from which it arises; and con- 
tributes to lift the humerus. The arm is lifted above 
the horizontal line by the joint action of the deltoid, chap, ii.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
233 
the serratus magnus, and the middle fibres of the 
trapezius. The serratus magnus also contributes to 
the external angle of the scapula being kept in its 
normal position; for the weight of the upper extremity 
tends continually to depress the external angle of the 
shoulder-blade. Both the trapezius and the serratus 
are opposed to this depression being effected. If the 
trapezius be atrophied, the external angle of the 
scapula is depressed, while at the same time its 
inferior angle is raised and approached to the spinous 
processes; if the serratus be also attacked by wasting 
palsy, the external angle is still more depressed; the 
inferior angle is raised to the level of the external 
angle, and it is placed at a considerable distance 
from the thorax. 
Generally the most striking result of electro-mus- 
cular contractions is an increase of heat and bulk in 
the parts acted upon. 
It had already been noticed by Becquerel and 
Breschet * that an increase of temperature took place 
in muscles which had been made to work for some 
time consecutively. They found that the heat in the 
biceps of a man who had been sawing wood for five 
minutes at a time, was 1° C. above the heat noticed 
previous to it. Helmholtz,f who experimented on 
frogs, found that the circulation and the heat of the 
blood had nothing to do with this increase of heat, 
* Annales des Sciences naturelies. Zoologie. 2e serie, vol. iii. p. 275. 
f Muller's Archiv. fur Auatomie etc., 1848, p. 144. 234 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[CHaP. ii. 
but that it was owing solely to the muscular contrac- 
tion. Dr. Ziemssen,* of Greifswald, however, was 
the first to make systematic researches on this point, 
on healthy as well as on paralysed muscles, in the 
human subject. He used a thermometer on which 
the twentieth part of 1° C. could be easily read off. 
The bulb of this thermometer was placed into the 
sulcus between the extensor digitorum communis 
and the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscles, and 
remained in this position twenty minutes before, 
during the passage of the current, and some time 
after the current had ceased to act. In some of 
these experiments the skin was left bare, while in 
others the skin and the bulb were covered with three 
layers of thick flannel. It is obvious that certain 
sources of error are unavoidable in both modes of 
experimentation; since in the former the bulb will 
cool more rapidly by being in contact with the atmo- 
sphere, while in the latter the normal loss of heat 
from the skin is to some degree prevented; never- 
theless the results of the two series of observations 
agree on the whole so well, that the results which 
Dr. Ziemssen has obtained may be accepted without 
reserve. He caused the extensor muscles of the 
fore-arm to contract by applying the positive electrode 
of an induction machine to the radial nerve, between 
the external condyle of the humerus and the insertion 
of the deltoid muscle; the negative electrode being 
fixed on the sternum. By acting in this way, the 
* Die Elektricitiit in der Medicin, p. 29. chap, ii.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
235 
fore-arm, and more especially the surface of skin over 
the extensors, was not touched by the electrodes, so 
that there was no direct action of the current on the 
blood-vessels of the corium. It then appeared that 
muscular contractions caused by the application of 
the induced current to the motor nerves augment 
the temperature in the muscles acted upon, and 
indirectly in the skin covering the same, without 
altering the colour of the latter or the lumen of its 
blood-vessels. The increase of heat is proportional 
in its extent to the energy and duration of the con- 
tractions. The person experimented upon perceives, 
during and after the experiment, a sensation of 
intense heat in the electrified muscles. The bulk of 
the latter is considerably increased, so that the fore- 
arm gains one-fourth to one-half inch, and the thigh 
one-half and even a whole inch in circumference. 
As regards the increase of heat, it appeared that 
during the first minute of the contraction the mer- 
cury fell by 0°T to 0o,5 C., but rose in the third 
minute and continued to rise afterwards. In one 
experiment the increase of heat amounted to 4O,4 C. 
(7O,9 F.). If the contractions are not continued very 
long, the mercury rises most rapidly in the first 
minute after they have ceased, and reaches its acme 
between the fourth and the sixth minute; if the con- 
tractions are then continued, and the temperature is 
already high, it does not rise further after the first 
minute. If the skin and the mercury be covered 
with a bad conductor of heat, the heat rises more 236 
ELECTRO-I'IIYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
quickly and to a higher degree than when the skin 
is bare. In both cases, however, the heat produced 
is the same, and the apparent difference in the latter 
instance is merely due to the exclusion of air from 
the galvanised part, whereby the heat generated is 
longer preserved. 
After the cessation of the excessive development 
of heat in the muscles, there is a tendency towards 
equalisation of temperature within the body, so that 
the heat of the rectum and of the other colder organs 
rises at the expense of the heat of the muscles. 
The decrease of temperature, after the electric 
excitation has ceased, is slow and regular; but it is 
more rapid when the skin is exposed to the atmo- 
sphere than when it is covered. 
In 1858, I made a number of experiments on 
the heat developed by electro-muscular contractions, 
especially on paralytic patients, which have led to the 
following conclusions :- 
1. The heat observed after the application of in- 
duction currents to the muscles is in no way due to 
the action of the current upon the skin. This we 
might theoretically infer from the fact that, although 
the electrodes are in direct contact with the skin, the 
induced current, if applied by well-moistened elec- 
trodes, does not act on the skin, but traverses it, and 
penetrates to the muscles ; but the proposition is also 
affirmed by pathological experience. Some time ago 
a patient suffering from lead-palsy was under my 
care. In that case the contractility of the extensor chap, n.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
237 
muscles of the right fore-arm was quite gone, while 
a certain amount of contractile power still remained 
in the extensor muscles of the left fore-arm. On 
applying induction currents for five minutes to the 
extensors of the left fore-arm, the temperature was 
increased from 89° F. to 91o-5 F., while the same 
operation made on the extensors of the right fore- 
arm did not produce any increase of heat; but, on 
the contrary, the heat, which had been 87O,5 in the 
right fore-arm before the application of electricity, 
was only 86° F. afterwards ; which was no doubt due 
to the contact of the skin of the fore-arm with the 
atmosphere. 
2. The increase of heat observed after the applica- 
tion of induction currents to the muscles is not due 
to a greater afflux of blood to the arteries and veins, 
for these are not expanded, but constricted by direct 
faradisation, and consequently contain less blood 
after having been acted upon by induction currents, 
than they do in their normal physiological condition. 
3. But the increase of heat observed after the ap- 
plication of induction currents to the muscles, is due 
to an augmentation of those chemical changes which 
are continually going on in the tissue of a muscle, 
and which constitute its nutrition. The solid struc- 
ture of a muscle is imbibed by a fluid, the composi- 
tion of which is variable. Muscular fluid taken from 
a muscle which has been at rest is neutral or feebly 
alkaline; but when induction currents have been 
applied to a muscle, the fluid becomes acid, in conse- 238 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
quence of an augmented absorption of oxygen and 
the formation of lactic acid. It is probable that this 
acid is afterwards neutralised in the system by the 
alkaline carbonates contained in the blood; lactate 
of soda being formed, and carbonic acid being set free. 
On examining the quantity of oxygen absorbed, 
and carbonic acid exhaled, by the muscular substance 
of frogs' thighs which have been skinned and sus- 
pended in vessels filled with air or oxygen, it is found 
that if some of the muscles are galvanised, and the 
others not, the quantity of the gases absorbed and 
exhaled by the galvanised muscles is more than 
double that absorbed and exhaled during the same 
time by the quiescent muscles. The same differ- 
ences occur in the living muscles of man; since by 
the augmentation of the chemical changes, the heat 
is increased, and more blood is attracted to the ca- 
pillary vessels of the muscular substance, whereby 
the bulk of the muscles is considerably augmented. 
4. With regard to the influence of the direction of 
the current upon the increase of heat, I have gene- 
rally remarked a slight difference in favour of the 
direct current-moving from the centre to the peri- 
phery-in healthy muscles; and an equally slight 
difference in favour of the inverse current-moving 
from the periphery to the centre-in paralysed mus- 
cles. In such comparative experiments the current 
used was always of the same intensity, equally 
rapidly interrupted, and directed to the same mus- 
cles for the same length of time. chap, n.] 
MOTOR NERVES AND MUSCLES. 
239 
5. Respecting the more or less considerable rapi- 
dity of the shocks used, I observed that the heat was 
increased more quickly and to a higher degree, if a 
rapidly-interrupted current was employed, than if the 
intermittences were slow. 
The relations between heat and muscular work 
have been further investigated by Beclard,* Solger,f 
Meyerstein and Thiry,J Heidenhain,§ and others; 
but space prevents me from giving a complete ac- 
count of their researches. I will therefore only men- 
tion the results arrived at by Heidenhain, as being 
the most important amongst them. He found that 
a single contraction of a muscle of a frog, even after 
being separated from the body of the animal, gives 
rise to a slight increase of heat, and that, as the 
muscle becomes gradually exhausted, the develop- 
ment of heat is diminished. At a certain period, the 
muscle may still be able to contract, but is unable to 
cause an increase of temperature. If the muscle is sti- 
mulated, but prevented from contracting, more heat 
is developed than if a muscle is similarly stimulated 
but allowed to contract; from which it appears that 
the heat developed is not due to friction; for if it 
were owing to that, the heat would be greater in the 
second case, while it is actually less. At first the 
temperature rises rapidly, then the rise becomes 
more gradual until a maximum is reached, after 
* Archives g£n£rales, etc., 1861, vol. xvii. p. 21. 
t Studien des physiol. Institute zu Breslau, 1862, p. 125. 
J Zeitschrift fur rationelle Medicin, vol. xx. p. 54, 
§ Mechanische Leistung, Warmeentwicklung etc. Leipzig, 1864. 240 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. it. 
which a gradual decrease of temperature takes place. 
If the intensity of stimulation is augmented beyond 
that degree which causes the maximum of contrac- 
tion, the heat developed is not greater than before. 
I'eyden* found that, on applying induction cur- 
rents to the cord of dogs, tetanic contractions of the 
muscles took place, by which the heat of the blood 
was increased by 5'2° C., as shown by the thermo- 
meter in the rectum. Billroth and Fick f have 
shown that, when the cord is thus faradised, the 
temperature of the tetanised muscles rises more 
rapidly than the temperature of the rectum, which 
under ordinary conditions is higher than that of the 
muscles ; and that the muscles then actually become 
hotter than the rectum and all the other organs of 
the body. 
V.-ACTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT UPON THE 
SENTIENT NERVES. 
Sparks taken from the common electrical machine 
while in action, produce a sharp pungent sensation 
in the skin. The discharge of a Leyden jar through 
the body causes a peculiar stunning sensation, 
known as the electric shock. If such a shock is very 
powerful, it may destroy sensation and conscious- 
ness altogether, especially if directed to the head or 
neck; but, unless the electricity is of very high ten- 
* Virchow's Archiv. 1863, vol. xxvi. p. 538. 
t Vierteljahrsschrift der naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Zurich, 
1863, p. 427. CHAP. II. J 
SENTIENT NERVES. 
241 
sion, it does not cause a diminution of sensibility. 
Dr. Richardson * has shown that if shocks of slight 
or medium power from the jar are sent in rapid 
succession through the fingers, the last is felt as 
severely as the first, and the fingers are afterwards 
as sensitive to the prick from the point of a lancet 
as they had been before. 
The continuous galvanic current, when applied to 
a sentient nerve, causes a sensation of pricking and 
heat, not only at its commencement and cessation, 
but the whole time that the circuit remains closed. 
If the power of the current is not very great, the 
sensation produced is slight and not unpleasant, like 
a mustard poultice in the commencement of its ac- 
tion ; while with a pile of high tension severe pain 
may be caused. The sensations produced differ like- 
wise, according to the condition of the electrodes 
used ; if these be dry, the feeling of heat predomi- 
nates over that of pricking, and is extremely dis- 
agreeable when the current is strong, resembling, as it 
does, the sensation produced by the application of a 
hot iron to the skin. If, however, moistened con- 
ductors are employed, the effect is much less unplea- 
sant ; and wherever there is a morbid increase of 
excitability in a nerve, the galvanic sensation is 
actually relished by the patient. As a rule, the 
effect on the sentient nerves increases proportion- 
ately to the length of time during which the current 
is made to act, owing to its improving the conduc- 
* Medical Times and Gazette, September 11, 1858. 242 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
tivity of the skin and subjacent tissues (p. 198); but 
if the current is applied for a considerable length of 
time, viz. from twenty to thirty minutes, the sensa- 
tions of pricking and heat gradually give way to a 
feeling of numbness. 
Marianini* was the first to investigate the influence 
which the direction of the current, when applied to 
sentient nerves, has in the production of the physio- 
logical effects; and he arrived at the conclusion that 
the sensation caused by the application of the conti- 
nuous current was strongest on making the inverse 
and on breaking the direct current; that is just the 
reverse of what takes place when the motor nerves 
are acted upon, as muscular contractions arb more 
easily produced on making the direct and on breaking 
the inverse current. Therefore, if mixed nerves are 
excited, the phenomena would be as follows: 
Direct Current 
Inverse Current 
Making 
Breaking 
Making 
Breaking 
Contraction 
Sensation 
Sensation 
Contraction 
The sensations produced by the application of 
the induced current to the sentient nerves vary ac- 
cording to the tension of the electricity used, the 
rapidity with which the shocks succeed each other, 
and the condition of the conductors which are used 
for the transmission of the electric current. A cur- 
* Memoire sur la secousse qu'eprouvent les animaux, etc., in Annales 
de Chimie et de Physique. Paris, 1829, vol. xl. p. 225. CHAP. II.] 
SENTIENT NERVES. 
243 
rent of low tension causes slight feelings of pricking 
and heat; while one of high tension causes intole- 
rable pain. A rapidly-interrupted electro-magnetic 
current has more effect on the sentient nerves than a 
slowly interrupted current; because sentient nerves 
have the property of perceiving the effects of im- 
pressions some time after they have been acted upon. 
Thus, if a sentient nerve in its normal condition is 
subjected to the action of a single induced current of 
low tension, the sensation caused by it is trifling; 
but if a second shock rapidly succeeds the first, the 
sensation is more marked; because the nerve is no 
longer in its normal physiological condition when it 
receives the second shock from an induction appara- 
tus, but in an excited state; a third shock has more 
effect than the second, and so on. If the velocity of 
the intermittences is very great, and the current sent 
for a certain length of time through the trunk of a 
nerve, a maximum of excitation is reached; after 
which the sensibility of the nerve is diminished, and 
even falls below its normal standard. 
Electrical anaesthesia.-The question whether sur- 
gical anaesthesia might be caused by electricity has, 
at various times, occupied the professional mind. It 
has been often alleged that teeth might be extracted 
without pain by the aid of galvanism, and that, in 
severe surgical operations, electricity might be sub- 
stituted for chloroform. Experience, however, has 
shown that no form of electricity can be used as a 
direct anaesthetic; and that if surgical operations 244 
E LECTEO-PIIYSIOLOG Y. 
[chap. ii. 
are performed with the aid of electricity, the patient 
feels not only the pain of the operation, but also in 
addition to it the electric shock. 
Dr. Richardson's researches on voltaic narcotism 
will be mentioned in a subsequent chapter; but I 
may say at once that electricity has no share in the 
production of that form of anaesthesia. 
Although, therefore, electricity is no anaesthetic in 
the ordinary sense of the word, yet a considerable 
reduction of sensibility in a nerve may be accom- 
plished by it. Thus, if a continuous, or a rapidly- 
interrupted induced current of medium intensity is 
sent through the trunk of a nerve-say the ulnar, or 
the sciatic, by placing a moistened conductor con- 
nected with the positive pole to a point of the skin 
where the trunk of such nerve is accessible, and 
another moistened conductor connected with the 
negative pole to the terminal branches of the nerve, 
and the action of the current be kept up for a quarter 
of an hour or more, the pain which is caused by this 
proceeding becomes much less after a certain time, 
than it was at the beginning of the operation, and a 
feeling of numbness is produced in the limb. The ten- 
sion of the current may then be gradually increased 
to an enormous extent, without causing much, if 
any, inconvenience to the person subjected to the 
experiment; while such electric power would have 
been perfectly unendurable at the commencement of 
the operation. If the tension of the current is then 
again diminished, the person experimented upon SENTIENT NERVES. 
245 
CHAP. II.] 
appears to be quite insensible to shocks which had 
caused him much inconvenience previously. 
Independently of the direction of the current, the 
negative pole of a voltaic pile and of induction ma- 
chines has. a stronger effect on the sentient nerves of 
the skin than the positive pole. This circumstance 
may enable us to tell the direction of the current in 
an electrical apparatus, provided that certain pre- 
cautions be taken. It is necessary, in the first place, 
that similar or nearly similar parts of the skin should 
be acted upon; since the epidermis is not of the 
same thickness in all parts of the body, and electri- 
city is less strongly felt where the epidermis offers 
much resistance to the passage of the current; more- 
over, the distribution of sentient nerves is not equal 
in all parts of the skin, and electricity is always 
felt more on those parts which are richly endowed 
with nervous filaments, such as the face, than on 
parts which possess a less abundant network. It 
is also essential that the size and condition (moist or 
dry) of the conductors should be equal, since a cur- 
rent of the same power possesses more density if 
conveyed by a small electrode, than if transmitted 
by a conductor with large surface ; and a moist con- 
ductor will act less on the skin and more on the 
muscles, while a dry conductor will act more on the 
skin and less on the muscles. If, however, the pre- 
cautions just described be taken, it is easy to distin- 
guish the negative pole from the positive pole, by 
the stronger sensation caused by the former. It fre- 246 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOG Y. 
[chap. II. 
quently happens that no sensation whatever is pro- 
duced by the application of the positive pole, and the 
negative pole is the only one felt. I have verified 
this fact on many patients, who have almost invari- 
ably been able to tell the direction of the current, 
after they had been informed that the strongest sen- 
sation is excited at the negative pole. 
The difference alluded to is especially remarkable 
if the feet of the patient are immersed in two basins 
filled with water, and connected with the poles of 
the apparatus; in this instance the current is always 
felt more strongly in that limb in which it is upward. 
If the hands are plunged into the basins this effect 
is not quite so evident, as the epidermis of the right 
hand is generally thicker than that of the left, in 
consequence of the greater use made of the right 
hand. Thus, if the current is upward in the left 
arm, the sensation is much stronger in the left than 
in the right hand; but if the current be upward in 
the right, the sensations are nearly the same in both 
hands, as the more powerful stimulus conveyed to 
the right hand is compensated by the greater resist- 
ance offered by the epidermis to the passage of the 
current. 
There are sentient nerves, not only in the skin, but 
also in the muscular tissue; and by applying the 
continuous or induced current to the latter, a pecu- 
liar sensation is produced which varies in strength 
according to the power of the current that is used. 
Duchenne has called this kind of sensibility ' electro- CHAP. II.] 
SYMPATHETIC NERVE. 
247 
muscular sensibility.' Remak has denied that there 
is any such kind of sensibility; and it is quite certain 
that Duchenne has in some instances confounded it 
with the sensibility of the skin. Yet there is no 
doubt whatever that every electro-muscular contrac- 
tion is accompanied by a special sensation, which 
exists independently of, and is quite different from, 
electro-cutaneous sensation. 
VI.-ACTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT UPON 
MIXED NERVES. 
The phenomena produced by applying galvanism 
to mixed nerves are due to the excitation partly of 
the motor and partly of the sentient fibres, of which 
the mixed nerves are composed. It appears that, by 
the application of the direct current, powerful mus- 
cular contractions are produced, and comparatively 
little sensation; while, if the inverse current be used, 
the contrary takes place, viz. the muscular contrac- 
tions are not very decided and the sensation is 
stronger. 
VII.-ACTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT UPON 
THE SYMPATHETIC NERVE. 
Experiments on animals.-The first experimental 
researches on the function of the sympathetic nerve 
were undertaken in 1727, by M. Pourfour du Petit, 
who found that after the section of the cervical sym- 
pathetic in animals the pupil became constricted, 
the cornea flattened, the conjunctiva hyperaemic; 248 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
II. 
the secretion of the palpebral mucus was increased, 
the eyelids were partially closed, and the third eyelid 
or nictitant membrane was laid over the eyeball. If 
the animals continued to live some time after the 
operation had been performed, the eye appeared 
smaller, and shrunk, and was drawn backwards into 
the orbit. The experiments of M. Pourfour du Petit 
were repeated and confirmed by Dupuy, Breschet, and 
Dr. John Reid. In 1846, M. Biffi, of Milan, observed 
that if the pupil had become constricted after the 
section of the cervical sympathetic, it could again 
be dilated if the cephalic end of the nerve was gal- 
vanised. 
In 1852, Professor Claude Bernard* published his 
important experimental researches on the physiology 
of the sympathetic, which have enlarged our know- 
ledge of the function of this nerve more than those 
of any other observer. He pointed out that after the 
section of the nerve, or after the destruction of the 
superior cervical ganglion, besides the phenomena 
noticed by M. Pourfour du Petit, the following took 
place: a more or less marked constriction of the 
nostril and of the mouth on the corresponding side 
and an increase of.the circulation of the blood, 
together with augmentation of heat and sensibility 
in the head. If the cephalic end of the sympathetic 
nerve was galvanised, all the phenomena observed 
* Sur 1'influence du nerf grand sympathique sur la chaleur animale, 
in Comptes rendus, etc., 29 mars 1852 ; also Comptes rendus de la 
Societe de Biologie, octobre et novembre 1852; and Lemons sur la 
Physiologic, etc., 1858, vol. i. p. 469. CHAP. II. ] 
SYMPATHETIC NERVE. 
249 
after the section of the nerve disappeared, and were 
even exaggerated in the opposite direction. Not 
only did the constriction of the pupil produced by 
the section of the sympathetic disappear by the 
application of galvanism, but the pupil became even 
larger than that of the opposite side; the eye, whiclt 
had been drawn backwards, protruded beyond the 
orbit; the temperature, which had been notably 
increased, fell below its average standard, and the 
conjunctiva, the nostrils, the ears, which had been 
red and injected, became quite pale. But when the 
application of electricity was discontinued, all the 
phenomena previously observed after the section of 
the nerve, gradually re-appeared. They could, how- 
ever, be made to disappear a second and even a third 
time by repeated applications of galvanism to the 
cephalic end of the nerve. If a drop of ammonia 
was applied to the conjunctiva of a dog, in which a 
section of the nerve had been made, the pain felt by 
the animal obliged it to keep its eyelids firmly closed; 
but if the upper end of the sympathetic was galvan- 
ised, the dog, notwithstanding the pain he felt, was 
no longer able to keep them shut, but opened them 
wide, while at the same time the redness of the con- 
junctiva, produced by the caustic, was diminished, 
and soon entirely disappeared. 
Experiments of the same kind have afterwards 
been made by Drs. Augustus Waller, Budge, Schiff, 
Brown-Sequard, and many other physiologists, who 
have added some new facts to those already known 250 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
about the physiology of the sympathetic, and which 
may be resumed as follows :- 
After the section of the nerve, almost all the 
muscles of the eye, of the angle of the mouth, and 
of the nostril, are contracted; the ear is kept erect, 
which is partly owing to contraction of its muscles ; 
the quantity of blood in the ear and in the whole cor- 
responding side of the head is notably increased; the 
arteries are fuller, and seem to beat with more power; 
the temperature is augmented, in some instances to 
11° or 12° F.; sensibility is increased; after the 
death of the animal sensibility and reflex function last 
longer than on the other side; perspiration, lachryma- 
tion, and the secretion of cerumen are increased ; the 
colour of the venous blood is changed; poisonous and 
other substances, which are deposited in equal quan- 
tities on both sides, in the subcutaneous cellular 
tissue of the face or at the base of the ear, are more 
rapidly absorbed on that side where the section has 
been made; chloroform destroys sensibility later 
there than on the opposite side; rigor mortis appears 
later and lasts longer; putrefaction commences later, 
and the current proper of the muscles is strong, when 
compared to the current proper of the muscles on the 
other side. 
By applying the induced current to the cervical 
sympathetic nerve the following phenomena are pro- 
duced : the pupil is dilated; the eyelids open; the 
eyeball protrudes; the blood-vessels contract; the 
quantity of blood is diminished; temperature and CHAP. II.] 
SYMPATHETIC NERVE. 
251 
sensibility sink below the average ; the conjunctiva 
and cornea are dry ; the current proper of the muscles 
is very weak; the excitability of the motor and sen- 
tient nerves of the iris, and of the muscles, and the 
contractility of the arteries disappear sooner after 
death than on the other side ; and cadaveric rigidity 
and putrefaction commence also sooner. 
All the phenomena observed after section of the 
sympathetic are due to a paralytic condition of the 
blood-vessels, which is the direct consequence of the 
operation, and owing to which more blood passes 
through these vessels in a given space of time than 
before; hence an increase of the vital properties of 
the contractile tissues and the nerves. Almost all the 
phenomena observed after the section of the sym- 
pathetic may be observed, if the quantity of blood 
circulating in the blood-vessels of the head in a 
given time, is increased by any other means; thus 
the hanging down of an animal, by holding it by 
its hind-legs, produces congestion in the head, and 
almost all the effects of the section of the sympa- 
thetic. It is seen that the effects of electricity are 
just opposite to those produced by the section of the 
nerve; viz. contraction of blood-vessels, diminution 
of the quantity of blood, and corresponding diminu- 
tion of the vital properties of the tissues. 
The phenomena observed by applying electricity 
directly to the ears of animals, differ according as a 
section of the sympathetic has been made or not. 
After the section of that nerve the ear becomes hot. If 252 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
one pole of an induction apparatus is then applied to 
the base of the ear and the other to the top, so that 
the longitudinal diameter of the ear is traversed by 
the current, the temperature is not lowered, as is the 
case if the cephalic end of the sympathetic nerve be 
galvanised ; but the heat in the ear is thereby further 
increased. On the contrary, if no section of the sym- 
pathetic has been made, and the ear is galvanised, the 
temperature of the part is lowered. Thus Bernard 
galvanised the ear of a rabbit, in which he had 
divided the left sympathetic, while at the right side 
no such operation had been made; and found that 
if the left ear was galvanised, a rapid and consider- 
able increase of heat took place; but that if the right 
ear was galvanised, heat was just as rapidly dimin- 
ished. Bernard has explained this in the following 
manner:-on that side where the sympathetic has 
been divided, the elevation of temperature results 
from the circumstance that, under the influence of 
the pain, the heart acts more vigorously upon the 
arteries of the ear, which are relaxed in consequence 
of the section of the sympathetic ; while, on the other 
side, where the nerve is in a state of integrity, electri- 
city produces an excitation of the sentient nerves, 
which is transmitted to the spinal cord and by reflex 
action to the sympathetic; hence the vessels of the 
ear are constricted, and the action of the heart can- 
not produce the same results as on the other side, 
where no reflex action from the spinal cord to the 
sympathetic is possible. This is proved by the fol- CHAP. II.'1 
SYMPATHETIC NERVE. 
253 
lowing experiment:-if the auricular nerve, which 
takes its rise from the cervical plexus, and which 
transmits reflex action from the ear to the spinal 
cord, be divided, the temperature of the ear can no 
longer be diminished by the direct application of 
galvanism to the ear ; but a decrease of temperature 
in the ear may again be caused if, after the section 
of the auricular nerve, its central end is galvanised; 
whereby the reflex action to the cord and thence to 
the sympathetic is re-established. 
If the inferior cervical ganglion of the sympathetic 
nerve be galvanised, the pulse is accelerated; the 
same is observed if the cardiac branches are subjected 
to an electric current; while, if the pneumogastric is 
galvanised, the action of the heart is arrested. 
Claude Bernard has further shown that the same 
effects which are produced by dividing and galvan- 
ising the cervical sympathetic, may be brought about 
by division and galvanisation of the vaso-motor nerves 
of the limbs. 
Prussak * has made some observations on the 
effects of the application of the induced current to 
the sympathetic on the blood-vessels of the tym- 
panum ; and found that the arteries were at first con- 
stricted, but became dilated after the stimulation had 
ceased; the veins were dilated during the stimulation, 
probably because the arteries were emptied; and 
they became constricted afterwards. In these ex- 
periments he rendered the tympanum of the dog 
* Sachs acad. Ber„ 1868, p. 101. 254 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
visible by trephining the mastoid portion of the 
temporal bone, and illuminating the interior by 
means of a reflector. 
Such are the effects of the application of the in- 
duced current to the cervical sympathetic in animals, 
which have been subjected to more or less severe ope- 
rations. It now remains to describe the effects of 
the continuous current on the sympathetic in healthy 
men. 
Experiments on man.-Frictional electricity, electro- 
magnetism, and magneto-electricity appear to have 
no effect wdiatever on the vital energy of the sym- 
pathetic unless great power be used, while a gentle 
continuous galvanic current has a direct influence 
on the same. Eulenburg and Schmidt* have ob- 
served that, if the positive pole of a Daniell's bat- 
tery of from twenty to forty cells is applied to the 
manubrium sterni, the negative pole being placed 
immediately behind and below the angle of the 
lower jaw, to a point corresponding to the ganglion 
cervicale superius: and if the circuit is closed in the 
metallic closing arch, the electrodes being fixed at 
the time, there is, as soon as the current begins to act, 
a slight dilation of the pupil of the same side, after 
which the pupil is gradually constricted. Sometimes 
these phenomena do not appear on first closing the 
circuit, but only after the current has been closed for 
half a minute or a minute, and is then broken and 
* Centralblatt fur die medicinischen Wissenschaften, 1868. Nos. 21 
and 23. CHAP. II.] 
SYMPATHETIC NERVE. 
255 
closed again; they also occur afterwards, each time 
the circuit is again closed. In most cases this initial 
instantaneous dilatation of the pupil is so slight 
that it cannot be observed with the unassisted eye, but 
can only be shown to occur with the aid of the pupil- 
loscope lately invented by Giraud-Teulon. This 
instrument allows us to notice any modifications of 
the size and distance of the dispersing circles in the 
retina by minimal alterations in the diameter of the 
pupil, such galvanic power being used as is applic- 
able for therapeutical purposes. 
With the aid of the pupilloscope it is seen that 
at the instant of closing the circuit the dispersing 
circles are suddenly enlarged; and if the circuit 
remains closed, they undergo a gradually increasing 
diminution. When the circuit is opened the effect 
differs, there being sometimes an enlargement and 
sometimes a diminution of the same; or there may be 
no perceptible alteration whatever in the dispersing 
circles. In rare cases, or where a very powerful cur- 
rent is used, the pupil becomes dilated after the 
application has lasted for a certain length of time ; 
and this dilatation may then be observed with the 
naked eye. These phenomena are more uncertain if 
the direction of the current be reversed; they com- 
pletely disappear if the negative electrode is removed 
from the place corresponding to the ganglion cervicale 
superius to the cervical vertebrae; and if both elec- 
trodes are symmetrically applied behind and below 
the angle of the lower jaw, the phenomena occur 256 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
in a more marked manner, and more strongly in that 
eye which corresponds to the negative pole. 
If a somewhat powerful current is uninterruptedly 
applied in the same direction for a certain length of 
time, the rate of pulsation appears to diminish. 
Where the action of the heart is normal, the pulse 
falls from four to sixteen beats in the minute ; but in 
pathological conditions, where the pulse is accelerated, 
as in certain forms of heart disease, exophthalmic 
goitre, etc., the fall may be much more considerable. 
This diminished rate of pulsation is accompanied by 
a decrease of tension and pressure in the carotids of 
both sides, and even in the radial arteries, which is 
quite perceptible to the finger. An examination by 
means of the sphygmograph, however, gives much 
more distinct results, showing that the typical relation 
of the curves of the carotid as they appear in healthy 
persons, are considerably altered during the time that 
galvanism is applied in this manner. The line of 
ascension becomes more slanting, and deviates more 
strongly to the right side; the pointed summit dis- 
appears completely, or almost completely, and instead 
of it a broad level is traced, which either proceeds in 
a horizontal plane or shows another more or less steep 
ascension. The end of this part of the curve which 
forms the commencement of the line of descension, 
is formed by the summit of the secondary eleva- 
tion ; this is, therefore, at the same level as, or even 
higher than, the summit of the primary wave, which 
otherwise corresponds to the geometrical summit of CHAP. II.] 
SYMPATHETIC NERVE. 
257 
the curve. The line of descension falls rather flatly, 
and the last great incision, with its corresponding 
ascension, is also flat and rounded. Some of these 
phenomena may also be observed in the curve of the 
radial artery. 
Eulenburg and Schmidt consider it probable that 
by applying the current in the way first described, 
both general and local effects are produced. The 
general effect is retardation and enfeebling of the 
heart's action, as shown by diminished rate of pulsa- 
tion and tension ; while the local effect would be due 
to a direct galvanic action on the vasomotor nerve- 
fibres of the head, which are contained in the cervical 
sympathetic, whereby the arterial tone in the sphere 
of the carotid artery and the pressure of blood in 
the same is reduced. This supposition would appear 
to be supported by the following experiment:- 
If a powerful direct current is sent from the spine 
to the brachial plexus, the positive pole being applied 
to the spinous processes of the lower cervical verte- 
brae, while the negative pole is in the supra-clavicular 
fossa, we observe after a time a diminution of the rate 
of pulsation, but which is generally less marked than 
in the previous experiment; viz. from four to ten beats 
in a minute only. At the same time, or even before 
the tension of the radial artery of the corresponding 
side is much diminished, and on examining the 
same by means of the sphygmograph, similar draw- 
ings are produced as were noticed on the carotid, 
the summit of the curve is enlarged, and the 258 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
first summit of the secondary wave is higher. These 
phenomena, however, are only temporary effects of 
the galvanic application : for, if the circuit remains 
closed for some time longer, the curves of the radial 
artery gradually return to their normal condition, and 
the rate of pulsation is again increased, although it 
does not quite reach its previous standard. After 
the circuit is opened, both the curve of the radial 
artery and the rate of pulsation return to their nor- 
mal condition. 
The rate of pulsation is further diminished by sym- 
metrical application of both poles to each superior 
cervical ganglion and by galvanisation of the spine 
with a strong direct current of from forty to sixty 
cells, even in the lower dorsal zone. If a powerful 
induced current is applied to the skin, there is at 
first acceleration and afterwards retardation of the 
heart's action with corresponding graphic alterations 
of the radial pulse. There can, therefore, be no doubt, 
that by applying galvanism in a certain manner, 
peculiar effects on the action of the heart and the 
current of the arterial blood may be obtained. It is 
not improbable that some of these effects are due to 
reflex excitation of the pneumogastric nerve. 
Splanchnic nerves.-In 1856 Pfliiger* discovered, 
that the splanchnic nerves have an inhibitory influ- 
ence upon the movements of the intestines. He 
has shown that if these nerves, which take their 
* Ueber das Hemmungs-N'ervensystem fiir die peristaltischen Bewe- 
gungen der Gedarme. Berlin, 1856. CHAP. II.] 
CONTRACTILE FIBRE-CELLS. 
259 
rise from the six lower dorsal ganglia of the sympa- 
thetic are galvanised, the peristaltic movements of 
the small intestines are almost immediately arrested. 
Hence he concluded that there is a peculiar set of 
nerves which has the function of diminishing or 
arresting the peristaltic movements; this set of 
nerves he called the inhibitory system. Mr. Lister,* 
who has experimented upon the same subject, in- 
clines to the opinion that the inhibiting influence is 
only produced if a strong electric current, is applied 
to the splanchnic nerves; but that there is an in- 
crease of function in them if they are excited by a 
gentle current. 
VIII. ACTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT UPON 
THE CONTRACTILE FIBRE-CELLS. 
All forms of electricity have a marked action upon 
the muscular fibre-cells, but more especially so the 
induced current. 
If an electric shock is applied to a voluntary 
muscle, it immediately contracts, and then as quickly 
relaxes ; while the movements induced by the appli- 
cation of electricity to the contractile fibre-cells are 
not observed simultaneously with the application of 
the electric current, but only a certain time after 
it has acted upon the tissue. The only exception 
from this rule is made by the iris, which is, in this 
respect, similar to the voluntary muscles. Moreover, 
* Preliminary account, etc., in Proceedings of the Royal Society, 
Vol. i. No. 32. 260 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
the motion once excited in the fibre-cells, continues 
for a certain time after the cessation of the current; 
and is not confined to those parts to which the elec- 
tricity has been directly applied, as is the case with 
the voluntary muscles, but is propagated to other 
parts of the same tract. It has, however, been 
shown by Helmholtz and Fick, that both the striped 
and the unstriped fibres pass actually through the 
same periods of contraction; and that there is only 
a difference as regards the rapidity with which these 
latter succeed each other. 
If the continuous current is used contractions are 
observed, not only at its commencement, as is the 
case with the voluntary muscles, but also while the 
circuit remains closed. The power of the current 
employed, and the length of time during which its 
action is kept up, determine the intensity and dura- 
tion of the movements brought about in the organic 
fibre-cells by the application of electricity. 
These contractions always take place in an order 
which corresponds to the physiological purpose ; 
thus, by the electric excitation of the intestines, 
peristaltic movements only are induced, but never 
anti-peristaltic contractions; if the uretheres are 
acted upon, the contraction proceeds from the kid- 
neys to the bladder, but never in the opposite direc- 
tion, whatever may be the intensity and the direction 
of the current, and whatever may be the point of 
the tract to which the electrodes are applied. 
The effects of electricity on the unstriped fibres CHAP. II.] 
CONTRACTILE FIBRE-CELLS. 
261 
have been investigated, not only in living and 
dead animals, but also in recently-killed bodies of 
criminals. Researches of the latter kind were un- 
dertaken especially by M. Nysten,* during the whole- 
sale slaughter which accompanied the first French 
Revolution, and more recently by Professors Henle, 
Kolliker, Gerlach, Harless, and others. The results 
of these experiments are somewhat at variance with 
each other; which is no doubt due to the circum- 
stance that some have employed the continuous, 
and others the induced, current; and that those who 
employed the continuous current have, in some 
instances, made use of very feeble batteries. 
Iris.-If the induced current is applied to the iris, 
this membrane, like the voluntary muscle, contracts 
rapidly, and returns to its previous condition as soon 
as the circuit is broken. By applying electricity to 
the iris, however, dilatation as well as constriction of 
the pupil may be produced, according as the current 
acts upon the dilatator or the constrictor muscle. A 
constriction of the pupil is observed, if one pole is di- 
rected to the centre of the cornea, and the other one 
to any point of the head or face; by this arrangement 
the circular fibres of the iris (sphincter pupillse) are put 
in action. A constriction of the pupil is also perceived, 
if one metal of a galvanic pair is placed in the nose 
and the other one on the tongue ; it is, however, ne- 
cessary for the success of such experiments that they 
* Nouvelles experiences galvaniques faites sur les organes musculaires 
de 1'homme et des animaux a sang rouge. Paris, an xi. (1803). 262 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
should be made in a room where only so much external 
light is admitted as is sufficient for discerning the size 
of the pupil. It is then easy to observe that a con- 
striction of the pupil takes place each time the metals 
are brought in contact with each other. 
If the poles of an induction apparatus, or of a single 
galvanic pair, are directed to the edge of the cornea or 
to the sclerotica, the radiar fibres of the iris (dilatator 
pupillse) are excited, and the pupil is, therefore, di- 
lated. When the electrodes are applied to the upper 
and the lower part of the cornea, the pupil assumes the 
shape of a lying oval; and when they are placed to 
the right and left side of the cornea, the pupil takes 
the form of a standing oval. 
Intestines.-The fibre-cells of the intestines respond 
readily to the galvanic stimulus. Aldini observed 
that when a zinc plate was introduced into the 
mouth of a recently-killed bull, and a piece of silver 
into the rectum, and both metals were connected by 
means of a wire, the abdominal muscles of the animal 
were convulsed and the faeces discharged. This ex- 
periment was repeated by M. Achard, of Berlin, on 
himself, who experienced, almost immediately after 
the circuit had been established, pain in the pelvis, 
and soon afterwards the bowels were voided of their 
contents. 
If the salivary glands are directly galvanised, no 
apparent effect is produced; but Professor Ludwig* 
* Lehrbuch der Physiologic des Menschen. Heidelberg, 1853. Vol. 
ii. p. 59. chap. nJ 
CONTRACTILE FIBRE-CELLS. 
263 
has shown that if the induced current be applied to 
the lingual and auriculo-temporal nerves, the chorda 
tympani, and the posterior parotideal branches of the 
portio dura, an abundant flow of saliva takes place. 
M. Claude Bernard* has proved, that if the nerves 
just named are galvanised, the blood-vessels of the 
salivary glands become enlarged, and that this dila- 
tation of the blood-vessels is due to a greater attrac- 
tion of arterial blood developed in the tissues ; while, 
if the sympathetic nerve is galvanised, the salivary 
secretion is arrested. The amount of saliva which 
may be collected in a very short time from the sali- 
vary glands, if the nerves above named are galva- 
nised, by far surpasses the volume of the glands 
themselves, so that it cannot be supposed that the 
saliva is simply squeezed out of the gland ; but it is 
secreted in the gland at the very moment when the 
galvanism is caused to act on the secretory nerves. 
The excretion of the saliva is effected by the same 
forces which attract the blood to the glands, and not 
by the tissue of the glands, since the elementary 
substance of the glands has no inherent contractile 
power. M. Bernard is inclined to assume that the 
capillaries possess two properties, one of contraction, 
and the other of dilatation; and that either of these 
properties is put into play by a peculiar set of nerves. 
Galvanisation of the oesophagus in man causes con- 
traction of its longitudinal as well as of its circular 
fibres ; and if the action of the current be kept up for 
* Journal de la Physiologic de I'llomme. Paris, Oct. 1858, p. 649. 264 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap, II. 
a certain time, the contraction is no longer limited 
to the part directly operated upon, but proceeds 
downwards towards the stomach. In man and most 
of the mammalia, the oesophagus is composed of both 
striped and unstriped fibres, so that the aspect of 
its contraction by galvanism resembles neither that 
of voluntary muscles, nor that of fibre-cells. In 
birds the oesophagus consists exclusively of un- 
striped fibres ; the motion excited by galvanism in 
the oesophagus of birds therefore commences slowly 
and continues for some time after the cessation of 
the current. In the rodentia or gnawers the oeso- 
phagus consists of striped fibres only, and if it be 
galvanised, a rapid contraction occurs which ceases 
immediately with the cessation of the current. 
The stomach responds well to the electric stimulus 
by a shortening of both its longitudinal and trans- 
verse diameter ; the direction of the movement being 
always from the cardia to the pylorus. 
The small intestines are particularly excitable by 
galvanism. If the cavity of the abdomen is opened 
in recently-killed animals, powerful contractions of 
the intestines take place, which are produced by the 
contact of these tissues with air. After a time these 
contractions cease; and if an electric current is then 
caused to act upon the small intestines, they are 
again seen to contract strongly, and the contents of 
the bowels are propelled towards the rectum. If the 
electrodes be placed very near each other to any 
point of the intestines, and shortly afterwards rapidly CHAP. 11.1 
CONTRACTILE FIBRE-CELLS. 
265 
removed, a constriction of the canal occurs on that 
particular point to which the electrodes have been 
directed. This constriction reaches its maximum a 
short time after the electrodes have been removed, 
and then slowly disappears. It generally extends a 
little above and below the point where the electrodes 
have been placed; and it is most striking in the duo- 
denum, while it is not very marked in the coecum. 
The colon and the rectum respond well to the electric 
stimulus, although not so readily as the small intes- 
tines. 
If the gall-bladder is acted upon by electricity, it is 
seen to contract and to void the bile into the duo- 
denum. If the electrodes are placed very near each 
other, a constriction is produced in the gall-bladder 
which may be so strong as to divide that organ in 
two distinct parts which do not communicate with 
each other. 
The spleen of most mammalia contracts fairly well 
under the influence of the electric current; but con- 
cerning the contractility of the human spleen there 
is much difference of opinion. Kblliker, Dittrich, 
and Gerlach* deny its contractility; while Wagner,j- 
and Claude Bernard affirm it. This dis- 
crepancy is probably owing to the circumstance that 
Kblliker used a feeble continuous current, while 
Wagner and Bernard employed a powerful induction 
apparatus. 
* Prager Vierteljahrschrift, 1851. Vol. viii. p. 65. 
f Jena'sche Annalen, 1849. Heft 1. 
J Augsburger allg. Zeitung, 1850. 266 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
The uretheres respond readily to the electric cur- 
rent ; they are at the same time shortened and con- 
stricted, and the contractions proceed in the direction 
from the kidneys to the bladder. These contractions 
continue long after the application of galvanism has 
ceased. 
The bladder contracts vigorously when galvanised; 
and the vas deferens, the epididymis, and the tunica 
vaginalis propria are likewise not devoid of contrac- 
tility. The uterus answers to the application of gal- 
vanism, whether it be in the gravid state or not. 
Weber has observed partial contractions of the uterus 
in bitches and rabbits; and that the human uterus 
in the gravid state contracts in toto, when galvanised, 
is confirmed by clinical experience. 
According to Dr. F. W. Mackenzie,* the uterus 
contracts more readily when the positive pole is di- 
rected to the spine and the negative to the cervix, 
than when both poles are directly applied to the sub- 
stance of the uterus; and the electric current, directed 
longitudinally through the uterus, promotes powerful 
and general uterine contraction, whereas a current 
passed transversely through the organ excites partial 
contractions only in the direction of the current. Dr. 
Mackenzie has asserted that the contraction of the 
contractile fibres of the uterus caused by galvanism 
differs widely, by its slowness, from that of the other 
involuntary muscles when acted upon by electricity ; 
but such is not the case, as the coecum, the gall- 
* Medico-Chirurgical Transactions for 1859, p. 160. CHAP. II.] 
CONTRACTILE FIBRE-CELLS. 
267 
bladder, and other involuntary muscles respond 
equally slowly to the galvanic stimulation as the 
uterus. 
The contractility of the blood-vessels is proportion- 
ate to the number of unstriped fibres they contain. 
It has been affirmed by Vassalli, Giulio, and Rossi 
that the aorta of man contracts when galvanised; 
but neither Nysten nor Kolliker have been able to 
perceive such contractions. The absence of contract- 
ility in the aorta is readily to be understood, if we 
consider that it consists almost entirely of elastic 
fibres, and contains only very few contractile ele- 
ments, which, even when excited by galvanism, are 
not capable to counterbalance the elastic force which 
continually tends to keep the aorta open. The un- 
striped fibres are much more abundant in the smaller 
arteries of man, and consequently these are seen to 
contract energetically when galvanised. The aorta 
of horses, cows, and sheep contains more fibre-cells 
than the human aorta; and it is therefore probable 
that, were that vessel galvanised in those animals, 
contractions would be noticed. The smaller arteries 
of man are much constricted when galvanised ; these 
constrictions are not observable immediately after 
the commencement of the current, but only after its 
action has been kept up for a certain time. When 
the application of galvanism is discontinued, the 
constrictions still increase for a short time, and then 
slowly disappear. 268 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
IX. ACTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT UPON 
THE HEART AND THE PNEUMOGASTRIC NERVE. 
The phenomena produced by the application of 
galvanism to the heart differ according to the 
parts of the heart acted upon. The heart receives 
its nervous supply from four sources; viz. 1. The 
sympathetic ganglia, which are situated in the sub- 
stance of the heart itself, and which, as Bidder and 
Rosenberger have shown, are found clustered together 
in the lines of junction between the auricles and ven- 
tricles, and between the auricles and the great veins; 
these impart to the heart the power of beating rhy- 
mically. 2. The nerves, which, from the cervical 
sympathetic send the motor impulse to the heart. 
3. Bezold's cardiac nervous centre in the medulla ob- 
longata ; and 4. The depressor nerve, which, according 
to Ludwig and Cyon, originates from the superior 
laryngeal, and which, when its central end is galva- 
nised, causes dilatation of the blood-vessels, and 
diminished pressure of the blood. If the ventricle 
and the atrium of a frog's heart, which is still ac- 
tively pulsating, are galvanised, the heart is con- 
stricted, and its movements may cease altogether; 
but if the electrodes are applied to the bulbus 
aortae, the pulsations become more powerful; they 
disappear entirely if an electric current is caused 
to act on the vena cava, but begin again after the 
cessation of the current. These differences are only 
to be understood by remembering that some of the chap, n.] 
HEART AND PNEUMOGASTRIC NERVE. 
269 
nerves of the heart impart to it motive power, while 
others regulate and inhibit it. If the former are 
galvanised, the action of the heart is augmented, 
while by galvanisation of the latter the pulsations 
are arrested. This fact was discovered by Professor 
Weber, of Leipzig; and seen independently of him 
by Professor Budge, of Greifswald; while M. Claude 
Bernard has observed many other interesting pheno- 
mena in connexion with it. 
If the pneumogastric nerves are galvanised without 
having been previously divided, the action of the heart 
as well as the respiratory movements are arrested, and 
the eyes protrude; from which it appears that those 
nerves have at the same time a centripetal and a 
centrifugal action. If a section of the same nerves be 
made in dogs, and their upper ends be galvanised, the 
pupils are dilated and the eyes protrude ; if galvanism 
be then discontinued, the eyes are drawn backwards 
and the pupils constricted. By galvanisation of the 
upper ends of the vagi no effect whatever is produced 
upon the action of the heart, and if the current be 
gentle the respiratory movements also continue undis- 
turbed ; but if a strong current be used, the respiratory 
movements are stopped during inspiration, the blood 
in the carotid arteries becomes black, and a passive 
congestion of the mucous membrane of the cavity of 
the mouth is produced ; the tongue appears brownish 
black, in consequence of the momentary asphyxia 
produced by galvanisation of the upper ends of the 
vagi; but the arteries continue to beat. If galvanism 270 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
be then discontinued, the respiratory movements be- 
gin again, and the velocity with which they succeed 
each other is even greater than before the galvanisa- 
tion was commenced. Moreover, after galvanisation 
of the upper ends of the vagi, sugar is found in the 
blood, in the cerebro-spinal liquid, and in the bile; 
the secretion of urine appears to be arrested, and a 
flow of saliva is observed; this saliva, however, is 
much more viscid than that observed to flow after 
the galvanisation of the lingual nerve, or of the 
chorda tympani. 
Galvanisation of the lower ends of the vagi pro- 
duces opposite effects ; it does not stop the respira- 
tory movements, as is done by galvanisation of the 
upper ends; but arrests the pulsations of the heart 
and the arteries, and generally causes vomiting. 
If after death the heart of an animal has ceased 
to act, and an induced current is applied to it, rhyth- 
mic contractions of the heart are again observed. 
These contractions are much more marked in the 
right than in the left ventricle. After death the 
left ventricle is generally firmly contracted, and in- 
sensible to the electric stimulus; the right ventricle, 
on the contrary, is almost always loaded with blood, 
and contracts very powerfully when galvanised. In 
animals killed by chloroform, sometimes the left 
ventricle still continues to pulsate feebly, while the 
action of the right ventricle is entirely stopped, in 
consequence of excessive distension with black blood. 
If in such instances the right ventricle is galvanised, 
[chap. ii. chap, ii.] 
HEART AND PNEUMOGASTRIC NERVE. 
271 
its pulsations begin again and the dilatation becomes 
less. From this we may infer that galvanisation of 
the right ventricle may be resorted to in cases of 
chloroform poisoning during surgical operations, 
after the usual remedies, especially artificial respi- 
ration, have failed. But it is indispensable that in 
such instances a gentle current should be used, as a 
strong one would, in all probability, totally annihilate 
the excitability of the heart. Baron Humboldt has 
performed interesting experiments with electricity 
on the heart of a carp which had been cut out of the 
body.* Immediately after that operation had been 
performed, there were thirty-four pulsations observed 
in a minute; the heart was then touched with a 
solution of sulphuret of potassium, after which only 
nine pulsations took place. Five minutes after the 
heart had been cut out there were only three pul- 
sations in a minute. Feeble discharges from a jar 
were now directed to the substance of the heart, 
when the pulsations again rose to twenty-eight in 
a minute ; a somewhat stronger discharge was then 
administered, and the pulsations again fell back to 
eight; a still stronger discharge entirely destroyed 
its contractility, and no stimulus was capable of in- 
ducing further pulsations. 
Mr. Lister f has observed that the movements of 
the heart are not always arrested under these ch- 
* Untersuchungen uber die gereizte Muskel- und Nervenfaser. Posen 
und Berlin, 1797. Vol. ii. p. 214. 
f Preliminary Enquiry into the Functions of the visceral nerves. 
Proc. Royal Society. August 13, 18-58. 272 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
cumstances. He found that a feeble current had a 
directly opposite action to that of a powerful one; 
for when a weak current was used, the rhythmical 
movements of the heart were quickened; when the 
power of the current -was increased, these move- 
ments were arrested during diastole ; while, when the 
power of the current was still more augmented, the 
movements re-appeared. 
X. ACTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT LTON 
THE BLOOD. 
The action, of electricity on the blood appears to be 
wholly chemical, and it is, therefore, easy to under- 
stand that the continuous current has a different 
effect upon it than frictional electricity, or the in- 
duced current. The latter two forms of electricity 
seem indeed to have little or no action upon blood 
at all, while electrolysis by means of the continuous 
current, causes a profound modification of the same. 
The effects of the extra-current upon the blood have 
not yet been investigated; but it appears probable 
that it would resemble, only in a much more feeble 
manner, the effects of the continuous current. 
The action of electricity on the blood has been 
studied by Scudamore*, Dutrochetf, Muller J, Stein- 
heil §, Fraser ||, and many others. The following is the 
substance of my own experiments on this subject:- 
* Annales des Sciences nouvelles, 1831. 
t An Essay on the Blood, etc. London, 1824. 
{ Poggendorff's Annalen, 1832, 
§ Zeitschrift Wiener Aerzte, April 1853. 
Edinburgh Medical Journal, 1868, p. 110. CHAP. II.] 
THE BLOOD. 
273 
The immediate effect of the electrolytic decomposi- 
tion of any animal liquid is, that the positive con- 
ductor is oxidised and chlorinated, and from a metal 
changed into a metallic salt, since no metal whatever 
can resist the effects of oxygen and chlorine in their 
nascent condition. On the other hand, metals are 
not changed by hydrogen or free alkali, and the 
negative pole therefore always retains its pure and 
bright metallic aspect, whatever may be the power of 
the current used, or the length of time during which 
it is made to act. Thus it appears that, in using 
merely the negative pole of the battery, we do not 
introduce any foreign substance into the animal li- 
quid, but only alter its composition; while, if we use 
the positive pole, we introduce into it salts of iron, 
copper, silver, gold, or any other metals used as 
conductors, that is to say, irritant foreign bodies, 
which in the system may give rise to inflammation, 
suppuration and other undesirable surgical complica- 
tions. 
The following effects are produced if the albumen 
of an egg is subjected to electrolysis:-When a steel 
needle connected with the negative pole and another 
steel needle connected with the positive pole are 
immersed into the albumen, a peculiar substance is 
formed round the negative pole, which at first sight 
looks like a coagulum or clot, but is in reality no 
clot, but a sort of lace-like j,elly-froth, which consists 
of the smallest particles of albumen, mechanically 
driven asunder by the nascent hydrogen, and chemi- 274 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. ii. 
cally altered by the evolution of free alkali, viz. soda, 
potash and lime, the presence of which may be 
shown by its effects on litmus and turmeric paper. 
The principal salines found in the egg-albumen are 
the chlorides, sulphates, and phosphates of soda, 
potash and lime. These are decomposed by electro- 
lysis, hydrochloric, sulphuric and phosphoric acid 
appearing at the positive pole, while soda, potash 
and lime accumulate at the negative pole. An 
entirely different effect is therefore produced at the 
positive pole, where the steel needle is oxidised, and 
by the development of sulphuric and phosphoric 
acid and chlorine, sulphate, phosphate and chloride 
of iron are formed, which impart a reddish-brown 
colour to the albumen, with which they form an 
organic compound. 
If we substitute gold needles for steel needles at 
both poles, we perceive that the effect at the nega- 
tive pole is exactly the same as that produced by the 
steel needle, while at the positive pole the effects are 
different; for there we have no longer chloride and 
sulphate of iron, but perchloride of gold, by which a 
greenish-blue clot is formed. If the nature of the 
positive pole be once more changed by substituting 
a brass or copper wire for the steel or gold needle, 
the effect is again different at the positive pole, 
where a white clot is produced, which is due to the 
action of the copper-salt on albumen, while at the 
negative pole the same substance is formed as before. 
The effects of the continuous current on the albu- CHAP. II.] 
THE BLOOD. 
275 
men of an egg are therefore twofold; viz. first, 
mechanical disintegration of its substance by the 
nascent hydrogen, and chemical alteration by caustic 
potash, soda and lime at the negative pole; and, on 
the other hand, chemical alteration by chlorine and 
acids at the positive pole. There is in such experi- 
ments no visible development of oxygen at all at 
the positive pole, because the oxygen that is evolved 
immediately combines with the metals to form 
oxides. This is the reason why, after such experi- 
ments, the gold needle appears black, the steel 
needle brown, and the brass wire greenish-black; 
while at the negative pole no alteration of the metals 
is produced. 
The effects of the continuous current on blood 
resemble those produced on albumen, but are, of 
course, modified by the presence, in the former liquid, 
of fibrine, heematine and iron. This is the reason 
why coagulation takes place at both poles, with only 
this difference, that the negative clot is red, soft, and 
bulky, while the positive clot is black, hard, and 
small. Both clots remain unchanged for several 
days, and are only dissolved ■when putrefaction of 
the animal liquid commences. The clots formed in 
arterial blood are more firm and less dark than the 
clots formed in venous blood. The effects are other- 
wise the same, whether the blood has been taken from 
arteries, veins, or capillary vessels, and is experi- 
mented upon in a cup, or whether it is still circulat- 
ing in the living body. 276 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
It is easy to coagulate the blood while circulat- 
ing in the arteries of living dogs and rabbits. On 
dissecting the arteries, it is found that the time 
required for coagulation varies, according to the 
power of the current used, from five to thirty minutes. 
Coagulation is produced at both poles, the clot formed 
at the positive being firmer, smaller, and darker than 
that formed at the negative. These clots extend a 
short distance beyond the points of the needles which 
have been used in the experiment, and adhere well to 
the coats of the vessel. If the operation is continued 
for a considerable time, the coats of the vessel itself 
are destroyed. 
The microscopic alterations of the blood-corpuscles 
produced by the passage of the continuous current, 
have been minutely described by Rollet and Neumann; 
but as these phenomena have only little scientific, 
and no practical importance, the reader interested in 
the same is referred to the original papers published 
by those two able observers.* The same applies to 
the experiments of Dr. Golubew,t who has lately 
investigated the action of induction currents on the 
white blood-corpuscles. 
XL-ACTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT UPON 
THE SKIN. 
Sparks taken from the common electrical machine 
produce a sharp sensation in, and a peculiar eruption 
* Sitzungsberichte der Wiener Akademie, vol. xlvi., and Reichert 
and Dubois' Archiv etc. 1865. 
t Ibidem, vol. Ivii. p. 552, 1868. CHAP. II.] 
THE SKIN. 
277 
on, the skin, viz. a small circumscribed wheal which 
resembles lichen urticatus, and is surrounded by a 
little inflammatory blush. The action of the con- 
tinuous current upon the skin differs according to 
the intensity of the current, to the resistance offered 
to its passage, and to the length of time duri: g which 
the action of the current is kept up. Thus there is 
only a trifling action if the skin be dry; it is much 
stronger if the epidermis be moistened previous to the 
application of the electrodes, and still more so if the 
epidermis be totally removed by blisters. This was 
first pointed out by Baron Humboldt, in 1795. He 
had two blisters, each of the size of a crown, applied 
in the region of the two shoulder-blades, above the 
trapezius and deltoid muscles. By cutting the blisters 
open, a serous uncoloured liquid was seen to flow out. 
He then had the excoriated spots covered with a silver 
plate, and as soon as the zinc was connected with it, a 
liquid was seen to flow, which no longer appeared un- 
coloured, but was of a reddish hue, and which pro- 
duced considerable inflammation on those parts of the 
skin which were touched by it; at the same time a 
severe burning pain was perceived. Baron Humboldt 
relates that for several hours after his experiment he 
looked like a soldier who had been flogged. If the 
action of a feeble continuous currrent be kept up for 
some hours, destruction of the skin and the subjacent 
structures will be produced ; if a powerful pile be 
used, the destruction will take place very rapidly. 
This effect is always more striking at the zinc pole of 278 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOG Y. 
[chap. II. 
a single pair, as by the action of the current the 
saline fluids effused on the surfaces of the blisters 
are decomposed, sodium being liberated at the silver 
surfaces, and chlorine being evolved at the zinc plate, 
thus forming chloride of zinc, the escharotic action 
of which produces ulceration of the tissues. On the 
silver plate sodium is set free, which by oxidation 
rapidly becomes soda. Proceeding from these facts, 
Dr. Golding Bird has recommended the action of the 
zinc pole for establishing an electric moxa in cases 
where we may wish to induce a persistent discharge 
from some part of the body; the opposite action of 
the silver plate has been used by Mr. Spencer Wells to 
favour a rapid healing of torpid ulcers. 
According to Remak, the two poles of the contin- 
uous current applied by moistened conductors differ 
as follows: the positive pole relaxes the blood-vessels 
and reddens the skin, while the negative pole, after 
a continuous application of from five to ten minutes, 
produces the opposite effect. On the positive pole 
there is moreover a depression of the skin, while on 
the negative one, a swelling of the epidermis and 
corium is produced. 
If an induced current of some intensity be applied 
to the skin, three effects are produced; viz. pain, 
contraction of the muscular layer of the skin, and 
changes in the diameter of the blood-vessels. The 
effect is much greater if the skin be dry than if it be 
moistened ; for, if it be moist, the largest portion of 
the electricity passes off into the deeper structures ; CHAP. II. J 
THE SKIN. 
279 
while, if it be dry, the resistance to the passage of 
the electricity is very considerable, and the skin it- 
self receives almost the whole of it. If the current, 
however, be powerful, and the skin delicate, both the 
skin and the deeper tissues will be equally affected. 
The effects of Faradisation on the blood-vessels 
of the skin have been studied microscopically by 
Weber,* Max Schultze,! and Pfliiger.§ 
They all agree that, at first, there is contraction, and 
afterwards dilatation of the smallest vessels of the 
skin. This fact may be easily shown clinically by 
applying a fine wire-brush to the skin. We then see, 
at first, anaemia produced by spasmodic contraction 
of the capillaries, which is, after a time, succeeded by 
considerable erythema, owing to enlargement of the 
vessels; and if the tension of the current is very 
high, circumscribed wheals are produced, as after the 
application of frictional electricity. This is espe- 
cially remarkable if the current be applied by means 
of fine metallic wires. The erythema is more easily 
produced in women and in persons whose skin is 
delicate ; it is more marked at the negative than at 
the positive pole. An increase of temperature in the 
skin also takes place, as shown by the thermometer; 
and this increase of heat may continue for a consider- 
able time after the application. 
By the action of electricity on the contractile fibre- 
* Muller's Archiv, 1847, p. 232. 
f De arteriarum structura. Gryphiae, 1849. 
J Prager Vierteljahrsehrift, 1849. Bd. vi. Heft 1. 
§ Allgemeine mediz. Centralzeitung, 1855. Vol. xiv. August. 280 
ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY. 
[chap. II. 
cells of the skin, cutis anserina is produced ; and 
Kolliker has observed this phenomenon on a piece of 
skin taken from the thigh of a criminal who had 
been executed a short time before. 
The contractions of the fibre-cells are most power- 
ful in the tunica dartos and the nipple; the latter 
rapidly becomes erect, and remains so for a long time 
after the cessation of the current. The fibre-cells of 
the hair-roots can also be excited by Faradisation; 
and if a current be applied to such parts of the skin 
as are covered with hair, the latter becomes more or 
less erect. 
XII.-ACTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT UPON 
THE BONES. 
If an induced current is applied, by means of 
moistened conductors, to bones which lie closely 
beneath the skin, such as the frontal bone or the tibia, 
a peculiarly unpleasant sensation is perceived, in 
consequence of the irritation of the sentient nerves of 
the periosteum. It is probable that, by applying 
electricity directly to the periosteum and the bones, 
a greater quantity of blood may be attracted to these 
parts; but direct observations on this point are now 
wanting. The continuous current does not produce 
this particularly disagreeable sensation when applied 
to the surface of bones. 281 
CHAPTER III. 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, AND METHODS 
OF APPLYING ELECTRICITY. 
In this chapter I shall describe the electrical ma- 
chines which may be used for therapeutical pur- 
poses, and the methods in which the different forms 
of electricity have been, and are to be, medically 
applied. I shall speak at first of Electrisation, or 
the medical application of static electricity : after 
which I shall consider Galvanisation, or the applica- 
tion of the continuous current of galvanic electri- 
city; and at last Faradisation, or the method of 
applying induction currents. The term 4 Faradisation ' 
has been proposed by Duchenne in order to honour 
the name of Faraday, who discovered both the electro- 
magnetic and the magneto-electric current; and 
Duchenne's proposal has been generally adopted, both 
in Europe and America. 
First principles of Application.-Benedict * has put 
it down as a general principle that, in using elec- 
tricity or galvanism, care should be taken to apply 
it to the seat of disease ; and, if this should be im - 
* Electrotherapie, Wien, 1868, p. 73. 282 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
practicable, to direct it rather to a more central than 
to a more peripheral part of the body. Although I 
agree in the main with Benedict's proposition, I 
think it requires to be so far modified that, in a con- 
siderable number of cases, there should be not only 
an application of electricity to the seat of the disease, 
and which I term the radical application, but that the 
agent should also be directed to those more remote 
parts in which the symptoms are manifested, that is, 
the symptomatic application. Thus, for instance, in 
the treatment of hemiplegia of the left side of the 
body, the only allowable application, according to 
Benedict's principle, would be to direct the electri- 
city to the right cerebral hemisphere. Now, I am 
convinced that this is an effective method of treat- 
ment, and I never omit to use it in such cases, un- 
less special circumstances should appear to prohibit 
the same; but I am equally satisfied that the pro- 
gress towards recovery is far more rapid, if a peri- 
pheral or symptomatic application to the nerves and 
muscles of the paralysed arm and leg is combined with 
the central or radical application. What holds good 
for hemiplegia applies likewise to many forms of 
anaesthesia, hypertesthesia, and other affections of the 
nervous system, which will be considered in the fifth 
chapter. 
(A) Electrisation. I. History of it.-The first 
wTho applied static or frictional electricity for medical 
purposes was a German physician, Dr. C. Kratzen- CHAP. III.] 
ELECTRISATION. 
283 
stein,* Professor of Medicine at tlie University of 
Halle, who cured a patient of a contraction of the 
little finger, by sparks drawn from the ordinary elec- 
trical machine (1744). He also relieved another 
patient, who had two lame fingers, so far that he 
could again play on the harpsichord; and observed 
that the rate of pulsation was increased by the ap- 
plication of electricity. In 1748, M. Jallabert,t of 
Geneva, published a treatise on the effects of electri- 
city upon the living body, and stated that the phe- 
nomena generally observed after the application of 
electricity were acceleration of the pulse, increase of 
heat, and involuntary contractions produced in para- 
lysed muscles. He cured a locksmith, aged fifty- 
two, whose right arm had been paralysed by a blow 
from a hammer, within three months, by means of 
sparks and shocks; but it is stated that this patient 
afterwards relapsed into his previous condition. 
However, M. Sauvages, of Montpelier, was, by the 
report of this case, induced to employ electricity in a 
number of paralytics. 
The report of the new remedy brought together 
such an enormous concourse of patients, that it was 
impossible to electrify them all sufficiently. The 
neighbouring populace, indeed, considered the cures 
which were made due to witchcraft, and the opera- 
* Abhandlung von dem Nutzen der Eleetricitat in der Arzney-Wis- 
senschaft. Halle, 1745. 
f Experiences sur 1'Electricite, avec quelques conjectures. Paris, 
1749. 284 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
tors were obliged to have recourse to the priests to 
undeceive them.* 
A few years later, Dr. Bohadtch, a Bohemian, 
communicated a treatise on medical electricity to 
the Royal Society, in which he contended that, of all 
diseases, hemiplegia was most successfully treated by 
electricity. In 1757, Mr. Patrick Brydone cured a 
hysterical woman in three days of general paralysis. 
This patient was thirty-three years of age, and had 
been paralysed for two years. Dr. Watson succeeded 
in restoring to health a girl, aged seven, who had 
for some time been in a state of complete muscular 
rigidity and consequent immobility. Dr. Edward 
Spry recorded the cure, by the same means, of a girl, 
aged eighteen, of lockjaw and paralysis. On the 
other hand, cases were not wanting in which the 
remedy, being promiscuously and often injudiciously 
employed, did no good whatever, or even harm. 
Thus, the Abbe Nollet was honest enough to confess 
that, during a practice of fifteen or sixteen years, he 
had in no case produced any permanent good effects. 
Dr. Hart, of Shrewsbury, completely paralysed a girl 
who was submitted to the treatment; and the para- 
lysis was only removed by the use of proper medi- 
cines. The Abbe Mazeas caused epileptic fits in a 
person subject to that disorder, by the application of 
electricity; and Eranklin, to whom a great many 
paralytics resorted from all parts of Pennsylvania, 
* On the History and Present State of Electricity, by Joseph Priestly, 
3rd edition. Two vols. London, 1775.-See also a paper on this sub- 
ject by Mr. Donovan, in Dublin Quarterly Journal, 1846-47. CHAP. III.] 
ELECTRISATION. 
285 
found that, in no case treated by him, any permanent 
good was effected. He thought, however, that more 
advantage might have been obtained from the electric 
treatment, had it been accompanied with proper 
medicines and regimen, under the direction of a 
skilful physician. 
In 1778, M. Mauduit gave a highly favourable ac- 
count on the curative effects of electricity before the 
Societe Royale de Medecine, at Paris; and it was 
chiefly in consequence of this report that the appli- 
cation of electricity to various diseases became for 
some time fashionable in the medical world. Accord- 
ing to Mauduit electricity is an exciting remedy; it 
increases the vital powers, swells those parts of the 
body which are touched by it; and excites perspira- 
tion and even salivation, which frequently become 
very abundant if the electricity employed is of high 
tension. By applying electricity to patients, obstinate 
pains are relieved, the normal heat is restored to 
parts which have been cold for years; patients suf- 
fering from costiveness experience abundant evacua- 
tions ; muscular atrophy, oedema, paralysis are cured, 
and tranquillity and sleep follow the application of 
electricity. The pulse at the wrist is strengthened by 
positive electricity, andretardedby negative electricity. 
A few years later Cavallo collected a number of 
observations in his essay on the theory and practice 
of medical electricity. He recommended the use of 
the electrical machine in paralysis, deficiency of 
vision, deafness, chorea, epilepsy, and for rescuing 
persons from apparent death. In 1802, M. Sigaud 286 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[CHAP. Ill. 
de la Fond published a treatise on the same subject, 
in which he elaborately described the different me- 
thods to be employed in the use of electricity, and 
which are, the electric bath, drawing sparks, irrora- 
tion, friction, insufflation, exhaustion, and commo- 
tion. If we were to believe M. Sigaud de la Fond, 
there is scarcely a disease known in pathology that 
would resist the use of electricity. 
After the discovery of the voltaic pile (1800), and 
especially after that of induction currents (1831), the 
medical use of frictional electricity has been more or 
less abandoned; and it is only in the electricity room 
of Guy's Hospital, under the superintendence of Drs. 
Golding Bird and Gull, that therapeutical experi- 
ments on a large scale have been undertaken with it. 
More recently static electricity again found a staunch 
advocate in Dr. Clemens, of Frankfort, who has un- 
dertaken the irksome task of curing nearly all dis- 
eases which exist by means of it; but, generally 
speaking, the ordinary frictional electricity may be 
said to have disappeared from medical practice. 
This is especially due to the circumstance that a 
clumsy apparatus is required for its use; that the 
weather has a very considerable influence on the 
activity of the machine ; that the dose of electricity 
to be administered cannot be exactly regulated, and 
that by frictional electricity we are obliged to act 
indiscriminately upon the different tissues, without 
being able to localise the stimulus in those parts 
which require it. CHAP. III.] 
ELECTRISATION. 
287 
II.-METHODS OF APPLYING STATIC ELECTRICITY. 
The principal methods of applying static electri- 
city, which are even at the present time now and 
then used, are the electric bath, electrisation by 
sparks, and shocks from the Leyden jar. 
As to the form of the machine, it matters little 
whether a glass cylinder or a glass plate be employed. 
As a curiosity it may be mentioned that, in the last 
century Signor Pivati, * of Venice, used in his ma- 
chines glass cylinders filled with Peruvian balsam 
and various other medicines; and Dr. Giuseppe 
Bruni has even recorded a case, in which he employed 
a cylinder filled -with purgative substances, and the 
patient, after having been electrified, is said to have 
experienced the same effects as if he had swallowed 
the drug. 
1. The Electric Bath.-The electro-positive bath is 
said to increase the vital forces, the electro-negative 
bath to diminish them. If an electro-positive bath is 
to be given, the electricity accumulated upon the glass 
plate is collected, care being taken that the negative 
electricity, which the cushions or rubbers acquire 
by friction, be lost in proportion as it is liberated. 
Therefore the cushions, between which the plate or 
cylinder is turned, must communicate with the 
ground by means of a metallic chain connected with 
the cushions. The machine being in action, the 
* Lettere dell' Elettricita medica. Venice, 1747. MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
288 
patient is placed upon an insulating stool and takes 
hold of the prime conductor of the machine. The 
whole surface of the body of the patient thus becomes 
charged with positive electricity, while the air sur- 
rounding it is rendered negative. If the electric bath 
be given in a dark room, luminous appearances are 
produced by the escape of electricity into the air, 
especially about the hair and the eyelashes. It is 
said that during the discharge, heat is evolved, circu- 
lation is quickened, and the secretions, especially per- 
spiration, become more active ; but it is very doubt- 
ful if these be constant physiological effects pro- 
duced by the electric bath; probably they are merely 
caused by the excited imagination of the patient. 
The electric bath has been much recommended in 
certain affections in which the functions of the skin 
and of the mucous membranes are deficient; and the 
patient ought to sit in it for about three hours a 
day. 
If an Electro-negative bath is to be given, the nega- 
tive electricity acquired by the cushions is collected, 
and the positive electricity accumulated upon the 
glass plate dispersed in proportion as it is liberated. 
The cushions must therefore be insulated by means 
of glass supports, and the conductor upon which 
positive electricity is liberated must be made to com- 
municate with the ground by means of a chain. The 
electro-negative bath is said to have a weakening 
effect, viz. to reduce the natural electricity of the 
patient, so that the body is left without its natural chap, m.] 
ELECTRISATION. 
289 
stimulus; it, therefore, is said to act like blood-let- 
ting, and the pulse at the wrist is thereby retarded. 
It has been recommended for erysipelas and chronic 
inflammations of every kind; more especially for head- 
ache and different forms of neuralgia; but it appears 
extremely doubtful if any constant physiological or 
therapeutical effects follow the use of the electro- 
negative bath. 
2. Electrisation by Sparks.-If a patient is sitting 
in an electric bath, and the hand of the operator is 
brought sufficiently near the patient's body, it becomes 
negative; and the negative electricity combines with 
the positive electricity of the patient's body, where- 
by a vivid flash of light is produced, together with 
a peculiar snapping noise, which forms the electric 
spark. Sparks may also be drawn from the body by 
approaching metallic conductors to any part of it. 
These sparks produce a sharp pricking, or pungent 
sensation, at the points touched; and if the proceed- 
ing be continued for a certain time, the skin becomes 
reddened, and white circumscribed wheals are pro- 
duced. This eruption is more perceptible in persons 
with a delicate skin ; the time necessary for its pro- 
duction varies in different people from five to ten 
minutes; it generally disappears within an hour 
from its production. In the electricity room of Guy's 
Hospital sparks are usually taken from the spine in 
the following way : a brass ball, attached to a wire or 
chain, in connection with the ground, is passed up 
and down in the direction of the spine at a distance 290 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. m. 
of about an inch from the surface. The machine being 
put in action and the patient placed on an insulating 
stool, he becomes charged with electricity; sparks 
therefore pass to the brass ball, and thence escape 
through the wire or chain to the ground. In this 
manner a rapid succession of sparks can be obtained 
which act like instantaneous electric currents. Ca- 
vallo has recommended the drawing of electric sparks 
through flannel; the patient sits on the insulating 
stool, as usual, and takes hold of the prime conductor 
of the machine; a piece of flannel is placed over the 
part which is to be electrified, and the knob of an 
insulated conductor placed in close contact with the 
flannel, and moved steadily down the part affected, 
so as to draw a large number of small sparks in the 
direction of the ramifications of the nerves. If sparks 
succeed each other rapidly, they may produce slight 
vibrations in such muscles as are close under the 
skin. Electrisation by sparks has been much used 
for paralysis, chorea, and other affections of the 
nervous system; and its effects in certain spasmodic 
disorders and some forms of amenorrhoea are decid- 
edly useful. 
3. The Leyden Jar.-This instrument yields a 
rather large quantity of electricity accumulated under 
a small surface. To charge the jar, it is held in the 
hand by its outer coating, and the knob which com- 
municates with the inner coating is presented to the 
conductor of the electrical machine while in action. 
Thus, the inner coating of the jar receives positive CHAP. III.] 
ELECTRISATION. 
291 
electricity from the machine, while negative electri- 
city is accumulated on the outer coating; and if a 
communication be established between the two coat- 
ings, neutralisation takes place between the two con- 
trary electricities. If the jar be discharged through 
the human body, a violent, sudden, and painful 
sensation, the electric shock, is perceived, the force 
of which is proportional to the area of the metallic 
coating and to the intensity of the charge. Such a 
shock may be transmitted through a number of 
persons forming a chain ; the first taking hold of the 
jar by its outer coating, the last touching it by the 
knob. If several jars are combined to form batteries 
and discharged through the body, the concussion 
may be so strong that the whole body is affected by 
it as if struck by lightning. If the discharge takes 
place through the arms, the shock is felt chiefly in 
the wrists, elbows, and across the chest. 
If it is intended to apply the Leyden jar to any 
particular part of the body, a conductor with two 
branches is generally used, which communicates by 
one of its branches with the inner coating of the jar, 
while the other branch is approached to the surface 
of the part which is to be operated upon. The outer 
coating of the jar is then held to the opposite surface 
of the part, whereby a spark is produced, and the 
neutralisation of the two contrary electricities takes 
place through the part of the body interposed be- 
tween the conductor and the outer coating of the jar. 
In Guy's Hospital shocks from the Leyden jar are 292 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
especially employed in the treatment of amenorrhoea ; 
in such cases it is discharged through the pelvis. 
M. Beckensteiner* has recommended to 'anima- 
lise ' static electricity through the interposition of 
the body of the operator, before applying it to a 
patient; and is of opinion that the Pacinian cor- 
puscles play a considerable part in this animalisation 
of electricity! The operator touches the conductor 
of the machine with one hand, and rubs or shampoos 
the patient with the other; in some cases it is even 
found sufficient to make simple passes, without touch- 
ing the patient at all; which must produce extra- 
ordinary effects on the imagination of persons willing 
to believe in animalised electricity. M. Beckensteiner 
has likewise a theory of his own on the influence of 
different conducting bodies upon the curative effects 
of the electricity, viz. that the metals become ' ethe- 
realised' by the electricity which passes through 
them. He believes that conductors of gold, silver, 
iron, antimony, zinc, tin and lead, have all a special 
action of their own on the body, independently of 
the electricity they convey; but that conductors of 
gold are, on the whole, the best. He also thinks 
that he is able, by means of static electricity, to 
introduce iodine, valerian, moschus, and assafoetida 
into the human system. Electrical mysticism has at 
all times found devoted adherents, and it is said that 
M. Beckensteiner's theories are acted upon at Paris, 
* Etudes sur 1'Electricite. Paris, 1859. CHAP. III.] 
GALVANISATION. 
293 
London, and Rome; if so, they will not do much 
harm. 
A more important attempt to re-introduce static 
electricity into medical practice has been made by 
Professor Schwanda, of Vienna.* He does not use 
the old-fashioned friction apparatus, but Holtz's elec- 
trophorus machine (p. 14), and has found that the 
electricity yielded by it has the same effects in para- 
lytic conditions as the induced current; that in anaes- 
thesia of the skin it acts much more powerfully than 
either the continuous or the induced current; and 
that in passive hyperaemia and swelling of the skin 
the best results are obtained. Moreover the air is 
rapidly ozonised by means of it, and this alone may 
possibly be of use in certain pathological conditions. 
General effects of the application are increased heat 
and perspiration, and improved appetite. Professor 
Schwanda has recorded several cases of nervous affec- 
tions which were improved or cured by the use of 
the electrophorus machine, which would, therefore, 
appear to be an important addition to the electrical 
instrumentarium. 
(B) Galvanisation. I. History of it.-Galvanism 
was discovered in 1786, and made known in 1791. 
Its medical application was soon afterwards (1792) 
recommended by Drs. Behrend and Creve for distin- 
guishing real death from apparent death or trance. 
* Medicinische Jahrbiicher, 1868, Heft 3; and Poggendorff 
Annalen, vol. cxxxiii. p. 126. 294 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, [chap. hi. 
Soemmering proposed that, in such instances, the 
galvanic current should be applied to the neighbour- 
hood of the phrenic nerve. Valli succeeded in re- 
viving, by the galvanic shock, frogs which had been 
all but suffocated in vessels filled with hydrogen, 
and fowls which had been nearly drowned. Hufeland, 
Pfaff, Beil, Baron Humboldt, and other German 
philosophers and physicians strongly recommended 
the use of galvanism for the cure of disease, without, 
however, having employed it themselves in medical 
practice. 
The first therapeutical experiments on patients 
were made at the University Hospital of Jena, with 
the current of a single jar, under the supervision of 
Professor Loder, without any appreciable result. But, 
after the discovery of the voltaic pile (1800), experi- 
ments of this kind were again commenced by Drs. 
Bischoff and Liechtenstein, who have recorded the 
cure of two cases of amaurosis and the amelioration 
of a case of hemiplegia. The first systematical trea- 
tise published on the remedial powers of galvanism 
is from the pen of Dr. Grapengiesser, of Berlin (1801). 
He recommended the use of it in deficiency of 
vision and amaurosis, in deafness, certain paralytic 
conditions, aphonia, tumor albus, rheumatism, and 
sciatica. In palsies he applied the direct current, 
and placed the positive pole on the trunk of the 
nerve, and the negative pole lower down; or he used 
basins filled with water, in which the poles, and the 
feet or hands of the patient, were immersed. In all CHAP. III.] 
GALVANISATION. 
295 
other diseases he applied galvanism after having 
vesicated the skin by means of blisters, in order to 
diminish the resistance to the passage of the current. 
A few years later, Drs. Jacobi and Augustin pub- 
lished treatises on galvanism as a remedial agent, 
and recommended to moisten those parts of the skin 
to which the electrodes were to be applied, in order 
to diminish the resistance to the passage of the cur- 
rent. The most celebrated of the early treatises on 
medical galvanism is, however, by Galvani's pupil, 
Aldini, of Bologna,* who recommended the new re- 
medy for diseases of the organs of special sense 
and for disorders of the mind. Indeed, the physical, 
chemical, and physiological properties of galvanism, 
as they became successively known in the course of 
time, excited the imagination of physicians and lay- 
men in an equally powerful manner; and it was con- 
cluded that so marvellous an agent must needs pos- 
sess wonderful curative effects. It is difficult, at the 
present time, to imagine the enthusiasm, bordering 
on intoxication, for the newly-discovered remedial 
agent, which reigned in the commencement of the 
present century, and the unbounded expectations 
which were entertained as to its therapeutical value. 
It was not only recommended and used for almost all 
diseases which exist, but was also believed to be able 
to rescue from death persons who had just been 
hanged or drowned. 
Of the physiological action of the galvanic current 
* Essai theorique et experimental sur le Galvanisme. Paris, 1804. 296 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
upon the different tissues of the human body very 
little was known. The voltaic pile was indiscrimi- 
nately and injudiciously applied, even for such diseases 
in which it must have done harm; moreover, the 
power of this apparatus is, for reasons which have 
already been given (p. 31), very variable, and after a 
certain time entirely disappears, so that there was 
sometimes no current at all, while at others there 
was either a weak or a very strong current, and, by 
the use of the latter, accidents of a serious character, 
such as fainting fits, blindness, etc., were produced. 
Moreover, it was found very troublesome and expen- 
sive to maintain the pile in any state of efficiency; 
and it is therefore no matter of surprise that the 
confidence in the curative powers of galvanism was 
soon thoroughly shaken, and the voltaic pile ranged 
together with talismans, amulets, animal magnetism, 
and mesmerism, amongst the curative treasures of 
charlatans. 
Further physical and physiological discoveries on 
the nature and properties of galvanism were evidently 
necessary before it could be employed with a fair 
chance of success in the treatment of disease. It 
was in Italy that thirty years afterwards the physio- 
logical part of the subject was more thoroughly 
investigated, especially by Nobili, Marianini, and 
Matteucci; while Becquerel in France, Daniell and 
Grove in England, and Bunsen in Germany, invented 
galvanic batteries which furnished a much more 
constant current, and one, therefore, more applicable CHAP. III.] 
GALVANISATION. 
297 
for medical purposes than that yielded by the original 
voltaic pile. 
In 1825, Sarlandiere,* who had much experience 
of the beneficial effects of acupuncture in certain 
diseases, recommended to combine the application 
of electricity with acupuncture (electro-puncture). 
Sarlandiere is generally mentioned as the inventor 
of galvano-puncture, but it appears from his work 
that he used only frictional electricity, and not gal- 
vanism. Galvano-puncture was probably first used 
by Fabre-Palaprat,t who translated La Beaume'sJ 
unreliable treatise, and added to it fantastic dogmas 
of his own. A more scientific use of galvanism was 
made by Magendie, who from 1830 to 1840 used this 
agent in many cases with considerable success, chiefly 
by means of galvano-puncture. During the next 
twenty years it was more the surgical than the medi- 
cal application of galvanism which was studied and 
practised. Thus Gerard and Pravaz, seeing that the 
blood could be coagulated by the galvanic current, 
proposed to utilise this discovery for the cure of 
aneurisms ; Mr. Liston was the first to use galvano- 
puncture in a case of this kind, and M. Ciniselli the 
first who did so successfully. It having been shown 
that wires should be readily rendered incandescent 
by voltaic electricity, Steinheil, Mr. Marshall, Prof. 
* Memoires sur 1'electro-puncture consideree comme moyen nouveau 
de traiter efficacement la goutte, les rhumatismes et les affections 
nerveuses, et sur 1'emploi du moxa japonais en France. Paris, 1825. 
t Du Galvanisme applique a la Medecine. Paris, 1828. 
J On Galvanism, with observations on its chymical properties and 
medical efficacity in chronic; diseases. London, 1826. 298 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
Middeldorff and M. Amussat used the galvanic cautery 
in a number of surgical diseases. Prevost and Dumas, 
M. Bonnet, and Dr. Bence Jones, succeeded in de- 
composing urinary calculi by means of galvanism, 
and Mr. Spencer Wells applied the same agent for 
promoting the growth of healthy granulations and 
the cicatrisation of ulcers. 
To Professor Bemak,* of Berlin, the merit is due 
of having again directed the attention of the profes- 
sion to the use of the continuous current in nervous 
and muscular affections, and having shown that, if 
properly applied, it may produce beneficial effects in 
diseases of the nervous centres and of the sympathetic 
system of nerves. The singularly objectionable man- 
ner in which Bemak brought forward his discoveries 
did much to discredit his writings and damage his 
reputation; but, within the last few years, a great 
reaction in favour of Bemak has set in, and many 
of his apparently most reckless assertions have, by 
accumulated experience, been shown to be correct. 
This better appreciation of Bemak's discoveries, and 
the re-introduction of the continuous galvanic cur- 
rent into medical practice, has been chiefly due to 
the labours of M. Benedict,J of Vienna, M. Moritz 
Meyer, J of Berlin, and the author of the present 
* Galvanotherapie der Nerven- und Muskelkrankheiten. Berlin, 
1858. And Application du courant constant au traitement des Nevroses. 
Paris, 1865. 
t Electrotherapie. Vienna, 1868. And many papers in Austrian 
and German journals. 
f Die Electric!tat in ihrer Anwendung auf practische Medicin. 3rd 
edition. Berlin, 1868. chap. mJ 
GALVANISATION. 
299 
treatise.* The author has likewise endeavoured to 
introduce the scientific use of the electrolytic effects 
of the continuous galvanic current into surgical 
practice, f 
II.-MEDICAL APPLICATION OF THE CONTINUOUS 
GALVANIC CURRENT. 
Under this head I shall describe both the appara- 
tus and the methods of applying galvanism in those 
diseases which fall within the province of the 
physician; while the galvanic cautery and the 
electrolytic treatment of surgical diseases will be 
subsequently considered. 
1. Batteries furnishing a Continuous Galvanic Cur- 
rent.-I consider the following requisites indispen- 
sable for machines of this kind. (1.) They should 
furnish a large quantity of electricity. (2.) The 
current should not be subjected to any considerable 
variations within a certain time (say one or two 
months). (3.) The apparatus should be handy and 
fit for use in the consulting and sick room (acid 
vapours being particularly objectionable). (4.) The 
number of cells should be considerable, so as to 
allow the dose of electricity to be given in an indi- 
vidual case to be exactly adapted to the nature of 
the malady and the constitution of the patient. 
* On the value of Galvanism and Electro-Magnetism in Medicine and 
Surgery. London, 1868; and many papers in the Lancet, Medical 
Times and Gazette, and other journals. 
t On the Electrolytic Treatment of Tumours and other Surgical 
diseases. London, 1867. 300 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
•a. Inconstant Batteries.-The original voltaic pile 
has entirely disappeared from medical practice, as it is 
not only very troublesome to keep in order, but also 
extremely unreliable. 
A new modification of the old voltaic pile has lately 
been recommended by Professor Hammond,* of New 
York. In this instrument the copper and zinc plates 
are perforated, and soldered together. At the bot- 
tom of the pile is a plate of hard india-rubber, upon 
which is placed a pair of copper and zinc with a 
copper wire soldered to the copper plate ; upon this 
pair is laid a piece of flannel or woollen cloth, equal 
in size to the pair; then follows another pair, an- 
other piece of flannel and so on. The pairs are so 
placed that the copper is always below. Another 
copper wire is soldered to the zinc plate of the 
last pair. For putting the machine into action 
strong vinegar is poured upon the top; this passes 
through the pairs and moistens the flannel; a saucer 
underneath receives the excess of the vinegar. On 
the top of the instrument are two other plates of 
india-rubber, having each a large hole in the centre, 
and four holes for an equal number of hard india- 
rubber rods, by which the instrument is hung to an 
iron or brass support. Insulated wires are used to 
connect the poles with the electrodes. This instru- 
ment is certainly better than the original voltaic pile, 
but far inferior to the constant batteries of Daniell, 
Grove, Smee, Bunsen, and Stbhrer. 
* Quarterly Journal of Psychological Medicine, etc. July, 1867. 
Vol. i. p. 62. CHAP. III.] 
GALVANISATION. 
301 
Another modification of the voltaic pile, which was 
much used some time ago, is Cruiks/iank's 'battery. It 
has the advantage of being easily manipulated, but 
its current is as inconstant as that of the voltaic pile. 
It consists of plates of copper and zinc, which are 
arranged in wooden troughs. One trough generally 
contains fifty pairs, so that two troughs furnish a 
rather strong current. To excite the battery, water, 
salt water, or acidulated water, is used: if distilled 
water be employed, the chemical action is very feeble; 
but with acidulated water the current often attains 
a considerable degree of power. 
Cruikshank's battery was a decided improvement 
on the original pile, but has now been completely 
superseded by more convenient and reliable instru- 
ments. 
Wollaston's battery has the advantage that the 
Fig. 22. 
pairs of copper and zinc can be easily immersed in, 
and withdrawn from, the exciting liquid; but the 
current furnished by it is likewise in constant. 302 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
Amongst the portable modifications of the original 
voltaic pile, the instruments of Recamier, Pulver- 
macher, Breton, and Prudhomme deserve special 
mention. 
The Galvanic Poultice of M. Recamier consists of 
pieces of cotton-wool, which contain minute particles 
of zinc and copper, each pair being separatedby a piece 
of flannel. The wool is placed in a bag, one surface 
of which is made of an air-tight and impermeable 
substance (gutta-percha), the other of cotton. The 
permeable surface of the bag is applied to the skin 
and fixed by a binder; the impermeable side retains 
the perspiration, which .soon accumulates in a liquid 
state and causes the pile to act. The effect is more 
powerful if the flannel is wetted with vinegar. One 
of these poultices, bound tightly to the skin, produces 
a sensation of warmth; if two of them are applied, 
pricking is felt, and the skin becomes red. This 
apparatus may be worn day and night, and is said to 
have been used with benefit in some cases of ame- 
norrhcea, rheumatism, etc. 
Pulvermacher's Galvanic Chains consist of a more 
or less considerable number of pairs, forming a little 
voltaic pile; these pairs have a small surface, and 
the apparatus consequently furnishes a comparatively 
small quantity of electricity, but which possesses a 
high tension. Each pair of the battery consists of 
a piece of wood, round which are coiled a zinc wire 
and a brass wire : each wire terminates in a ring, by 
which it is connected with the heterogeneous wire of chap. in. j 
GALVANISATION. 
303 
the next link, that is, the zinc with the brass, and 
the brass with the zinc. At one end of the chain 
the zinc wire is free, forming the positive pole ; at 
the other end the brass wire is free, forming the 
negative pole. If these chains are immersed in 
Fig. 23. 
vinegar, the wood is impregnated with fluid, whereby 
the action of the battery is excited, the wood serving 
as a moist conductor. 
The inventor has frequently modified the construc- 
tion of these chains, and in the last form given to 
them has done away with the wood, using merely a 
hollow cylinder of zinc, round which the brass is 
coiled. This has the advantage of allowing the zinc 
to be replaced when it has been destroyed by the 
chemical action of the battery. Pulvermacher's 
chains are portable, handy, and easily put in action ; 304 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, [chap. hi. 
but they have the drawback inherent to all modifica- 
tions of the original voltaic pile, viz. that the current 
generated by them is liable to great and sudden 
variations within a very short time. Moreover, in 
consequence of their small surface, and high tension, 
they are not suitable for being applied to the ner- 
vous centres. The chains recommend themselves by 
their cheapness to those who are unable or unwilling 
to procure the larger and more perfect instruments. 
A very prolonged use of these chains, which is gene- 
rally recommended, is not only inconsistent with all 
principles of physiology and therapeutics, but also 
condemned by daily experience ; as, when thus em- 
ployed, they cause sloughs, the cicatrices of which 
remain throughout life, and often aggravate the 
disorder for the relief of which they were brought 
into play. The chains should therefore be used in 
nearly the same manner as the larger batteries, and 
which will be presently described. 
Messrs. Breton Freres, of Paris, have constructed 
a Galvanic Belt, consisting of zinc and copper plates, 
which are separated from each other by a moist 
mastic; it furnishes very little electricity. Breton's 
Electric Mixture consists of two pastes, one of which 
contains zinc, and the other copper in a pulverised 
state, mixed with sawdust and chloride of calcium, 
in order to keep it moist. 
Innumerable varieties of galvanic belts and similar 
portable machines have since then been constructed, 
but which it is not necessary to describe. The only CHAP. III.] 
GALVANISATION. 
305 
one which appears to give a somewhat constant cur- 
rent is Prudhomme's modification of Marie-Davy's 
sulphate of lead battery (p.40). 
This consists of a disc of zinc of the size of a two- 
shilling piece, a ring of pasteboard the interior of 
which is filled up with a paste of sulphate of lead, 
and a thin disc of copper. Any number of such 
pairs may be connected so as to form a belt, which, 
according to M. Prudhomme, preserves its efiicacity 
for four or five days. 
b. Constant Batteries.-Almost all constant batteries 
now in use are modifications of Daniell's, Bunsen's, 
and Smee's pair, while Grove's arrangement has, on 
account of its high price, the difficulty of managing it, 
and the necessity of using nitric acid for its charge, 
completely disappeared from medical practice. 
Remains apparatus (Fig. 24) consists essentially of 
four parts, viz. the battery, b, the dial for regulating 
the power of the current, s, a contrivance for changing 
the direction of the same, 0, and a galvanometer, for 
showing the condition of the battery, g. The battery 
consists of sixty pairs of Siemens and Halske's 
• modification of Daniell's pair, viz. zinc and copper, 
with water and a concentrated solution of sulphate 
of copper. Each of these pairs is, by means of 
telegraph wires, connected with the dial, the com- 
mutator, and the galvanometer. The dial is furnished 
with two sets of five knobs each, standing in a semi- 
circle. One of these is marked 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 306 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
Fig. 24. chap, in.] 
GALVANISATION. 
307 
the other 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. In the middle of each 
semicircle is fixed a hand-plate, b,, b2, which may be 
turned so as to touch any of the metallic knobs con- 
nected with the wires. Bj gives a current of from 
two to ten pairs, while b2 yields the same of from 
ten to fifty. If, for instance, a current of eight cells 
is desired, the hand-plate b, is placed to the knob 8, 
while b2 is made to touch the board marked 0. If it 
is intended to use 26 cells, Bj is made to touch 6, and 
b2 put on 20, and so on. If both Bj and b2 touch 0, 
there is no current at all. 
The conducting wires are connected with the 
binding-screws, k, copper, and z, zinc. If the hand- 
plate of the commutator, c, marks N, the positive 
current travels through k into the human body, and 
through z to the negative pole of the battery; but if 
the hand-plate marks w, the direction of the current 
is reversed. The galvanometer, g, shows the intensity 
of the current as soon as the stopper a is removed, so 
as to allow the transmission of the current to the 
instrument. m is a brass knob furnished with a 
small magnetic rod, by means of which the position 
of the needle may be rectified, in case it should have 
become faulty, and show a deflection when no current 
passes through it. This apparatus may be procured 
from Messrs Kruger and Hirschmann, of Berlin, the 
successors of Siemens and Halske. 
Apparatus used by the Author.-The apparatus which 
I generally use for the consulting-room consists of 
100 cells of that modification of Daniell's which is 308 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
known as Muirhead's battery. Ten pairs of copper 
and zinc are immersed, the zinc in water contained 
in a porcelain vase, and the copper in a cell of porous 
earthenware, filled with a solution of sulphate of 
copper; the whole of this is contained in a deal box 
furnished with a lid, which can be shut so as to 
prevent the evaporation of the water. There are ten 
such boxes. Each set of five cells is connected with 
a telegraph wire, which is carried from the basement 
of the house, where the battery is placed, through 
holes in the ceiling of the basement, and in the floor 
of the consulting-room, to a pole-board conveniently 
fixed on the wall of the consulting-room. The wires 
are connected with two dials, one of which gives a 
current of from 5 to 45, and the other from 50 to 100 
cells. A galvanometer is connected with the pole- 
board, so as to give an exact indication of the strength 
of the battery. This instrument has been built up 
for me by Messrs. Elliott. 
A battery of a somewhat similar kind is in use in 
the Electrical Room of the Infirmary for Epilepsy 
and Paralysis, Charles Street, Portman Square; only 
•with this difference, that a contrivance has been added 
for allowing the use of the electricity in different parts 
of the building, without moving either the machine 
or the patients. The battery, which is of considerable 
size, is enclosed in a cupboard in the consulting-room, 
and each set of cells is connected, not with one, as is 
usually the case, but with several telegraph wires. 
One set of these wires is conducted to a pole-board CHAP. III.] 
GALVANISATION. 
309 
fixed on the wall over a couch upon which patients 
may sit or lie down while being galvanised. The cells 
are arranged in sets from five to five, and the different 
points of contact marked by numbers, so that by put- 
ting the conducting wires into one or another of the 
several perforated knobs, we may at once obtain all 
the different graduations of galvanic power which 
may be required. Another set of telegraph wires, 
which is enclosed in india-rubber casing, is carried 
up through the ceiling into the first floor, where a 
pole-board, similar to the one just described, is fixed 
on the wall between two beds, and where the current 
may be used with the same convenience as down- 
stairs. This arrangement, which has been suggested 
by myself, and ably carried out by Mr. Foveaux (Weiss 
and Son), is found to work extremely well in practice. 
It is hardly necessary to mention that this battery 
must only be used in one place at a time. 
As portable apparatus, I have for some years used 
a modification of Bunsen's battery, which was con- 
structed for me by Messrs. Legendre and Morin, 
of Paris. This consists of thirty cells, contained in 
an elegant mahogany case, and is not very heavy. 
Each cell is four inches high, and has a circum- 
ference of five inches. The carbon used in it is that 
known as Deleuil's carbon, which is prepared from 
the deposits formed in the Paris gas-works, and is 
distinguished by its hardness, uniformity, durability, 
and its property of giving, with nitric acid and zinc, 
a very powerful current ; one such cell, if charged 310 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
with 50 per cent, nitric acid, is sufficient to put into 
action large induction machines. The apparatus is 
clean. There is no escape of acid fumes, for the cells 
are entirely closed up by a cover of vulcanite. The 
dose of electricity to be given may be exactly mea- 
sured. The plates which establish the connection 
between the several cells are perforated, so that con- 
ducting wires may be stuck into any of them, and 
thus, at a moment's notice, a current of any power 
may be obtained. The machine would, in fact, be 
perfect, if it did not have the drawback of requiring 
to be charged and discharged every day, which, 
where nitric acid is employed, is one of the greatest 
inflictions connected with the medical use of elec- 
tricity. This alone is the reason why I have for 
some time past given up the use of this machine, with 
which I was in every other respect well satisfied. 
Mr. Foveaux has recently constructed a nice port- 
able battery, w'hich contains fifty cells of Smee's, 
charged with diluted sulphuric acid (1 in 8), and 
contained in a mahogany case. This battery is equal 
in intensity to Muirhead's. The plates may be im- 
mersed into the solution by means of a simple screw 
arrangement, and lifted out in the same way without 
any trouble. The cells are made of vulcanite, and 
deeper than is necessary for the requisite amount of 
fluid, by which the operator is enabled to carry the 
battery about without fear of spilling the liquid. 
Benedict's Battery consists of thirty-six pairs of 
Smee's, similar to Foveaux's. Smee's battery being CHAP. III.] 
GALVANISATION. 
311 
not nearly as constant as Daniell's,-Benedict's and 
Foveaux's machines are chiefly suitable for out-door 
practice, while for the consulting-room Daniell's is 
much preferable. 
Stohrer's apparatus is a modification of Bunsen's 
battery, charged with chromic and nitric acid, or with 
a mixture of diluted sulphuric acid and bichromate of 
potash. Twenty-four or thirty-two such pairs are 
combined to form a pile. The plates may be im- 
mersed in and lifted out of the liquid, so that the 
apparatus is always ready to act, yet no consumption 
of zinc or deterioration of liquids takes place when 
the machine is not used. 
Frommhold's apparatus (Fig. 25).-This consists of 
thirty-two pairs of zinc, lead and platinum moor, 
which latter substances are substituted for silver. It 
is furnished with a dial and galvanometer as usual. 
By means of a peculiar arrangement it is possible to 
immerse the plates more or less deeply into the ex- 
citing liquid, so that not only intensity, but quantity 
likewise, may be changed during the application. 
Thomsen's apparatus.-This machine has the pe- 
culiarity of containing only one galvanic pair, but 
which is made to furnish a sufficient amount of elec- 
tricity, by utilising the principle of polarisation. 
The pair used is either zinc and carbon, or zinc and 
platinum, charged with nitric or chromic acid, and 
must readily decompose water. The battery itself 
consists of two open boxes, each of which is, by 
means of twenty-six platinum plates, divided into 312 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
Fig. 25. CHAP. III.] 
GALVANISATION. 
313 
twenty-five cells, sd that one side of each plate belongs 
to one cell, and the other to the next cell. Now we 
know that if two platinum plates, immersed into 
diluted sulphuric acid, are touched with the poles of 
a galvanic battery, and the latter is then removed, 
while the two plates are connected by means of a wire, 
an electric current is generated which travels in a 
direction opposite to that of the battery. The plates 
are, in fact, polarised by the deposit of hydrogen on 
one, and of oxygen on the other. Both these gases 
being in the nascent state, they quickly combine 
again to form w'ater, and the electric current pro- 
duced by their appearance has therefore a short 
duration ; on the other hand, it is easy in a very short 
time to charge by polarisation a large number of 
plates, so that, if the latter are combined to form a 
battery, a current of high tension may be obtained, 
the duration of which is prolonged by means of the 
following contrivance:- A flat ring, made of an in- 
sulating material, contains as many pieces of metal 
as there are plates in the battery, each piece being 
connected with the corresponding plate by means of 
a fine silver or copper wire. The ring is traversed 
by a horizontal axis, furnished at the top with two 
branches insulated from one another, and connected 
with two clamps for receiving the conducting wires 
of the galvanic battery. The two branches represent 
the poles of the pair, and carry a spring, so arranged 
that if one of them touches the metal pieces of the 
ring, the other spring touches the next. This axis 314 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
may be turned round by means of a weight, or clock- 
work, or a hammer, such as is used in induction 
machines; and in this manner each plate is success- 
ively charged with hydrogen on one side and oxygen 
on the other. One turn of the axis therefore charges 
the whole battery, which is thus always ready to act. 
The intensity of the current is regulated by the more 
or less intense action of the galvanic pair, and this is 
regulated by interpolating a metallic wire of different 
lengths into the circuit, so as to increase or diminish 
the resistance of the pair ad libitum. The apparatus 
is expensive, but does not require any subsequent 
outlay, and, being portable, may in time come to 
be extensively used for out-door medical electric 
practice. 
Other instruments.-The most essential instruments 
besides the battery are conducting wires, from one to 
three yards long, and insulated with silk or cotton, 
or some similar material; and electrodes, the form of 
which varies considerably, but which are, for most 
cases, metallic cups with a diameter of from half an 
inch to three inches, fixed to insulating handles, and 
furnished with a screw or clamp for the attach- 
ment of the conducting wires. These cups are filled 
with sponge moistened with warm water or salt water. 
The sponge must project completely beyond the 
metal, so that during the application the metal does 
not touch the skin. I have in some cases found it 
useful to have two sponge-cups branched off from 315 
chap, in.] 
GALVANISATION. 
one stem, so that two separate points may receive the 
influence of one pole at the same time. 
Fig. 26. 
Electrodes, suitable for internal application, will be 
subsequently described; the terms ' conductors ' and 
' directors ' are occasionally used in the following 
chapters as synonymous with 'electrodes.' 
I always employ different conducting wires for the 
two poles, in order to be able to tell at once the 
direction of the current, viz. wires insulated by 
green silk for the negative pole, and such insulated 
by red silk for the positive pole. 
The Battery at fault.-If no effect can be obtained 
from the battery, the fault must be either in the battery 
itself, or in the conducting ivires, or in the electrodes. 316 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
Most of the constant batteries which have just been 
described require a fresh charge only every two or 
three months; and if the battery has therefore been 
charged a few weeks before use, it is not likely that 
the fault is in the charge. It may be due to imper- 
fect connection of the several pairs, as the plates or 
wires used for this sometimes get rusty or out of 
place ; and where this is discovered, it must be 
rectified. In summer the chemical decomposition 
which is going on within the battery is more 
extensive than in winter, and in those instruments 
which are not hermetically closed, the evaporation 
of water is sometimes so considerable that batteries 
which may contain the other chemical ingredients 
in good condition may yet refuse to act, unless a 
fresh supply of water be added from time to time. 
Another cause of disappointment may be a bad 
condition of the conducting wires, which establish 
the connection between the battery and the electrodes. 
Conducting wires should be made of flexible copper 
thread, and be carefully insulated by silk or cotton, 
which are the most reliable substances. Flexible 
india-rubber, which is frequently used, and protects 
the wires better from without, is nevertheless one of 
the worst substances for insulation, as it contains a 
certain quantity of sulphuric acid, which rapidly 
corrodes the metal, even if the wire be first covered 
with silk or cotton. I have therefore long ago given 
up the use of india-rubber insulation, as being most 
deceptive and leading to great disappointment. It CHAP. III.] 
GALVANISATION. 
317 
should also be borne in mind that conducting wires, 
however well they may have been insulated in the 
first instance, suffer a good deal from wear and tear, 
and should, therefore, from time to time be replaced 
by fresh ones. 
If the battery and the conducting wires are in order, 
and yet no action is perceptible, the fault must be in 
the electrodes, which should always be scrupulously 
clean, and have a bright metallic surface. There is 
little difficulty in keeping the electrode connected 
with the negative pole in good order, since hydrogen 
and alkalies, which are evolved at the negative pole 
during the transmission of the current to the human 
body, have no corroding action upon metals. It is, 
however, different with the instrument used for the 
positive pole, which is rapidly oxidised and chlori- 
nated, and therefore soon becomes a bad conductor. 
This condition of the positive electrode is a frequent 
cause of a battery not yielding a proper current, and 
should be looked to before the commencement of the 
application. The sponges which are used likewise 
require to be frequently renewed, especially when 
they assume a greenish-blue colour, showing that they 
have become impregnated with a solution of copper. 
2. Method of Medical Application of the Continuous 
Galvanic Current.-Before commencing the applica- 
tion of galvanism to a patient, it is advisable to 
ascertain whether the battery is in good working 
order or not, more especially if it is quite new, or if 
it has not been used for some time past. This may 318 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
be done, first, by interpolating a galvanoscope into 
the circuit, when the deflection of the needle will tell 
the presence, and to some extent also the power, of 
the current which traverses it; second, by immersing 
the ends of the conducting wires in water, when the 
development of hydrogen gas at the negative pole, 
and the blackening of the wire at the positive pole, 
will give a similar indication; third, by using, in- 
stead of water, a solution of iodide of potassium and 
starch, when a blue colour will be produced at the 
positive pole; fourth, by the operator applying the 
lowest degree of galvanic power which he has at his 
disposal to his tongue, and the highest to the back 
of his hand. The last test is not only the readiest, 
but also the most important, as no other experiment 
gives a better hint for the selection of the galvanic 
power to be used in cases of disease. 
Another point of importance is that, on first 
applying the current to a patient a very low degree 
of power is employed. Patients are often in fear of 
' shocks,' and nothing soothes their trepidation 
more than the perception of a slight and pleasant 
sensation, instead of a severe and painful one, which 
they had been expecting. Moreover, it is by no 
means necessary for therapeutical success to employ a 
current so strong as to be painful to bear. 
It may be laid down as a general principle that 
a feeble current, used for a short time, produces the 
greatest therapeutical effect. A current which is strong 
and painful to bear almost always does harm instead chap. m.J 
GALVANISATION. 
319 
of good, and more especially so when it is applied for a 
considerable length of time. 
The only exception to this rule of short applications 
is formed by certain spasmodic diseases, in which 
more prolonged applications are necessary than in 
paralytic, neuralgic, and anaesthetic conditions. 
I now proceed to describe the way in which the 
continuous galvanic current should be applied to the 
different organs of the body. 
a. Galvanisation of the Brain.-If it is intended to 
send the galvanic current through the whole of the 
cerebral substance, three different modes of applica- 
tion may be used, viz. first to apply one pole to the 
forehead and another to the occiput; second, one to 
the left and one to the right temple; and, third, one 
to the left and the other to the right mastoid process. 
If, on the other hand, we wish to galvanise only one 
hemisphere, as, for instance, in hemiplegia, it is best 
to put one pole over the eyebrow and the other to or 
near the mastoid process of the same side. With 
regard to the direction of the current, Benedict has 
recommended to place the positive pole to the cervical 
spine, and the negative to the right or left side of 
the forehead. I do not think that this direction 
should invariably be followed, since I have found 
that it is best determined by the sensations ex- 
perienced by the patient. If, for instance, the 
patient should complain of a feeling of fulness, pain, 
or weight and pressure on the forehead, it is advisable 
to apply the positive pole there; but if such sensa- 320 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
tions are experienced at the occiput, the negative 
pole should be applied in front. Where the patient 
does not complain of the head, that direction should 
be chosen which appears to do most good. 
A short time ago, I had a patient suffering from 
hemiplegia under my care, who, when the positive 
pole was directed to the brow, and the negative to the 
cervical spine, felt, after the application, so light, ' as 
if she could fly ; ' while, when the position of the poles 
was reversed, a slight sensation of fulness and heavi- 
ness in the head was experienced. On discovering 
such differences, that direction which yields the most 
favourable effects should always be selected. 
Benedict has justly laid stress upon the necessity 
of short applications (c never more than half a minute'). 
Meyer recommends an application of two or three 
minutes' duration; but this is for many cases too 
long. I am in the habit of employing the current 
from thirty to ninety seconds at a time. The result 
of the first or second application generally gives the 
clue as to what length of time the application should 
last; if the shortest time seems to answer, it is not 
necessary to try a longer one, as sometimes the 
benefit already obtained is thereby counterbalanced. 
A current of from fifteen to twenty cells of Muirhead's 
battery is all that is required. 
A powerful continuous current applied to the brain 
in the way just described may produce giddiness, 
fulness and pain in the head, sickness, vomiting, 
blindness, general convulsions, paralysis, and other CHAP. III.] 
GALVANISATION. 
321 
symptoms of profound cerebral disturbance. The 
same symptoms may be caused by the too prolonged 
application of a more feeble current. Sapienti sat. 
b. Galvanisation of the Spinal Cord.-The whole 
cord may be galvanised by directing one pole to the 
upper, and the other one to the lower portion of the 
spine. As a rule, it is the best plan to direct the 
positive pole to the point which is believed to be the 
seat of the disease, and the negative either to another 
point of the spine, or somewhere near the positive 
on the ribs. With regard to the direction of the 
current, it appears that if the seat of the disease is 
in the upper portion of the cord, the direction of 
the current should be inverse; but if we look for it 
in the lower part of that organ, the positive pole 
should be above the negative. Where one or several 
vertebrae are painful or sensitive to pressure, the 
current should be directed to them principally. As a 
rule, the applications to the cord must be longer than 
those to the brain; but it is rarely advisable to go 
beyond three minutes. The intensity of the current 
used must be regulated by the sensations experienced 
by the patient; if pain is caused, the current is too 
strong; but it is necessary to produce distinct sensa- 
tions of pricking and heat. Some patients bear only 
ten or fifteen cells, while in others from 50 to 60 
are required. 
c. Galvanisation of the Cervical Sympathetic.-For 
this the negative pole is applied to the superior cervical 
ganglion in the stylo-mastoid fossa, below and behind 322 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
the angle of the lower jaw; while the positive is 
placed either above the manubrium sterni, on the 
internal side of the sterno-mastoid muscle, or to the 
seventh cervical vertebra. By the latter application 
the upper portion of the spinal cord is included in the 
circuit, while by the former the pneumogastric nerve 
is affected. A localised application to the cervical 
sympathetic in the living subject is therefore im- 
possible. 
In some cases it is necessary to galvanise both 
cervical sympathetics ; for instance, where the whole 
of the cerebral substance appears to be suffering; in 
other cases the current is applied merely to the sym- 
pathetic of the suffering side. 
The application to the sympathetic should rarely 
go beyond one minute. A slight amount of giddiness 
on opening the circuit is unavoidable, and harmless ; 
but if the giddiness should be felt for some time after 
the application, and be accompanied with tinnitus 
aurium, the application has been either too long or 
too strong. For the sympathetic a slightly higher 
galvanic power is generally required than for the 
brain. 
Diplegic Contractions.-This term has been pro- 
posed by Remak* for designating certain reflex 
contractions which appear chiefly if the continuous 
current is used in cases of progressive muscular atro- 
phy and arthritis nodosa, and are caused by the 
action of the current on the sympathetic. Accord- 
* De 1'application, etc. p. 27. CHAP. III.] 
GALVANISATION. 
323 
ing to Remak the two points from which these con- 
tractions are most easily produced are the fossa 
auriculo-maxillaris of the opposite side, correspond- 
ing to the ganglion cervicale superius, and to this 
point the positive pole connected with a small con- 
ductor should be applied; and the sixth cervical 
vertebra of the same side, to which the negative pole, 
connected with a large electrode, should be directed. 
Sometimes the second point is lower down on the 
spine than the sixth cervical vertebra; and Remak 
has therefore distinguished several zones, viz. the 
cervical zone, which is the spine above the fifth 
cervical vertebra; the upper dorsal zone, which goes 
from the fifth cervical to the sixth dorsal vertebra; 
and the lower dorsal zone, from the sixth dorsal ver- 
tebra downwards to the sacrum, or even to the lower 
extremity. According to the same observer these 
contractions are more easily produced in recent cases 
than in such of long standing. 
Fieber,* who has studied this subject, agrees wTith 
Remak in almost every particular, except in so far 
as he obtained diplegic contractions, not only with 
the continuous, but with the induced current like- 
wise ; and that he observed them not only in pro- 
gressive muscular atrophy, but also in cases of 
rheumatic paralysis, lead palsy, and cerebral and 
spinal paralysis. They may continue beyond the ap- 
plication, and resemble choreic movements. 
* Berliner klinische Wochenschrift, 1868. No. 23. 324 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
Meyer* has observed diplegic contractions in an 
anaemic girl, with paralysis and atrophy of the upper 
extremities, in consequence of chronic arsenical 
poisoning; and found that they could be produced 
not only by placing the directors to the points indi- 
cated by Remak, but also by putting them to the 
right or left side of the spine, or one to the pit of 
the stomach and the other to the dorsal spine. It 
therefore appears that for causing these contractions 
the current need not act on the ganglion cervicale 
superius. 
According to Benedict,f these contractions appear 
chiefly where there is increased reflex excitability 
throughout the system, and where the sympathetic 
is sensitive to pressure. This agrees with my ex- 
perience, for I have observed them chiefly in hysteri- 
cal patients, and have found that they could not be 
produced when reflex excitability had been dimin- 
ished by treatment, as, for instance, after a course of 
bromide of potassium. 
d. Galvanisation of the Pneumogastric Nerve.-This 
operation, which is appropriate in cases of true 
asthma, nervous indigestion, and diabetes, is so per- 
formed that the negative electrode is placed near the 
angle of the lower jaw on the carotid artery, and the 
positive electrode to the manubrium sterni, on the in- 
ner edge of the sterno-mastoid muscle. The applica- 
tion should as a rule not exceed two minutes at a time. 
e. Galvanisation of the Boots of the Spinal Nerves 
* L. c. p. 157. t L. c- P- 69. CHAP. III.j 
GALVANISATION. 
325 
has been strongly recommended by Benedict, and 
is carried out so that the positive pole is placed to 
the top of that portion of the spinal cord which is 
diseased, while the negative pole is slowly passed 
thirty or forty times down the sides of the vertebral 
column. The intensity of the current should be 
proportional to the sensibility of the patient and the 
result of each application. Where a neuralgic affec- 
tion of the leg is believed to be caused by a lesion 
of the corresponding spinal roots, the positive pole is 
placed to the first lumbar vertebra, and the negative 
pole passed down at the side of the spinous processes 
of the lumbar vertebrae and the sacrum. 
f. Galvanisation of the Nerves and Muscles.- 
For galvanising the nerves and muscles various 
methods are used. In some cases the cord is in- 
cluded in, while in others it is excluded from, the 
Circuit. Where the cord is excluded, the positive 
pole is directed to a point of the skin where a nerve- 
trunk is easily accessible, and the negative pole is 
applied to a more peripheral part. If it is intended 
to include the cord, the method varies again accor- 
ding to the part of that organ which is compre- 
hended ; sometimes the positive pole is placed to the 
lumbar portion, in other cases to the dorsal, or even 
to the cervical portion of the cord. Other things 
being equal, the effect is greater the more central is 
the part of the cord which is acted upon. I have 
found, in a number of cases of paralysis and anaes- 
thesia of the lower extremities, that a peripheral 326 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, [chap. rp. 
application from nerve to muscle produced no con- 
traction or sensation, even if a powerful current was 
used; that a slight effect was caused by including 
the lumbar portion of the cord, while powerful con- 
tractions and sensations ensued when the positive 
pole was directed to the cervical spine, more espe- 
cially to the seventh cervical vertebra. The peri- 
pheral application is generally used where the seat 
of the affection is peripheral; while in central 
affections both central and peripheral application 
may be employed. Where the affection seems to be 
seated in the vaso-motor nerves, the positive pole 
may be placed to the superior cervical ganglion, and 
the negative to the suffering parts. 
The method varies further according as the poles 
are held fixed on the skin, or whether they are 
moved about. The former method was by Remak 
called ' stabile,' and the latter ' labile ' application. 
In the present work these two proceedings are 
termed ' continuative ' and ' intermittent ' application. 
Details on this subject will be found in the fifth 
chapter; but it may be laid down as a general rule, 
which of course is liable to exceptions, that in cases 
of paralysis and anaesthesia, the intermittent, and in 
cases of spasm and hyperaesthesia, the continuative, 
application is to be preferred. 
g. Galvanisation of the Auditory Nerve.-In cases of 
nervous deafness the application of the continuous 
current to the auditory nerve is worth a trial. The 
proceeding is as follows :-The patient being in the CHAP. III.] 
GALVANISATION. 
327 
recumbent position, the external meatus is filled with 
warm water, and an insulated sound, with a metallic 
top, connected with one of the poles of the apparatus, 
is held into the water, while a moistened electrode is 
placed in the neighbourhood. From ten to fifteen 
cells are generally sufficient, and voltaic alternatives 
often prove very useful. The application should be 
intermittent, and not be prolonged beyond two or 
three minutes at a time. 
h. Galvanisation of the Rectum.-In certain cases 
of intestinal atony, especially meteorism and tym- 
panites, the continuous current produces bracing 
effects superior to those of any other remedy. In 
such cases a rectal conductor is inserted into the 
rectum for from four to six inches, the circuit being 
Fig. 27. 
closed by the continuative or intermittent appli- 
cation of a moistened sponge to the abdominal 
parietes. 
i. Galvanisation of the Urethra.-In cases of 
spermatorrhoea and impotency, the application of 
Fig. 28. 
the continuous current to the prostatic portion of 
the urethra is often followed by excellent results. 328 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
The circuit is closed in spermatorrhoea by continua- 
tive, and in impotency by intermittent, application 
of a sponge connected with the other pole to the 
groin. 
k. Galvano-puncture.-As a rule, galvano-puncture 
is rarely used in the treatment of any but surgical 
diseases, the reason for this being that it is more 
painful than the ordinary application of moistened 
conductors to the uninjured skin. In certain cases, 
however, galvano-puncture may produce decided 
effects after the ordinary application has failed. 
These cases are generally such of great severity and 
of very long standing, or of patients whose sensibi- 
lity is unusually dull. The mode of proceeding will 
be described under the head of' Electrolysis.' 
III.-SURGICAL APPLICATIONS OF THE CON- 
TINUOUS GALVANIC CURRENT. 
Under this head are comprehended both the gal- 
vanic cautery and electrolysis. 
1. The Galvanic Cautery, a. Batteries for gal- 
vanic cauterisation. -We have already seen that, for 
utilising the calorific effects of galvanism, a few cells 
with large surface are the best apparatus, as the 
essential resistance of the circuit is proportionately 
slight in such an arrangement (p. 51). The batteries 
principally used for the galvanic cautery are the fol- 
lowing :- 
Middeldorpff's apparatus.-This consists of four CHAP. III.] 
GALVANIC CAUTERY. 
329 
large cells of Grove's battery (d and f), contained in 
four different compartments of a wooden box. The 
cylinders of zinc are placed in cylinders of glass con- 
taining diluted sulphuric acid, and have a surface 
of 312 square inches. Inside the zinc are placed 
Fig. 29. 
cells of unglazed porcelain, filled with nitric acid, 
for the reception of the platinum plates. Each plate 
consists of three parts, bent double, so as to form a 
star of six rays (f m), the surface of which amounts 
to 250 square inches. Both zinc and platinum are 
furnished with contrivances for fixing the conducting 330 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, [chap. hi. 
wires. In the centre of the box is the commutator 
(a), which contains eight small cups for the reception 
of mercury, which itself receives the conducting wires 
(i) coming from the zincs (zzzz), and platinums 
(pppp), and fixed by means of a screw arrangement 
(k m). At the points h, g, the first platinum and 
the fourth zinc wire merge into the wires n, n, which 
establish metallic connection (oo, pp) with the place 
where the conducting wires connected with the in- 
struments are inserted. 
Middeldorpff's apparatus is a very powerful one, 
but extremely dear and troublesome to manage; and 
it has therefore, on the whole, not found much favour 
with the profession. 
GreneVs apparatus.-This machine (Fig. 30), which 
is generally used in France, but scarcely at all in 
England or Germany, is a modification of Bunsen's 
battery, and as such furnishes a powerful current. It 
consists of nine zinc plates and six carbon plates, three 
plates of zinc being connected with two of carbon. 
The exciting liquid is one part of sulphuric acid, with 
five parts of water, and 100 grammes of bichromate of 
potash dissolved in a litre of the acidulated water. 
This being a strong charge, the battery would be 
very inconstant if there were not an ingenious con- 
trivance for keeping the liquid in a state of constant 
agitation by blowing air into it with a pair of bellows. 
After this has been done for a few seconds, the wire 
is rendered incandescent. Grenet's apparatus is too 
bulky, and the arrangement of liquid and plates not CHAP. III.] 
GALVANIC CAUTERY 
331 
easy enough; moreover, it generally requires to be 
discharged after having been used, or it will not 
again act easily, and the work of the assistant who 
has to manage the bellows is generally very heavy. 
Fig. 30. 
These I believe to be the chief reasons why the 
apparatus has not found favour out of France. 
Stbhrer's apparatus.-This consists of six pairs of 
Bunsen's battery, charged with nitric and diluted 
sulphuric acid. It is powerful, and not nearly so 
expensive as Middeldorpff's apparatus. A regulator 
allows to modify the intensity of the current in an 
easy manner; and as the plates may be lifted out of 
the liquid after use, the battery is more constant 
than Grenet's. 
Foveaux's battery.-This is composed of four large 332 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
plates of Smee's battery, charged with diluted sul- 
phuric acid. By means of a screw arrangement, the 
plates may be lifted out of the liquid when the 
apparatus is not in use, so that the battery is always 
ready to act. 
b. Electrodes, and mode of using them.-An instru- 
ment which is frequently used is Prof. Middeldorpff's 
cauteriser.* This consists of a wooden handle, which 
can be separated in two lateral halves, and is tra- 
versed throughout its length by two gilt copper wires, 
which convey the current. One of these wires is 
divided in two halves, which, if separated from each 
other, give no effect; while by uniting them, which is 
done by turning a screw, the circuit is established. 
At the posterior end the wires are connected with 
the poles of the battery; while at the anterior end a 
platinum wire is inserted, which is rendered incan- 
descent as soon as the circuit is established. To 
this platinum wire different forms may be given, 
according to the shape of the tissues upon which we 
desire to act. The instrument may, therefore, be 
introduced while cold into a cavity; when it is in 
the right place, the circuit is made by uniting the 
two parts of one of the conducting wires; cauterisa- 
tion then takes place, and may be at once discon- 
tinued, by separating the two parts of the wire, after 
which the instrument can be removed without injury 
to the organs touched by it. 
Prof. Middeldorpff has also constructed a gal- 
* Die Galvanokaustik. Breslau, 1854. CHAP. III.] 
GALVANIC CAUTERY. 
333 
vanic porte-ligature and a galvanic seton; the latter 
consists of platinum wires of different diameter, 
which are conducted by means of needles through 
such tissues as are to be subjected to the action of 
the cautery. 
If it is intended to concentrate the heat evolved by 
the galvanic current over a considerable surface, an 
instrument invented by Mr. Ellis* will prove useful. 
The body of this instrument is formed by a silver 
catheter, straightened out, and the end cut off. At 
the upper end the catheter is slit open and broached, 
so as to form a socket for the porcelain cauteriser. 
Two conducting wires connected with the poles of a 
battery are placed within the catheter; their free 
extremities are connected with a piece of platinum 
wire, which is coiled around the porcelain in order 
to render this incandescent. The porcelain must be 
brought to white heat. Mr. Ellis has employed this 
instrument in induration of the os and cervix uteri, 
in ulceration of the os, prolapsus uteri, and prolapsus 
of the anterior wall of the vagina. In cases of this 
kind, a glass speculum coated with gum-elastic is 
first introduced into the vagina; the os is then 
cleansed with a piece of wool, the cautery heated, 
and quenched in the diseased tissue; the duration of 
the application and the depth of its introduction 
depending upon the effect required. Eschars are 
easily produced, and the cervix uteri is often seen 
to contract under the application of the cautery. 
* The Lancet, 1853, Vol. II. p. 502. 334 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. hi. 
2. The Electrolytic Treatment of Surgical Diseases.- 
All batteries which have been described under the 
Fig. 31. 
heading of constant batteries, for the medical appli- 
cation of the continuous current, may be usefully 
employed for electrolysis. CHAP. III.] 
ELECTROLYSIS. 
335 
The Author"1 s Battery for Electrolysis.-This consists 
of fifteen cells of Daniell's battery, so modified that 
the porous cell and the porcelain vase have been 
dispensed with, the latter being replaced by vul- 
canite, which is much lighter and quite as durable 
as porcelain; while the former is compensated for by 
the copper of the pair being perforated, and the holes 
filled up with leather, which is easily penetrated by 
moisture. The zinc is then immersed into water, 
the copper vessel being filled with a solution of 
sulphate of copper; and, in order to prevent the 
fluids from spilling when the battery is carried 
about, they are intimately mixed with sawdust, so 
that a dry pile is produced which is nearly as effec- 
tive as the ordinary arrangement. The current fur- 
nished by this battery, if carefully charged, continues 
reliable for two or three months. During the whole 
of that time no thought need be given to the 
battery, which is always ready to act, and only 
gradually loses a certain amount of its intensity. 
Every two or three months it should be taken to 
pieces, the zinc cleaned, and a fresh solution of 
sulphate of copper substituted for the one previously 
used. The weight of the battery is about thirty- 
five pounds, and it is thus sufficiently light to be 
taken in and out of a patient's room. No acid 
fumes are developed, and the instrument is by no 
means unsightly. 
I was first led to adopt the electrolytic treatment 
for the treatment of tumours in consequence of a 336 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
series of microscopical observations I made some 
time ago, on the changes which animal struc- 
tures undergo, under the influence of the chemical 
action of the continuous galvanic current. No obser- 
vations had previously been made by any other 
observer in this department of microscopical research; 
and knowing the powerful electrolytic effects of the 
continuous current, I expected to arrive at some 
curious results in undertaking these investigations. 
I have studied the action of the current upon the 
intimate structure of the skin and cellular tissue, 
muscular fibres and tendons, cartilages and bones, 
liver and pancreas, spleen and thyroid body, kidneys, 
and suprarenal capsules, testicles, breasts and ovaries. 
The general result of these investigations has been 
that no animal tissue whatever can withstand the 
disintegrating effect of the negative pole, and that 
the force and rapidity with which this disintegration 
is brought about are directly proportional to the 
electro-motive force which is employed, and to the 
softness and vascularity of the structures acted upon. 
Thus ten cells of a battery have a more thorough and 
rapid effect than five, fifteen more than ten, and so 
on; while, as regards the tissues, those containing 
most water, such as the muscles, the cellular tissue, 
the spleen, &c., are more rapidly disintegrated than 
those which contain less fluid. Bones and teeth 
withstand the action of the current for a consider- 
able time. 
A most curious and novel circumstance forced CHAP, in.] 
ELECTROLYSIS. 
337 
itself early on my attention; and this was, that the 
electrolytic action of the negative pole on animal 
tissues was mainly composed of two different ele- 
ments, viz. of the mechanical action of the nascent 
hydrogen, which was, under the microscope, seen to 
rise in innumerable bubbles as soon as the circuit 
was closed, and to force itself, as it were, between 
the structural elements of the tissues, driving their 
fibres mechanically asunder; and secondly, of the 
chemical action of the alkalies, soda, potash, and 
lime, which, together with hydrogen, are developed 
at the negative pole of the battery. 
No galvanic heat is produced if the current is 
applied in such a manner that the whole body, or 
part of the body, or animal liquids, are placed within 
the circuit of the battery; as is done, for instance, if 
a needle connected with the negative pole is inserted 
into the depth of a tumour, while a moistened con- 
ductor connected with the positive pole is placed 
outside on the skin. This is proved by the fol- 
lowing experiment:-I immersed the two poles of 
the battery, at a certain distance from each other, 
into blood, thus letting the current travel from the 
positive to the negative pole, and vice versa, and I 
then read off the temperature at the poles as well as 
in the liquid itself, on a Negretti and Zambra's ther- 
mometer, which allows variations of one-tenth of a 
degree of Fahrenheit to be distinctly determined. 
Now I found that whether I used five, ten, fifteen, or 
twenty cells of the battery, no elevation of tempera- 338 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. in. 
ture took place. The effects of a current adminis- 
tered in this way are therefore simply electrolytic, 
and have nothing whatever to do with the galvanic 
cautery. 
Seeing that such powerful effects were produced 
at the negative pole on structures taken out of the 
body, I was naturally anxious to enquire what would 
be the effect of the same in the living body. Having 
procured some corpora vilia, viz. frogs and rabbits, 
I found that the effects were, to a certain extent, 
identical with those obtained on dead structures; 
only with this difference, that in the warm-blooded 
animal the action was more rapid and energetic, 
which is explained by the fact that water at a tem- 
perature of 98° conducts electricity better than water 
at 60°. While, however, the immediate effects of 
the current were nearly the same in dead and living 
structures, considerable changes in the nutrition of 
the parts were observed as proximate and remote 
sequelae of such operations in living animals. 
It was then observed that needles connected with 
the negative pole of the battery could be inserted 
into, and removed from, the body without causing 
any loss of blood; that the current used did not 
appear to give any pain to the animal beyond what 
was due to the introduction of the needles through 
the skin; and that the parts operated upon shrank 
sensibly after the operation, but that there was 
neither inflammation, suppuration, nor sloughing. 
If the negative pole was made to act upon blood- chap, in.] 
ELECTROLYSIS. 
339 
vessels, it was found that they were filled with a 
foreign body, due to disintegration of the blood, and 
round which afterwards a slow deposition of lamel- 
lated fibrine took place ; they were thus changed into 
solid strings wherever the current had been made to 
act. It appeared fair to conclude from these obser- 
vations, that the current could be safely and success- 
fully applied to such parts of the body where shrink- 
ing and disintegration of tissue and obliteration of 
blood-vessels might be required for surgical purposes. 
I will now say a few words about the instruments 
which I employ for conveying the galvanic current 
into the depth of the tissues. The prototype of all is 
a fine needle of gold or gilt steel for the negative 
pole, the circuit being closed by placing a moistened 
sponge connected with the positive pole outside on 
the skin. 
Fig. 32. 
Most of the other instruments are modifications of 
the needle. I use conductors from which two, four, 
six, and eight needles are made to branch off, to suit 
the requirements of the different cases as they pre- 
sent themselves (Figs. 33, 34, 35, 36). Sometimes 
circular shaped conductors are required (Figs. 37 and 
38). For the treatment of piles, or ulcers, conductors 
with a larger surface are better suited; viz. blunt 
blades (Fig. 39), and round plates of different size 
(Fig. 40). All these conductors are made of gold or 
gilt metal, and insulated by ebonite. 340 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. in. 
The electrode, however, which is most universally 
useful is-the serres-fines conductor (Fig. 41), which 
allows the introduction of from one to six needles ad 
libitum, and in any direction that may be required. 
It consists of a conducting wire, which at its end is 
Fig. 33. 
Fig. 34. 
Fig. 35. 
Fig. 3G. 
Fig. 37. 
Fig. 38. 
Fig. 39. 
Fig. 40. 
made to branch off* into six or more conducting wires 
of equal diameter, the ends of which are connected 
with serres-fines, by means of which the heads of the 
needles may be grasped after their introduction into 
the substance of the tumour. Single needles are 
introduced more readily into the depth of the tissues 
than connected rows of needles; besides which, by 
means of this instrument the needles may be intro- 
duced in any direction that may appear most suitable, 
which with fixed rows of needles is not so easily 
practicable. CHAP. III.] 
ELECTROLYSIS. 
341 
The introduction of needles through the skin must 
always be unpleasant to the patient; I therefore, as 
a rule, render the skin insensible to pain by means 
Fig. 41. 
of ether spray before introducing the needles. Some 
patients are extremely intolerant of the ether, and 
represent it as very unpleasant, not so much perhaps 
at the time of its first application as afterwards, in 342 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
the period of reaction, when the frozen skin returns to 
its normal condition. Sometimes the skin remains 
red and peels off after a single application of ether, 
but in most cases the spray is well borne. I should, 
however, be very glad to have at my disposal some 
other ready means for rendering the skin insensible, 
and which would be less irritating than ether. I am 
informed that in America a substance called rhigolene 
is now extensively employed for producing local 
anaesthesia. It is said to be free from the effects 
inherent to the ether; but as this also acts by pro- 
ducing intense cold, I cannot see why it should have 
any advantage over ether, for it is not so much the 
peculiar kind of hydro-carbon employed as the cold 
which produces the irritation. 
The application of the galvanism itself is not 
painful, even if a considerable power is used. It is, 
however, necessary to begin with low power, and 
only gradually to increase it. By thus proceeding the 
internal parts are gradually benumbed, and what 
might at the first moment have been felt as a severe 
shock, gives no unpleasant sensation whatever if 
this simple precaution is adopted. The benumbing 
effect of the galvanic current is, however, only pro- 
duced where the current is applied internally; outside, 
where the positive pole is used, a sensation of heat 
and pricking is felt during the whole time of the 
application. 
The force and rapidity with which the disintegra- 
tion of tissues is brought about are directly propor- CHAP. III.] 
ELECTROLYSIS. 
343 
tionate to the electro-motive force which is employed, 
and to the softness and vascularity of the structures 
acted upon. Diseases in which the electrolytic 
treatment proves valuable are chiefly certain tumours, 
diseases of blood-vessels, serous effusions, strictures, 
and wounds and ulcers. 
The sores which are produced in the skin by the 
negative pole resemble exactly those caused by 
caustic potash; and the same may be said of the 
cicatrices, for these latter have no tendency to con- 
tract, but are soft and become gradually similar to 
the surrounding skin, so that after some time no 
trace of a scar is perceptible, unless the action was 
originally very prolonged and very powerful. 
Dr. Golding Bird has recommended the prolonged 
local application of a single galvanic pair, to produce 
the effects of a moxa, in all cases where a persistent 
discharge from some part of the body is required. 
The galvanic moxa is employed in the following way: 
-The cuticle is raised on two points of the body by 
means of blisters, one being placed a few inches below 
the other. A piece of zinc foil is then applied to the 
one from which the discharge is required, and a piece 
of silver to the other, both metals being connected 
by a copper wire, and covered with a plaster. If the 
zinc plate be raised a few hours after the circuit has 
been established, the surface of the skin looks whitish, 
as if nitrate of silver had been applied to it. In 48 
hours an eschar is produced, which begins to separate 
four or five days afterwards. The eschar is formed MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
344 
by the electrolytic action of the continuous current, 
in consequence of which the fluid effused on the sur- 
face of the blister is decomposed, sodium being set 
free at the silver plate, where by oxidation it rapidly 
becomes soda; and chlorine being evolved at the 
zinc plate, where consequently chloride of zinc is 
formed. The chloride of zinc, originated by electro- 
lytic action, produces the sore, which discharges pus 
freely if a common poultice be applied to it. While 
this process is going on, the patient seldom, if ever, 
complains of pain, probably because the caustic acts 
in infinitely small portions upon the skin, in pro- 
portion as it is liberated. 
(C) Faradisation. I. History of it.-The discovery 
of induction currents (1831) caused, as it were, a new 
era in the medical application of electricity. The 
use of the voltaic pile had at that time been completely 
abandoned, constant batteries for medical use were 
not in existence, and the striking phenomena shown 
by small and handy induction machines gave rise to 
the belief that at last the true medical electricity 
had been discovered. 
The first induction apparatus suited for medical 
use was constructed by M. Pixii; the first physician 
w'ho employed induction currents for therapeutical 
purposes was, according to German authors, Dr. Neef, 
of Frankfort, while M. Tripier ascribes this merit to 
M. Masson, of Paris; it was, however, undoubtedly 
M. Duchenne, de Boulogne, who, by his able electro- CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
345 
physiological researches on the functions of the 
muscles, gave the greatest impetus to the study of 
medical electricity in our time. Induction machines 
for medical use, both volta-electric and magneto- 
electric, were afterwards constructed by Messrs 
Saxton, Clarke, Keil, Stohrer, Breton, Du Bois- 
Reymond, Horne and Thornthwaite, Duchenne, Le- 
gendre and Morin, Siemens and Halske, Bernard, 
Baierlacher, and others. In the older of these ma- 
chines all the conditions necessary for therapeutical 
application were not united; for in most of them 
only the current induced in the second wire could be 
utilised, and the intensity of the current, as well as 
the greater or lesser rapidity of the intermittences, 
could not be well regulated; while in those of more 
modern construction the necessary qualities are 
generally found combined. 
II. Induction Machines for medical use.-In this 
place I shall first discuss the qualities which every 
induction machine should possess if it is to be used 
for therapeutical purposes, after which a short de- 
scription of those machines will be given which are 
principally employed by medical men at the present 
time. 
The question has been often asked whether the 
apparatus should be an electro-magnetic or a 
magneto-electric one. Both of them have had their 
panegyrists and adversaries. 
The alleged inconveniences of electro-magnetic 
machines, in which the current is induced by a 346 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. nr. 
galvanic pair, are that they are expensive; that 
troublesome manipulations, involving loss of time, 
precede and follow the use of the machine; that it 
is not ready to act at a moment's notice, as it requires 
charging and discharging; that acids are necessary 
for inducing the current, whereby not only the bat- 
tery, but also the coil, are rapidly spoiled; while, on 
the other hand, magneto-electric rotation machines 
are praised as cheap, always ready to act, and not 
requiring acids for their use. Most of the objections 
to volta-electric apparatuses which have just been 
mentioned are not applicable to the more recently 
constructed machines, as they are generally not 
expensive, ready to act at any time, without charging 
or discharging, and may, with some little precaution, 
be kept perfectly clean. 
The chief inconvenience connected with the use of 
magneto-electric machines is that the operator re- 
quires an assistant to turn the handle connected with 
the endless chain of the apparatus, which puts the 
soft iron armature in rotation. This inconvenience, 
which is especially felt whenever prolonged applica- 
tions are necessary, may, it is true, be avoided by the 
substitution of clock-work ; but by this the rapidity 
of the intermittences cannot be so easily regulated. 
Another drawback to the magneto-electric current 
is that the sensation produced by it is far more 
unpleasant than that caused by electro-magnetism, 
which is due to the circumstance, that the current 
induced by voltaic electricity rises at once from zero CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
347 
to its maximum, and then as quickly falls back to 
zero; while the variations in the density of the 
magneto-electric current are much slower. The 
magneto-electric current begins when the soft iron 
armature is withdrawn from the pole of the perma- 
nent magnet, reaches its maximum when the armature 
is between the two poles, and is finally reduced to 
zero when the armature arrives at the opposite pole of 
the magnet. The volta-electric current acts, therefore, 
more thoroughly on the motor nerves and muscles, 
and less disagreeably on the sentient nerves, while 
the magneto-electric current has a more jerking and 
spasmodic effect on the muscles and sentient nerves, 
and if applied to the face has a slight but decided 
action on the retina, which latter is scarcely at all 
affected by the electro-magnetic current, unless this 
has a very high tension. The magneto-electric current 
is certainly more useful in rheumatism and weakness 
of sight than the electro-magnetic, and before the 
continuous current was re-introduced into practice, 
the magneto-electric current was the one most suit- 
able for those affections; but now we should always 
employ galvanisation rather than faradisation in 
such cases. At the present time, therefore, magneto- 
electricity is, strictly speaking, not required for 
medical practice, although it may still find a sphere 
of usefulness where no constant batteries can be pro- 
cured. 
Doses of electricity require to be exactly measured to 
suit the different constitution, age, and sex of the MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
348 
patient, just as remedies for internal use are given 
by weight; therefore every induction machine should 
possess a regulator, by means of which the power of 
the current may be easily increased or diminished. 
The apparatus should be able to furnish currents of 
very high tension, or no effect would be produced in 
certain cases of anaesthesia and hysterical paralysis, 
more especially when the electricity is applied to spots 
where the epidermis is very thick, such as the palms 
of the hands and the soles of the feet; on the other 
hand, a gentle current is required for delicate subjects, 
and when acting on the face and neck. 
We have seen in the first chapter that the intensity 
of the electro-magnetic current depends upon three 
conditions, viz. the intensity of the inducing current 
of the battery, the transverse section and the number 
of convolutions of the wires, and the quantity and 
the more or less insulated state of the soft iron in 
the centre of the coil. Consequently a current will 
be powerful if the battery is strongly charged, if 
the wire is long and fine, and the soft iron employed 
consists of a bundle of wires covered with a layer of 
varnish. It would be very inconvenient if we were 
obliged to vary all three conditions, especially the 
length of the wires composing the coil, whenever it 
is necessary to diminish the intensity of the current. 
Before the researches of Professor Dove on the in- 
fluence of a closed tube of brass or copper on the power 
of the electro-magnet were generally known, it was 
customary to partially withdraw the soft iron from CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
349 
the axis of the coil, whereby the intensity of the 
current was diminished in proportion as the iron was 
withdrawn; or to have portions of the iron connected 
severally with metallic knobs outside, on which a 
hand-plate or clock in connection with one of the 
poles was placed, so as to branch off either a feeble 
or a powerful current. 
It is, however, more convenient to use the brass 
or copper tube as regulator, as it allows of a much 
nicer graduation than any other arrangement. But 
although the current may be very feeble when the 
soft iron is entirely covered by the tube, it may still 
be too strong for some cases; so that we further 
require the interposition of an imperfect conduc- 
tor into the circuit, whereby the resistance to the 
passage of the current is increased, and the strength 
of the current thereby still more reduced. The 
instrument that best answers this purpose is a glass 
tube, the ends of which are furnished with metal 
screws for receiving the conducting wires of the 
apparatus. A metal rod is freely movable in the 
tube, which is filled with water as a bad conductor. 
The further this metal rod be taken out of the tube, 
that is, the larger the layer of water that is to be 
traversed by the current, the more the power of the 
electricity is diminished, so that at last it will no 
longer be felt on the skin, but only occasion a slight 
pricking sensation when applied to the tongue or 
other mucous membranes. The same instrument 
may serve for comparing the intensity of different 350 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. III. 
induction machines; since, if the layer of water 
remains the same, the current furnished by a feeble 
apparatus will not cause any sensation in the tongue, 
while the current of a powerful one will be at once 
perceptible there. 
Some induction machines are so extremely power- 
ful, that they are not suitable for therapeutical 
purposes. One of these is Rhumkorff's large coil 
machine, in which the second wire is three miles in 
length, whereby the current acquires a very high 
tension. 
The largest coil, however, which has as yet been 
constructed is Apps's instrument, as exhibited at 
the Polytechnic Institution, which is nine feet ten 
inches long, and two feet in diameter. The length 
of the primary wire is 3,770 yards, and that of the 
secondary wire 150 miles. The soft iron in the 
centre of the coil is five feet long, four inches in 
diameter, and weighs 125 lbs. 
The action of this monster coil is excited by 48 
cells of Bunsen's battery, each charged with a pint 
of nitric acid. The coil yields a flash of light 29 
inches long, and capable of perforating five inches of 
solid plate glass. It has been used by Dr. Richardson 
for physiological researches ; but it would be totally 
unsuitable for therapeutical application. 
The intensity of the magneto-electric current de- 
pends upon the power of the fixed permanent horse- 
shoe magnet, the number of convolutions of the wires, 
the distance of the soft iron armature from the poles chap, in.] 
FARADISATION. 
351 
of the magnet, and the velocity with which the wheel 
is turned. The most powerful magneto-electric 
apparatus which has been constructed is that of Mr. 
Henley. In this machine there are two permanent 
magnets, each of which is composed of thirty horse- 
shoe steel magnets two feet and a half long and from 
four to five inches broad ; the induction coils attached 
to these magnets contain about six miles of wire. 
The tension of the current circulating in this wire is 
likewise far too high for therapeutical use. 
An induction apparatus fit for medical use should 
furnish two currents, viz. the primary or extra-current 
of the thick wire, and the secondary current of the fine 
wire. Duchenne has laid stress upon the fact that 
there is a difference in the physiological action of the 
primary and secondary current, the former of which 
acts, according to him, chiefly on the contractile 
power of the muscles, while the latter has more effect 
on the sentient nerves and on the retina, when 
applied by moistened conductors to any point of the 
face or scalp animated by the fifth pair. Duchenne 
has referred this difference of action to a special 
elective power in each of the currents, and is borne 
out in this supposition by M. Bouvier; but no doubt 
the view first put forward by M. Becquerel * is more 
correct, viz. that the difference in the physiological 
effects of the two currents is chiefly due to the 
difference which exists in their tension. Duchenne's 
observations are accurate enough, but his explanations 
* Traits des applications de 1'Electricite, etc. Paris, 1857. 352 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
are unsatisfactory, as much difference naturally arises 
from the physical condition of the wires ; a current 
circulating in a short and thick wire possesses less 
tension than one passing through a long and fine 
wire. The primary current has therefore only a 
trifling effect on the skin, which offers great resistance 
to the passage of electricity; and more effect on the 
contractile power of the muscles, which are better 
conductors of it; while the secondary current, which 
possesses a high tension, does not only powerfully 
affect the muscles, but also the skin and retina. For 
the same reason a layer of water is more easily tra- 
versed by the secondary than by the primary current. 
Messrs. Breton Freres have shown by an experiment, 
in which the arrangement of the wires was modified, 
that the effect which has been attributed by Duchenne 
to the secondary current, may be obtained from the 
primary, and vice versa. I do not, however, agree so 
far with M. Becquerel as to think that tension alone 
explains everything connected with the different 
physiological action of the two currents; for it 
should be recollected that the primary or extra- 
current always moves in the same direction, and has 
therefore feebly electrolytic effects ; while the second- 
ary current, which alternately moves in different 
directions, has the electrolytic effect of one intermit- 
tence neutralised by that of the next. It appears 
probable that this circumstance is, next to the differ- 
ence in tension, of influence as far as the physiological 
effects of induction currents are concerned. CHAP. III. J 
FARADISATION. 
353 
Another important point in the construction of an 
induction apparatus is the rheotome, cut-current, or 
contact-breaker, an instrument by which the circuit is 
successively opened and closed, and the use of which 
is evident, since induction currents exist only on 
making and breaking the circuit, but not while it 
remains closed. The rheotomes mostly used are the 
toothed wheel, the mercury rheotome, and the 
hammer. 
a. Toothed Wheel.-The axis of a toothed wheel is 
connected with one pole of the battery, while the other 
is placed in contact with an elastic plate, which rests 
against the teeth of the wheel. As soon as a rotatory 
movement is imparted to the wheel, by means of a 
handle, the elastic plate leaps from one tooth to an- 
other, and each leap produces a rupture of the circuit, 
which is immediately closed again; so that, if the 
motion of the wheel is continued, a succession of in- 
terrupted currents is caused, which is slow or rapid 
according to the velocity with which the handle is 
turned. Although this instrument is ingenious, it 
presents the inconvenience of not being self-acting, 
and requiring an assistant to put it in motion. 
b. Mercury Rheotome.-This consists of two insu- 
lated vessels filled with mercury, two needles, and a 
rod. The needles are parallel with each other, and 
fixed transversely to the rod, which can be moved 
more or less rapidly by the hand or by clock-work. 
The circuit is closed when the needles are plunged in 
the two vessels, and opened if the contact between the 354 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. hi. 
needles and the mercury is broken. At the moment 
the needles emerge from the mercury, a spark is 
produced, by which the mercury is oxidised; its sur- 
face is therefore soon covered with a black powder of 
suboxide of mercury, which prevents a perfect contact 
between the needles and the liquid metal. It is ob- 
vious that a rheotome which is rapidly spoilt by 
the action of the current is devoid of practical 
importance. 
c. The Hammer.-This contrivance, which was in- 
vented by Dr. Neef, of Frankfort, and made more 
Fig. 42. 
generally known by M. de la Rive, to whom the in- 
vention is sometimes wrongly attributed, is the best 
of all rheotomes hitherto constructed, as it is self- 
acting and nearly indestructible, allows of very 
rapid or slow interruptions of the current, and 
moreover notably increases the physiological effects 
of the same. The hammer (d e) consists of a small 
stem of soft iron placed beneath or above the in- 
duction coil (b) ; one end of this stem is fixed to a 
piece of metal (n") outside the coil, while the other CHAP. HI.] 
FARADISATION. 
355 
end, which is moveable (e), is put in motion by the 
temporary magnetism of the soft iron (C) in the 
centre of the coil. A platinum spring is soldered to 
the lower surface of the hammer, and rests upon a 
piece of copper, likewise covered with platinum. The 
metal stem communicates with one of the poles (n) 
of the battery (a), and the piece of copper covered 
with platinum with the other pole (p). Hence it 
results that the circuit is closed each time that these 
come in contact with each other, whereby the soft 
iron in the centre of the coil is magnetised, and 
therefore attracts the moveable end of the hammer. 
In consequence of this the circuit is broken, since 
the contact between the spring of platinum soldered 
to the lower surface of the hammer, and the piece 
of copper covered with platinum, has ceased. The 
central soft iron therefore loses its magnetism, and 
the hammer drops by its own weight into its previous 
position. The circuit is thus again closed, owing 
to which the soft iron regains its magnetism; the 
hammer is then once more attracted to the electro- 
magnet, and the circuit again interrupted. At each 
interruption a small spark passes between the two 
pieces of platinum, which causes this metal to be 
slowly oxidised. The surface of the platinum there- 
fore requires to be occasionally cleaned; but a well- 
constructed hammer may, to all intents and purposes, 
be said to be indestructible. 
The physiological effects of induction currents 
differ according to the rapidity with which they 356 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. in. 
succeed each other. A rapidly-interrupted current 
has more effect on the nutrition and tonicity of 
paralysed muscles and on the sentient nerves of the 
skin, than one that is slowly-interrupted; but in 
cases where there are any symptoms of irritation, and 
likewise in very delicate persons, slow intermittences 
are preferable; every good induction apparatus should 
therefore be furnished with a contrivance for changing 
the rate of succession of the currents. This is gene- 
rally accomplished by working a screw (n' Fig. 42), 
which withdraws the spring of platinum soldered to 
the hammer from the piece of copper covered with 
platinum. If the distance between the two is small, 
the currents succeed each other rapidly; if it be in- 
creased, their succession is retarded. The differences 
in the slow or rapid succession of induction currents 
are readily distinguished by the different musical 
sounds produced by the play of the hammer. 
Fief. 43 shows a somewhat different arrangement of 
Fig. 43. CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
357 
the hammer, a and b are coils of copper wire, in the 
centre of which soft iron wire (c) is placed. + is the 
clamp for the positive wire of the battery, - for the 
negative, k is the stem of soft iron fixed to one end 
of a lever (e), and placed above the soft iron of the 
coil, f is the platinum point towards which the lever 
moves, and by means of which the current proceeds 
to the brass rod d, from where it returns to the bat- 
tery. h is the spring by means of which the lever e 
is brought in contact with the platinum point, while 
i represents a screw which regulates the tension of 
the spring. 
Several other contrivances have been proposed for 
effecting a continuous interruption of the induced 
current, such as Maelzel's metronome, which is used 
by musicians, etc.; but the hammer is superior to any 
other arrangement, and has therefore been univer- 
sally adopted by mechanicians. 
I now proceed to describe very shortly some induc- 
tion machines which are at present or were formerly 
commonly used in medical practice. 
a. Electro-magnetic Machines.-The apparatus of 
Neef and Wagner (Fig. 44) is of historical interest, as 
it was the first of this kind which was used in medicine, 
a + is the positive, g the negative wire, b and d are 
cups filled with mercury for the entrance of the wires. 
f is the commencement, e the end of the coil, c is 
the hammer, and m a copper wire which connects the 
hammer with the cup d. As soon as the battery is 
connected with the coil, a musical sound indicates 
that the machine is acting. 358 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. hi. 
In Du Bois-ReymoncVs apparatus (Fig. 45) the bat- 
tery is one of Bunsen's, Daniell's, or Stohrer's. a is 
a clamp for receiving the negative wire of the battery, 
Fig. 44. 
b a spiral of wire wound round a soft iron, shaped like 
a horseshoe, c the coil filled with soft iron wire, and 
Fig. 45. 
surrounded by spirals of copper wire, and d the end 
of this wire, e is a piece of brass which supports d and CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
359 
the fixing screw f, which is pointed with platinum. 
The positive wire of the battery proceeds to a pillar 
of brass, g, which at its top receives the hammer, h, 
and the circuit is successively made and broken by h 
coming in contact, first with f, and then with b. i 
is the 4 sledge,' a cylinder which may slide on brass 
rails over part or the whole of the coil c, and thus 
regulates the intensity of the current. The secondary 
current may be collected from the clamps connected 
with i; the clamps giving the primary current are not 
represented in the annexed diagram. Du Bois' appa- 
ratus is excellent for the consulting-room, but not so 
good for out-door practice. 
Siemens and Halske's instrument (Fig. 46) is a modi- 
fication of Du Bois' apparatus, a a' are clamps for 
Fig. 46. 
receiving the conducting wires of the battery, and 
connected with the primary wire of the coil, e is 
the hammer fixed to the pillar a; v is the screw for 
making the current, c is the bundle of soft iron wire, 360 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. th. 
contained in the cylinder b, d the soft iron wire in the 
form of a horseshoe, as in Du Bois' apparatus, b' is 
the coil of fine wire furnishing the secondary current; 
the sledge being arranged as before. 
Benedict's apparatus (Fig. 47) is likewise a modi- 
fication of Du Bois'. The current enters at a b; i is 
Fig. 47. 
the coil of thick wire, n the coil of fine wire; c d 
yield the primary, e/the secondary current. 
Duchenne's ' volta-faradic' apparatus (Fig. 48) is put 
in action by a Bunsen's battery, which is contained in 
the lower drawer of the wooden box represented in the 
annexed diagram, a and b are copper plates, connect- 
ing the positive and negative poles of the battery, by 
means of the platinum pieces c d, with the primary coil. 
k is a toothed wheel, by which the current may be very 
slowly interrupted; h I is the hammer which allows 
of rapid intermittences. e f yield the secondary 
current, l is the copper tube which regulates the 
strength of the current, g is a glass tube filled with 
water, by which a further diminution of the power of CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
361 
the current may be effected. Duchenne's apparatus 
is too large and heavy for out-door practice, but 
would be a good instrument for the consulting-room, 
Fig. 48. 
if put in action by a different battery, as the one 
used in it requires charging and discharging every 
day. 
Legendre's apparatus is very generally used in 
France, on account of its portability and cheapness. 
It is a good apparatus, and one that, if kept in proper 
order, never fails to act. It furnishes the primary 
and secondary current, has a brass tube for regulating 
the power of the current, and a screw arrangement 362 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. in. 
for rendering the intermittences rapid or slow. The 
principal objection to it is the battery, which is one 
of Bunsen's, and requires daily filling with nitric acid, 
whereby the apparatus may be easily spoilt, unless 
great care be taken to prevent this. 
Stohr&r's apparatus has the advantage that the 
battery does not require daily nursing, but is always 
ready to act, as the plates may, by an easy contrivance, 
be lifted out of the liquid and pushed back into it 
for use or disuse. It furnishes both the primary and 
secondary current, and has likewise good arrange- 
ments for the regulation of the power of the elec- 
tricity. 
Gaiffe's apparatus (Fig. 49) would be perfect for 
out-door practice, if the battery (l), which is one of 
deuto-sulphate of mercury, were not somewhat un- 
certain in its action. It has the form of a book in 
post 8vo., and may be carried in the pocket. The 
Fig. 49. 
necessary electrodes n t are contained in the box. m 
is the coil, Q the hammer, o its screw, and k a tube 
containing a provision of the deuto-sulphate. chap, in.] 
FARADISATION. 
363 
Quite recently M. Gaiffe has utilised the chloride 
of silver battery, which has already been described (p. 
40). a b c d are the four corners of the box in which 
the apparatus is contained, and which has the form 
of an octavo volume. The box is divided into two 
partitions by the plate e f ; one of them contains the 
battery, the other the coil, u is a piece put into the 
lid of the box, which prevents it from being closed 
Fig. 50. 364 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. III. 
before the hammer p is in its proper position. 
When the hammer is at p, it gives rapid intermit- 
tences; when at p', the circuit is broken, but may 
still give very slow intermittences if pressed with the 
finger so as to connect it momentarily with the 
screw o. M is the coil of primary and secondary wire. 
e p is a plate from where the electricity may be 
collected; 1 and 2 give the primary, 2 and 3 the 
secondary current, 1 and 3 both currents united, p 
and n on this plate are the positive and negative 
poles, l l' are the two pairs of the chloride of silver 
battery. 
Each pair of this battery (Figs. 51 and 52) is com- 
posed of a zinc plate (z) and a chloride of silver plate 
Fig. 51. 
Fig. 52. 
(y). v is a clamp of silver which, conducts the electri- 
city to the external surface of the vase of vulcanite CHAP. III.-] 
FARADISATION. 
365 
containing the battery (gh st), which is hermetically 
closed by the top g h. The conducting wires are 
received at v v'. The plates are kept in their proper 
position by the vulcanite band J k, and the cushions 
i i'. The exciting liquid is simple water, in which 
from 3 to 5 per cent, of table-salt is dissolved. The 
battery begins to act only about ten minutes after 
having been charged. This apparatus, which has not 
as yet been fairly tried, will probably turn out the 
best portable induction apparatus. 
To sum up, I should recommend Siemens and 
Halske's apparatus for the consulting-room, and 
Gaiffe's for out-door practice. 
c. Magneto-Electric Machines.-Pixiis' machine was 
the first rotation machine used in medicine, but is 
now no longer employed. In this instrument the 
magnet was made to rotate, while the soft iron 
was fixed. In all rotation machines which have 
subsequently been constructed the reverse takes 
place. The instruments of Saxton, Ettinghausen, 
Keil, Dujardin, and Breton Freres are likewise out 
of use. 
Stohrer's apparatus (Fig. 53) consists of a horizon- 
tally-placed horseshoe magnet, composed of five pieces, 
and a soft iron armature, surrounded by coils of wires, 
a rheotome, and an axis for turning the armature. 
1, 2, 3, 4 are steel nozzles, connected with the wires 
of the armature, and so arranged that, by half a turn 
of the armature, 1 and 3 enter into action, while 
by the other half 2 and 4 are touched. A toothed 366 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. m. 
wheel serves for a more rapid interruption of the 
current. 
Fig. 53 
Duchenne's Magneto-electric Machine (Fig. 54) is too 
heavy and complicated for medical practice, m is the 
handle, by means of which the soft iron armature (o) is 
put in rotation, a is a wheel furnished with 64 teeth, so 
arrangedthat 32 intermittences of the induced current 
are produced by one revolution; and as the wheel 
may be turned twice in a second, 62 intermittences 
may be produced in that space of time, n is a screw 
by means of which the armature may be approached 
to, or withdrawn from, the magnet, h is the copper 
tube which regulates the intensity of the current, 
b s s, the rheotome. There is a coil of thick and 
fine wire (e), one end of which is connected with the CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
367 
knob p, for inserting one conducting wire, while the 
other end communicates with the support o, which is 
Fir. 54. 
connected with the second knob, p, by means of D, 
which regulates the intermittences of the current. 
Fig. 55. 368 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. hi. 
Gaiffe's Magneto-electric Machine (Fig. 55) is the 
best which has hitherto been constructed. In this 
instrument both the permanent magnet and the soft 
iron armature are surrounded by coils of copper 
wire. Thus the power of the current is considerably 
increased, without augmenting the bulk of the appa- 
ratus. As the physiological effects of the current 
produced by demagnetisation are much more power- 
ful than those of the current produced by magneti- 
sation, only the former has been utilised, and the 
current of Gaiffe's machine therefore always moves 
in the same direction. 
III.-METHODS OF EMPLOYING ELECTRO-MAGNET- 
ISM AND MAGNETO-ELECTRICITY. 
The method with which Duchenne's name is more 
particularly connected consists of the localised appli- 
cation of induction currents; while several other 
observers have recommended a more general applica- 
tion of the same over the whole body. 
a. General Faradisation.-M. Dropsy,* of Cracow, 
was the first who recommended this, but supported 
his proposal with such singular reasoning as to 
provoke more ridicule than serious attention. He 
thinks that he has discovered a physiological 
formula for the distribution of electric sensibility 
throughout the body, the top of the head being 
most sensitive, while there was a gradual decrease of 
* Electrotherapie, ou application medicale pratique de 1'Electricite, 
basee but de nouveaux procedes. Paris, 1857. CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
369 
sensibility in proportion as we proceed downwards. 
This formula is, according to Dropsy, altered in dis- 
eases, and the object of the treatment is to change 
the pathological into the physiological formula. All 
that is necessary for accomplishing this is to put, 
by means of a bifurcated director, one pole of a mag- 
neto-electric apparatus in connection with the top 
of the head and the epigastrium, while a quadri- 
furcated electrode is made to connect the other pole 
of the machine with both hands and feet. By so 
doing, the pathological formula of all curable diseases 
is gradually changed into the physiological one, and 
pari passu the patient recovers. No diagnostic or 
methodological qualms need disturb the serenity of the 
mind of an operator guided by Dropsy's law; but, 
unfortunately, all curable diseases are not so easily 
eradicated as the Cracovian doctor would make us 
believe. 
M. Seiler,* of Geneva, has recommended a method 
which is a worthy counterpart to that proposed by 
M. Beckensteiner (p. 292) He condemns the direct 
application of electricity to the human body, and 
thinks it preferable to act from a distance. The 
operator holds two electrodes traversed by an induced 
current in his hands, and passes them gently through 
the air, at a certain distance from the patient's body. 
By this ingenious proceeding, which M. Seiler has 
called ' galvanisation by influence,' pain is said to be 
relieved, the muscles strengthened, curvature of the 
* De la Galvanisation par influence. Paris, 1858. 370 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. III. 
spine, laryngitis, asthma,prolapsus uteri, consumption, 
and a host of other diseases cured. The remarks 
already made on M. Beckensteiner's method, apply 
equally to Seiler's mode of using electricity. 
A more serious attempt to introduce general 
faradisation into medical practice was made by 
M. Gubler,* who proposes to place both hands and 
feet in four separate basins filled with salt water, and 
then send an induced current right through the 
body for 15 minutes at a time. He has seen good 
results of this method in cases of general weakness, 
loss of appetite, impotency, etc. 
Messrs. Beard and Rockwell,! of New York, carry 
out a somewhat different mode of general faradisa- 
tion, which they believe to be especially suitable for 
cases where a general tonic effect is desired, as in dys- 
pepsia, rheumatism, amenorrhoea, chorea, constipation, 
ansemia, and other diseases associated with deficient 
vital energy. They recommend the following modus 
operand!:-'Male patients remove their stockings and 
all their outer and under clothing from the upper 
part of the body, and place their feet on a piece of 
copper, to which the negative pole is attached, while 
the operator applies the positive electrode, which is 
either a moistened sponge or his hand, when the 
current passes through his own person into the body 
of the patient; ladies remove their dress and loosen 
* De 1'Electrisation consid6r6e eomme agent tonique et 
stimulant diffusible. Bulletin de Th6rapeutique. December 1863. 
t The Medical Use of Electricity with special reference to General 
Electrisation. New York, 1867. CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
371 
their under garments, and throw over their shoulders 
a shawl or sheet to prevent exposure. The most 
thorough form of application demands that the 
entire surface of the body should be gone over with 
some regard to order. Special pains should be taken 
to avoid the scapula, clavicula, sternum, crest of the 
ilium and tibia, inasmuch as these and other bony 
prominences are very sensitive to the electric current.' 
Messrs. Beard and Rockwell are convinced ' that no 
instrument that human skill shall devise can ever 
equal the hand in flexibility and power of adaptation,' 
and they say that the operator can, by increasing 
or diminishing his grasp of the sponge, modify the 
strength of the application without disturbing his 
apparatus. When used in this way the current must 
pass through the body of the operator. ' To this 
the system appears soon to become accustomed, 
just as it does to the use of tobacco, alcohol, opium, 
haschish, or coca ; with this difference, however, that 
the effects of electricity are, if anything, positively 
beneficial.' Messrs. Beard and Rockwell say that a 
person living in New York has during the past 35 
years allowed the stream to pass through his own 
body on an average for about five hours each day, or 
about seven years of his life; that up to the present 
time the general health of the person alluded to has 
been excellent, and he has suffered from no disease 
that can even remotely be ascribed to electricity. 
They appear to have obtained good results from their 
method in cases of neuralgia, chorea, amenorrhcea, 372 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap, in 
rheumatism, and similar affections, and look upon 
general Faradisation as a tonic and corrective of the 
greatest efficacy. There can be little doubt that by 
thus acting on, and modifying the condition of, the 
sentient nerves of the skin, and to some extent 
also of the motor nerves and muscles, benefit may re- 
sult from the American method in cases of certain 
functional nervous affections ; but it is equally clear 
that the modus operandi must be extremely tedious 
to both operator and patient. Generally speaking, 
such an application cannot take less than half an 
hour, and yet it cannot possibly, in many instances, 
be as useful as the application of the continuous 
current for two or three minutes. The choice, under 
these circumstances, cannot be difficult. Moreover, 
the inconvenience to the operator by the American 
method must be very considerable, as the fingers 
are extremely sensitive to faradic electricity. Yet 
I can conceive that in certain conditions of the 
nervous system the American method may be very 
useful. 
b. Localised Faradisation.-This method was in- 
vented by M. Duchenne,* de Boulogne, who, being 
convinced that all previous methods of applying 
electricity were wrong, applied himself to solve the 
problem whether it was possible to localise electricity 
in the skin without acting on the organs beneath it, 
or to make it traverse the skin without irritating it, 
* De 1'Electrisation localisee et de son application a la physiologic, la 
pathologie et la therapeutique. Paris, 1855; 2nd edition, Paris, 1861. chap, in.] 
FARADISATION. 
373 
for acting on a nerve or muscle. The following 
facts are the basis of his system of localised Fara- 
disation :- 
When the skin and the electrodes are dry, and 
the epidermis very thick, as it is in many persons 
whose business exposes them much to the air and 
hard work, the two currents proceeding from an in- 
duction apparatus meet on the surface of the epi- 
dermis without penetrating the skin. They produce 
sparks and a sort of crepitation, but no physiological 
effects whatever. When dry conductors are put on 
such parts of the skin as are sensitive to electricity, 
the person subjected to the experiment perceives a 
sensation of pricking and heat, which varies accord- 
ing to the intensity of the current. But when the 
skin and the electrodes are moistened, neither 
sparks, crepitation, nor sensation of heat are caused, 
but other phenomena occur which show that the 
electricity acts on a muscle, nerve, or on the surface 
of a bone. In the last case, severe pain of a peculiar 
character is caused by the current penetrating to the 
nerves of the periosteum; and it is therefore con- 
sidered bad practice to place moistened electrodes on 
the surface of the bones. When the directors are 
placed on the surface of a muscle the latter contracts, 
and a sensation is produced which is not peculiar to 
the skin, but always accompanies the electro-mus- 
cular contraction, and which is owing to excitation 
of the sentient nerves of the muscles. Finally, when 
the conductors are placed on the surface of a motor 374 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
nerve, contractions of all the muscles animated by 
this nerve are the result. 
Duchenne has, therefore, distinguished two dif- 
ferent methods of electrifying the muscles, viz. by 
localising the faradic stimulus in the nervous plexuses 
or branches, which communicate their excitation to 
the muscles animated by them (' indirect muscular 
faradisation ') ; and by directing the current to the 
muscular tissue itself (' direct muscular faradisa- 
tion'). In both cases the skin and the electrodes 
should be moistened. For the muscles of the trunks 
and the limbs moistened sponges are used, which are 
placed in metallic cups fixed on insulating handles. 
For limiting the electric force to the smaller muscles, 
such as those of the face or the interossei and lum- 
bricals, small conical directors, which are likewise 
fixed on insulating handles, are used. These conduc7 
tors may be covered with moistened leather, fingers 
of gloves, or sponge. 
Duchenne discovered that, if the electric current 
is directed to certain particular points of the skin, 
muscular contractions are much more easily produced 
than when the directors are applied to other parts. 
These points he called ' points of election ; ' but he 
did not state, nor indeed perceive, that they are the 
points of entrance of the motor nerves into the 
muscles. This was done by Remak,* who contended 
that the degree of contraction of a muscle was exactly 
proportionate to the quantity of motor nerve-fibres 
* Ueber methodische Elektrisirung gelahmter Muskeln. Berlin, 1855. chap. nr.J 
FARADISATION. 
375 
embraced by the current at its point of application; 
and that there was no direct action upon the muscular 
tissue itself, which was thrown in commotion merely 
in consequence of the excitation of the motor nerves. 
He, therefore, proposed to call Duchenne's indirect 
muscular faradisation 4 extra-muscular excitation; ' 
and direct muscular faradisation 4 intra-muscular 
excitation.' This theory was more fully developed 
by Prof. Ziemssen,* who first clinically determined 
the precise localities of these points of election and 
marked them upon the skin with nitrate of silver. 
He afterwards dissected the motor branches of the 
nerves in dead bodies, and marked their points of 
entrance into the muscles, when it was discovered 
that the results of the two series of experiments 
agreed with each other. A third series of observa- 
tions was undertaken on bodies immediately after 
death, when the excitability of the nerves and muscles 
was still extant. The motor points were first deter- 
mined by faradisation, then marked with nitrate of 
silver, and afterwards the test of dissection was applied, 
in order to see whether they really corresponded to 
the points of entrance of the motor nerves into the 
muscular substance. 
From these observations Ziemssen concluded that, 
if the epidermis be moistened, and moistened elec- 
trodes are somewhat forcibly pressed against the skin, 
the induced current will pass through the corium, 
panniculus, fascia?, and layers of muscular substance, 
* Die Elektricitat in der Medicin. Berlin, 1857 ; 3rd edition. 1866. 376 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS. 
[chap. hi. 
to the nerves, and rouse their specific energy, without 
acting so much on the nerves of the skin as to cause 
reflex action or severe pain. The electricity, how- 
ever, penetrates into such depths only at those points 
where the negative and positive currents enter the 
body. Between these two points of entrance the cur- 
rent follows the liquids in the tissues, and does not 
cause any excitation, unless it be very powerful; 
but even in the latter case the chief effects are 
manifested, not in the whole circuit enclosed between 
the two poles, but in the more immediate neighbour- 
hood of the same. 
The effects obtained by intra-muscular faradi- 
sation are more powerful with large than with small 
electrodes. Thus, for instance, if a moistened con- 
ductor with a small surface is placed on the pectoralis 
major, or deltoid muscles, only a few fasciculi of the 
muscles are made to contract, even if the current be 
powerful; but if electrodes are used which have a 
diameter of an inch or more, the whole substance of 
the muscle enters at once into contraction, even if 
the current be not very powerful. Moreover, the 
current, if applied by means of large electrodes, has 
far less effect on the sentient nerves, and consequently 
causes less pain than if a small conductor be used. 
This also holds good where a direct action on the 
motor nerves is produced; and it is therefore ad- 
visable, for both intra-muscular and extra-muscular 
Faradisation, to use large electrodes in preference to 
small ones. The electrodes which I generally use CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
377 
are two inches in diameter. It is different if we 
wish to faradise muscles with a very small surface, or 
fine nervous fibres, either for clinical demonstration 
or for the purpose of diagnosis. In such cases a fine 
electrode must be used, if a decisive result is to be 
obtained. 
Remak and Ziemssen have both denied that there 
is an irritability proper of the muscular fibre, and 
therefore did not believe it possible to produce mus- 
cular contractions by direct electric excitation of the 
tissue of the muscles. The existence of Hallerian 
irritability has, however, now been amply proved 
(p. 211), and it has been shown that the molecular 
equilibrium of the muscles may be directly disturbed 
by the electric current just as well as the equilibrium 
of the motor nerves, and that the contractions are 
observed as soon as the equilibrium of either motor 
nerves or muscles is disturbed. We have already 
seen (p. 226) that the equilibrium of the motor 
nerves is more easily disturbed by the electric 
current than that of the muscles; and that therefore, 
if we wish to cause direct muscular contractions by 
electricity, a current of greater power must be applied 
than is necessary for producing contractions by acting 
on the motor nerves. This is confirmed by the fact 
that muscular contractions may be produced if the 
electrodes are directed to such points of the muscle 
where motor filaments do not exist; but they are 
certainly more easily brought about if the motor 
nerves be faradised. In the majority of cases, how- 378 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
ever, the contraction produced by placing electrodes 
upon the belly of a muscle is composed of two ele- 
ments, viz. faradisation of the muscles and the 
nerves. 
1. Faradisation of the Motor Nerves and Muscles.- 
This requires exact knowledge of the anatomical 
position of the nerves and muscles. In the arm the 
electric stimulus may be limited to the median nerve 
on the inner and inferior third of the humerus next 
to the brachial artery ; and to the ulnar nerve in the 
space between the olecranon and the internal condyle. 
The radial nerve is accessible to faradisation at the 
junction of the two upper thirds with the lower third 
of the humerus; while the musculo-cutaneous may be 
reached in the axilla. As regards the lower extre- 
mities, we may faradise the crural nerve in the groin, 
outside of the femoral artery ; and the sciatic either 
on its origin in the pelvis, through the posterior wTall 
of the rectum, or near the tuberosity of the ischium 
behind the head of the femur. 
The obturatorius nerve may be reached near the 
foramen obturatorium, by placing the electrode verti- 
cally to the ramus horizontalis pubis. The peroneal 
nerve is accessible at the posterior circumference 
of the capitulum fibula?, while the tibial may be fara- 
dised in the middle of the posterior surface of the 
knee-joint. 
The portio dura may be acted upon in the external 
opening of the ear by pressing a moistened conical 
conductor to the lower side of the meatus. But as CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
379 
this proceeding is very painful, it is better to faradise 
the nerve after it has emerged from the stylo-mastoid 
foramen, between the mastoid process and the con- 
dyloid process of the lower jaw. The larger branches 
of the pes anserinus may be faradised where they 
emerge from the parotid gland. 
In the supra-clavicular region the directors, placed 
over the collar-bone, act on the brachial plexus. On 
the top of the supra-clavicular triangle they are in 
connection with the external branch of the spinal 
accessory nerve. The phrenic nerve is found on the 
anterior surface of the scalenus anticus. 
Those who wish for more explicit information on 
faradisation of the nerves and muscles will find it 
in Duchenne's and Ziemssen's works; but as anatomy 
is only learned by dissection, thus faradisation is 
only mastered by practice on the living man. 
Duchenne is of opinion that the muscles, like the 
nerves, do not all possess the same degree of excita- 
bility, and that it is therefore necessary carefully to 
measure the electric dose for the different muscles. 
He states likewise that the electro-muscular sensi- 
bility, that is, the sensation excited by the electro- 
muscular contraction, differs in different muscles. 
These differences, however, arise probably in great 
part from the more or less delicate condition of the 
skin which covers the muscles. 
2. Faradisation of the Skin.-By this proceeding we 
are capable of exciting the sensibility of the nerves 
of the skin in the highest degree without injuring 380 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
that organ. If a current of high tension is applied 
to the skin by means of a wire brush, erythema is 
produced, which, however, disappears soon after the 
application; but destructive effects are never caused. 
If we faradise the skin, this as well as the conductors 
must be dry; for if it be moist, the electric current 
will traverse it and proceed to the muscles. 
As the sensibility of the skin varies in different 
parte of the body, there should be different proceed- 
ings for cutaneous faradisation. The following are 
the principal methods which seem to fulfil all the 
conditions required:- 
a. Faradisation by the Electric Hand.-The patient 
takes hold of one of the conducting wires of the 
apparatus, while the other wire is touched by the 
operator. The skin of the part which is to be fara- 
dised is then dried with a little violet powder, after 
which the operator rapidly passes the back of his 
disengaged hand over the points to be acted upon. 
If a somewhat strong current be applied, the electric 
hand produces a decided but rather pleasant sensa- 
tion on the face, but acts only little on other parts of 
the body. Here a crepitating noise produced by the 
rapid passage of the electrified hand over the skin 
is the only perceptible phenomenon. By increasing 
the intensity of the current distinct sensations may, 
however, be caused even there. 
b. The second proceeding is faradisation by blunt 
metallic directors, which are fixed on insulating han- 
dles. The skin should be dry as before; but if the CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
381 
epidermis be very thick or hard, as it is on the palms 
of the hands and the soles of the feet, it may be 
slightly moistened in order to diminish its resistance 
to the passage of the electricity. Where it is ne- 
cessary to cause a powerful effect on a certain point, 
the electrodes are held for some time continuously 
in contact with the skin. Blunt metallic directors, 
though acting energetically on the skin of the face 
and of the trunk, are often insufficient for the hands 
and feet, whatever may be the intensity of the 
current. 
c. In such cases fine metallic wire-brushes are em- 
ployed, which are fixed on insulating handles. The 
skin should be lightly touched by these wires, but 
sometimes it is necessary to leave them longer in 
contact with it. By this proceeding very severe 
pain may be caused, and if the proposal to substitute 
electric shocks for the ' cat ' as a punishment in the 
army were ever carried in effect, faradisation of the 
skin by metallic wire-brushes, with the maximum 
power of a good apparatus, would be the best method 
for it. 
I have already alluded to the exquisite faradic 
sensibility of the skin of the face. A current of low 
tension applied there causes an effect which is not 
felt in any other part of the body. Faradic sensi- 
bility is stronger near the middle of the face-that 
is, in the eyelids, the nose, and the chin-than on 
the cheeks. On the forehead there is not so much 
sensibility as on the face, and on the scalp still less. 382 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
The neck and trunk are more sensitive than the 
extremities; the cervical and lumbar region more 
than the other parts of the back; the inner and 
anterior surface of the extremities more than the 
external and posterior parts of the same. The skin 
of the hands and feet is only affected by a current of 
high tension. Faradisation of the skin has proved 
useful in cases of anaesthesia, neuralgia, and hysterical 
paralysis. 
3. Faradisation of the Internal Organs.-The drum 
of the ear may be faradised in certain cases of nervous 
deafness, more especially if the continuous current 
should have failed to do good. The proceeding is 
the same as that adopted for galvanisation of the 
auditory nerve (p. 326); only care must be taken to 
put the negative electrode into the water filling the 
meatus, and the positive one outside. A reverse 
arrangement of the poles does not produce the cha- 
racteristic physiological effects which have been 
previously described (p. 161). 
In cases of loss of smell, a gentle induced current 
applied to the mucous membrane of the nose has 
been sufficient to restore that sense. A moistened 
director is placed on the nape of the neck, and an 
insulated conductor with a metallic top conducted 
over the whole of the Schneiderian membrane. For 
stimulating the optic and gustatory nerve, however, 
the continuous current is preferable, as it has a much 
more decided influence on those organs than induc- 
tion currents. CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
383 
Faradisation of the rectum, and of the muscles of 
the anus has been used for the cure of atony of that 
portion of the bowel, prolapsus ani, etc., and may be 
useful where want of muscular tone is the cause of 
the disorder. A conductor which has been previously 
described (p. 327) is introduced into the rectum, and 
connected with one of the poles of an induction 
apparatus; another moistened electrode being ap- 
plied outside, near the anus. Previous to this opera- 
tion the rectum should be cleared out by enemata. 
The anus of healthy persons is extremely sensitive to 
faradisation, so that even a feeble current applied to 
it may cause tenesmus; but where there is much 
want of tone in this part, even a powerful current is 
borne without inconvenience. 
Faradisation of the bladder has been beneficial in 
atony and paralysis of that organ. For this purpose 
Fig. 56. 
Duchenne has recommended an instrument composed 
of two flexible metallic wires, contained in a caout- 
chouc tube with a double channel, so that they are 
insulated from one another. That end of the instru- 
ment which is to be introduced into the bladder is 
so shaped that the wires, on being approached to 
each other, present the form of an ordinary catheter 384 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
When the instrument is in the bladder the outer 
ends of the wires are moved forward for about an 
inch or so, whilst the caoutchouc tube remains in its 
place, and the inner ends of the director are thus 
removed from each other. The bladder should be 
emptied before the operation, as otherwise the neu- 
tralisation of the two contrary electricities would not 
be effected through the muscular tissue of the organ. 
The conducting wires of the induction apparatus are 
connected with the outer ends of the wires of the 
director, after which the current passes through the 
tissue of the bladder. As Duchenne's instrument 
easily gets out of order, it is much better to introduce 
into the bladder a simple director, such as has 
already been described for galvanisation of the 
urethra (p. 327), while the bladder is filled with urine, 
and to place an ordinary moistened electrode to the 
perinamm, or over the os pubis. 
The muscles of the pharynx may be faradised with 
a similar director as that used for other internal 
organs. Another moistened electrode is placed to 
the nape of the neck. It is, however, necessary to 
use a gentle current for this purpose, as a strong- 
shock might have a bad effect on the glosso-pharyn- 
geal, pneumogastric, and spinal accessory nerves 
which are situated in the neighbourhood. 
Faradisation of the larynx has proved useful in 
aphonia resulting from loss of power in the vocal 
cords. The larynx may be faradised directly or 
indirectly. Direct faradisation of the larynx has CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
385 
been chiefly practised by 
Dr. Morell Mackenzie 
and Prof. Ziemssen, of 
Erlangen, and consists 
in introducing one elec- 
trode into the glottis, 
with the aid of the 
laryngoscope, while the 
other director is applied 
externally. Dr. Mac- 
kenzie lets the patient 
wear a necklet con- 
nected with one of the 
conducting wires of the 
apparatus, and then 
introduces a metallic 
sound, which is in- 
sulated by caoutchouc, 
and ends in a piece of 
moistened sponge con- 
nected with the wire. 
This instrument may be 
introduced without fa- 
radising any parts with 
which it may at first 
come in contact; for it 
is only after the sponge 
is, in the laryngeal mir- 
ror, seen to be upon the 
vocal cords, that the 
Fig. 57. MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. m. 
386 
operator establishes the circuit by touching a little 
spring in the handle of the instrument. The necklet 
should be worn rather low, so that it covers the sides 
of the cricoid cartilage and the space between it and 
the thyroid. By acting in this manner, the lateral 
adductor muscles of the vocal cords are faradised; 
while the central adductor may receive the faradic 
influence by placing the conductor on the posterior 
surface of the arytsenoid cartilages. External fara- 
disation of the larynx is much easier. It consists in 
applying a powerful current by means of a wire brush 
to the front of the larynx, the circuit being closed by 
another moistened conductor placed to the nape of 
the neck. 
Direct faradisation of the heart and the lungs, the 
stomach and the liver, is not possible; but some of 
these organs may be acted upon indirectly by fara- 
disation of the pneumogastric nerve, which is 
accessible to the electric stimulus through the 
pharynx and oesophagus. Such an operation would, 
however, be totally useless, as, if it is desired to 
modify the condition of the pneumogastric, the con- 
tinuous current alone should be employed. 
Faradisation of the Womb has been highly recom- 
mended by M. Tripier * for the cure of engorgement 
and displacement of that organ. The proceeding is 
as follows:- The patient should lie on her back, and 
a speculum is introduced for allowing the operator to 
put the uterine electrode a in connection with the 
* Manuel d'electroth6rapie, p. 548. Paris, 1861. CHAP. III.] 
FARADISATION. 
387 
external os, after which an olive-shaped director b is 
introduced into the rectum, and a metallic plate 
Fig. 58. 388 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. in. 
covered with moistened lint or sponge is placed over 
the os pubis. This latter and b communicate, by 
Fig. 59. 
Fig. 60. 
means of a bifurcated conducting wire, with one of 
the poles of the apparatus, while the other pole is 
connected with the uterine electrode a. In unmarried CHAP. III.I 
FARADISATION. 
389 
women or where, in the married, the engorgement is 
not combined with displacement, the womb may be 
faradised by simply using the plate over 
the os pubis, as before, and a moistened 
conductor applied to the lumbar region. 
1 is the womb in a state of simple en- 
gorgement, 2 the rectum, 3 the anus, 
4 the bladder, 7 the symphysis pubis, 5 
the meatus urinarius, and 6 the vagina 
distended by the speculum. The appli- 
cation of the current to the womb should 
generally not exceed five minutes at a 
time. 
Fig. 59 shows the simple visceral 
directors for uterus, bladder, and rec- 
tum, and Fig. 60 the double electrodes 
for the same organ, as used by M. Tri- 
pier. 
Faradisation of the (Esophagus will 
only rarely be required ; but I have used 
it successfully in a case of paralysis of 
the muscular fibres of that organ, with 
consequent difficulty of swallowing. In 
such cases a long and flexible insulated 
sound with a metallic top (Fig. 61) is 
introduced to the point where the im- 
pediment is found, and the circuit is 
closed by putting another moistened 
electrode to the chest or back. 
The action of the diaphragm may be 
Fig. 61. 390 
MEDICAL ELECTRIC APPARATUS, 
[chap. hi. 
roused by faradisation of the phrenic nerve, which, 
taking its rise from the third, fourth, and fifth cer- 
vical pairs, proceeds downwards and inwards in front 
of the scalenus anticus muscle, before it reaches the 
mediastinum and the diaphragm. The phrenic nerve 
is accessible to electricity on the anterior surface of 
the scalenus anticus. Conductors of moistened 
sponge placed in metallic cups are held to the points 
just mentioned, when an artificial inspiration is at 
once produced; the thorax is expanded, and the air 
some force into the lungs. By faradi- 
sation of the phrenic it is possible to maintain respi- 
ration even some time after death; and the proceed- 
ing has been successfully employed in several cases 
of asphyxia, where other means had already been 
used and failed. 391 
CHAPTER IV. 
ELECTRICITY AS A MEANS OF DIAGNOSIS. 
After galvanism had been used for some time in 
the treatment of paralysis, it was observed that the 
muscles which were no longer under the influence of 
volition, responded in some instances readily to the 
electric current, while in other cases no, or only very 
feeble, contractions were obtained. Hence it was 
concluded that galvanism might be useful as a 
means of diagnosis in certain obscure paralytic 
affections. 
Every means of diagnosis, when first pointed out 
as such, has been over-rated, carelessly employed, 
and then pronounced to be worthless. Forty years 
ago the prejudice against auscultation was very strong 
in this country, chiefly in consequence of some young 
enthusiasts, who brought the stethoscope from Paris, 
having undertaken, without paying any attention to 
the general symptoms of the various cases, to form 
the diagnosis by the physical signs alone; they were 
constantly in error, and their undue pretensions 
brought discredit on the whole system. The same 392 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
has been the case with the microscope, the ophthal- 
moscope, and other valuable means; nor has elec- 
tricity been exempt from this fate. Observations on 
the excitability of the paralysed nerves and muscles 
were carelessly made, conclusions hastily drawn, and 
therefore the greatest confusion produced. As an 
instance, it may be mentioned that in August, 1850, 
M. Martinet read a paper before the Paris Academy 
of Medicine, in which he stated that the presence of 
electro-muscular contractility was the distinctive 
character of cerebral, hysterical, and rheumatic 
paralysis, while its absence was an indication of 
disease of the spinal cord ; yet all these assertions 
are incorrect! 
No department of our subject is at the present 
time so little developed as that relating to the 
diagnostic value of the various forms of electricity. 
There can be little doubt that as time advances a 
more scientific use of galvanism and electro-mag- 
netism will enable us to ascertain the exact condition 
of the nervous centres, the motor, sentient, and vaso- 
motor nerves, and of the muscles, with far greater 
accuracy than we can do at present, and that elec- 
tricity will thus become a most valuable test, not 
only in paralytic affections, but also in many other 
neuropathic and myopathic conditions. At present 
it is almost exclusively the various forms of paralysis 
the nature of which may be to a considerable extent 
determined and illustrated by galvanisation and 
faradisation. By these proceedings we can ascertain CHAP. IV.] 
CEREBRAL PARALYSIS. 
393 
any alterations of the physiological law of contrac- 
tions which have occurred; whether there is dimi- 
nished or exalted excitability of the nerves and 
muscles ; what is the power of current required to 
cause contractions,; whether in using the continuous 
current there is contraction on opening the circuit, 
or galvano-tonic contractions; what is the influence 
of the direction of the current; whether during 
the application an increase or diminution of excita- 
bility becomes perceptible, etc. With the means at 
present at our command it is, however, impossible to 
ascertain any alterations of the current proper of the 
nerves and of its positive and negative phases, which 
may have taken place ; but it appears highly probable 
that such alterations occur in most diseases of the 
nervous system, and, if known, would make our 
treatment of them more scientific and more successful. 
Here there is therefore a large field open for future 
researches, which will no doubt yield abundant 
results as soon as our appliances shall have reached 
that degree of perfection which is indispensable for 
such investigations. 
I.-CEREBRAL PARALYSIS. 
To Dr. Marshall Hall * the merit is due of having 
first directed the attention of the profession to the 
value of electricity in the diagnosis of paralytic 
diseases. He contended, in a paper on the condition 
of the muscular irritability in paralytic limbs, that 
* Medico-Chirurgical Transactions, 1839. 394 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
cerebral and spinal paralysis were in totally opposite 
conditions with regard to the excitability of the 
muscular fibre in the affected limbs. By cerebral 
paralysis he understood that which removes the 
influence of the brain,-paralysis of spontaneous or 
voluntary motion, such as is produced by disease of 
the brain itself, or by disease of the dorsal portion of 
the spinal cord; while by spinal paralysis he meant 
that which removes the physiological influence of the 
cord. He further asserted that in cerebral paralysis 
the paralytic limbs were always moved by an electric 
influence which is slighter than that required to 
affect the healthy limb; or that if both limbs were 
agitated, it was uniformly the paralytic limb which 
was more shaken than the other. In spinal paralysis, 
on the contrary, he found that the excitability of the 
muscles was diminished or even annihilated. This 
induced him to think that galvanism might afford a 
source of diagnosis between 
1. Hemiplegia of the face, and 
2. Paralysis of the facial nerve. 
3. Hemiplegia of the arm or leg, and 
4. Disease of the nerves of these limbs. 
5. Disease of the spinal cord in the dorsal 
region, and 
6. Disease of the cauda equina in the lumbar 
region. 
Dr. Hall concluded that in cerebral paralysis the 
excitability of the muscular fibre became augmented CHAP. IV.] 
CEREBRAL PARALYSIS. 
395 
from want of the application of the stimulus of vo- 
lition, the brain being, in his opinion, the exhauster, 
through its acts of volition, of the muscular irrita- 
bility ; the spinal cord, on the contrary, being the 
special source of the power of the nerves of exciting 
muscular contractions, and of the irritability of the 
muscular fibre. In spinal paralysis, therefore, the 
irritability of the muscular fibre would be diminished, 
and at length become extinct, in consequence of its 
source being cut off. The same principle would 
explain the greater influence of certain respiratory 
acts (such as yawning, sneezing, coughing, &c.) on 
paralytic limbs, and also the greater susceptibility of 
the paralysed muscles to the influence of strychnia in 
cases of cerebral paralysis. 
The first who objected to Dr. Hall's theory was 
Dr. Pereira,* who, in 1841, made a number of ob- 
servations on paralytic patients, which convinced 
him that in certain cases of hemiplegia the muscles 
of the paralysed limbs responded very little to the 
electric current, while those of the healthy limbs 
were powerfully contracted. In 1845, Dr. Copland f 
stated that in cases of cerebral paralysis the para- 
lytic muscles were not more excitable than the sound 
muscles, but, on the contrary, less so. The most 
elaborate criticism, however, of Dr. Hall's theory was 
given by Dr. Todd,J who refuted Dr. Hall's view of 
* Elements of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, 2nd edition, vol. ii. 
p. 1300. 
f A Dictionary of Practical Medicine, vol. iii. part 1, p. 42. 
| Medico-Chirurgical Transactions, 1847. 396 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
the brain being the exhauster of muscular irritability, 
by pointing to the physiological fact that the healthy 
action of a muscle is promoted by exercise within 
reasonable limits, and that whatever restricts that 
exercise is injurious to the nutrition of the muscle, 
and consequently to its irritability. He afterwards 
adduced the evidence of thirteen cases of cerebral 
paralysis, to prove that in certain morbid conditions 
of the brain the excitability of the muscles of the 
paralysed limbs was not augmented. Dr. Todd used 
the continuous current, electro-magnetism and mag- 
neto-electricity, and found that the results obtained 
were not affected by the instrument employed. He 
observed that in a certain number of cases the 
paralysed muscles responded readily to the galvanic 
stimulus, and even displayed a greater amount of 
vigour than those of the healthy limbs. In these 
cases the muscles of the palsied limb always ex- 
hibited some degree of rigidity; and the vigour of 
their action in obedience to the galvanic stimulus 
was proportionate to the amount of rigidity within 
certain limits. In another class of cases electricity 
produced little or no contraction, and in these the 
muscles appeared more or less wasted. In a third 
class of cases he found that, while the paralysis was 
almost complete, the galvanic stimulus excited equally 
the muscles of the paralysed and those of the healthy 
limbs; and these were generally cases of apoplexy 
occurring in persons previously healthy and not ad- 
vanced in years. chap. rv.J 
CEREBRAL PARALYSIS. 
397 
Dr. Todd also concluded that the state of the 
muscles had comparatively little effect in the pro- 
duction of these phenomena, which he thought to be 
due to the state of nervous force in the paralysed 
limbs. In cases where the stimulus produced little or 
no contraction, force was depressed in the nerves of 
the paralytic limb; in cases where the galvanic 
current excited stronger contractions in the muscles 
of the paralysed limb than in those of the healthy 
limb, the nervous force was exalted; and in the third 
class, where there was no perceptible difference be- 
tween the two, nervous force was normal. He there- 
fore contended that galvanism might, in cases of 
hemiplegia, serve as a test to distinguish between an 
irritant and a depressing lesion of the brain, but not 
as a means of distinguishing between cerebral and 
spinal palsy. 
In 1850, M. Duchenne,* of Boulogne, recorded 
some observations on the state of electro-muscular 
sensibility and contractility, and strongly objected to 
the mode of experimentation employed by Dr. Mar- 
shall Hall, the only true way to arrive at a satisfactory 
result, according to him, being the localisation of the 
electric current in the tissue of the paralysed muscles. 
He gave as the result of his experience that muscular 
contractility was normal in cerebral paralysis, there 
being no difference between the muscles of the healthy 
and of the paralytic limbs of such patients. This 
statement I can only explain by assuming that 
* Archives generates de medecine, 1850. Vol. xxii. p. 4. 398 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
Duchenne tested the muscular irritability in a few 
cases only of cerebral paralysis, and that these 
happened to be such as are described by Dr. Todd in 
the third class, in which the muscles retain their 
normal condition. 
I have tested the nervous and muscular excitability 
in more than a hundred cases of cerebral paralysis, and 
can fully corroborate Dr. Todd's observations. In a 
certain number of cases the excitability is diminished, 
the muscles are flaccid, and the polarity of the nerves 
depressed ; in another class of cases the excitability is 
increased, there is early rigidity of the muscles, and 
an irritative lesion of the brain; and, Anally, in a 
third class of cases no difference can be observed in 
this respect between the healthy and the paralytic 
limb. In the cases in which I have tested muscular 
excitability I have employed both modes of experi- 
mentation, viz. sending the current right through the 
limbs, and localising the current in the affected 
nerves and muscles. Both methods yielded nearly 
the same results ; but local faradisation and galvani- 
sation made the differences of muscular contractility 
appear more striking. 
I shall now give a few cases illustrative of the 
three classes which may be distinguished in paralysis 
resulting from cerebral disease. chap, iv ] 
CEREBRAL PARALYSIS. 
399 
Case 2.-Hemiplegia, resulting from cerebral haemor- 
rhage ; muscular contractility diminished. 
R. V., aged 57, of originally vigorous and plethoric con- 
stitution, but now somewhat debilitated by an antiphlogistic 
treatment: has never had any serious illness, with the 
exception of pneumonia, ten years ago, from which he soon 
recovered. Six months before I saw him he had an attack 
of apoplexy, accompanied with loss of consciousness for 
nearly three hours, and paralysis of the whole right side. 
Speech was not affected. He did not know of any cause of 
his affection, but mentioned that his father had died from 
paralysis. He had sometimes suffered from palpitations of 
the heart, but auscultation showed the heart to be healthy. 
The distortion of the face soon disappeared, and the muscles 
of the arm and leg also regained some mobility. He wrote, 
however, a very unsteady hand, and had difficulty in dress- 
ing and feeding himself; walking was very troublesome. 
His judgment, speech, and memory were not impaired; 
there was no pain in the head or limbs. The face and 
tongue were straight, and the movements of the eyes quite 
easy. The skin of the right side was cold and flabby. 
Pulse 76, weaker in the right than in the left radial artery. 
There was a feeling of numbness in the right arm and leg, 
which were not so sensitive to the prick of a pin as they 
should be. The muscles of the same side were relaxed 
and somewhat wasted, and the extensors more so than the 
flexors. There was no rigidity of the muscles, either in 
the upper or in the lower extremity. Passive extension 
of the fore-arm upon the arm, and of the leg upon the thigh, 
could be made without any resistance being offered by the 
muscles. The faradic stimulus, administered in moderate 
dose and with slow intermittences, did not cause the para- 
lysed extensor muscles of the right arm to contract, while 
the corresponding muscles of the other side answered well 
to the current. The same was the case with the muscles 
animated by the peroneal nerve. 400 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
Case 3.-Hemiplegia, with irritation of the brain 
and augmented muscular excitability. 
In December, 1858, a patient of the name of King was 
under the care of Dr. Todd, in King's College Hospital; he 
had had repeated attacks of apoplexy, and probably suffered 
from a tumour in the brain, which kept up continual 
irritation. The patient suffered at that time from ptosis 
of the left upper eyelid, and from paralysis of the right 
side, with marked rigidity of the flexor muscles. I tested 
the excitability of the muscles, and found it slightly in- 
creased in the paralysed leg, and very much so in tbe para- 
lysed arm. When I directed a gentle current to the belly 
of the extensor communis digitorum of the right fore-arm, 
a sudden and powerful extension of the fingers took place, 
which were before firmly closed by rigidity of the flexors ; 
the same current directed to the left side did not induce 
any movements in the fingers, and much more power was 
required for producing the same amount of contraction in 
the healthy as in the paralysed side. It was also noticed 
that the inverse current excited somewhat stronger con- 
tractions in the paralysed side than the direct, while the 
direct current excited somewhat stronger contraction in 
the healthy side than the inverse. These experiments were 
repeated several times, and always with the same result, in 
the presence of Dr. Todd, Dr. Conway Evans, and a large 
number of students. 
Case 4.-Hemiplegia, with normal excitability of 
the muscles. 
L. T., aged 62, has long been in a gouty condition, and 
had an apoplectic fit seven years ago, in which she lost her 
speech and consciousness, and the use of the left side. 
After six months a gradual improvement took place, es- 
pecially in the leg. When I saw her in November, 1858, 
the speech was still impaired, walking troublesome, and CHAP. IV.] 
PERIPHERAL PARALYSIS. 
401 
the motion of the left thumb and fore-finger very limited. 
Although these two fingers had then scarcely been used for 
seven years, the excitability of the extensor and abductor 
muscles of these fingers was quite normal, as they moved 
freely under the influence of a gentle current. The same 
was observed in the recti of the thighs. 
II.-PERIPHERAL PARALYSIS. 
Dr. Marshall Hall has termed spinal paralysis that 
which is observed wThen the muscle is functionally 
separated from the cord, as, for instance, by mecha- 
nical injury to a nerve. This peculiar view taken 
by Dr. Hall has been almost generally misunderstood; 
as most authors have taken Hall's 4 spinal paralysis ' 
as synonymous with paralysis from disease of the 
spinal cord. It is, however, evidently meant to in- 
clude those cases which arise either from mechanical 
injury to a nerve (traumatic paralysis),.or from pres- 
sure by an effusion, which may be of a rheumatic, 
gouty, or syphilitic character. As much confusion 
has ai isen from Marshall Hall's nomenclature, it is 
much better to drop the term proposed by him alto- 
gether, and substitute the word ' peripheral ' for 
' spinal ' paralysis. Recent researches have thrown 
considerable light on the changes which occur in 
this form of palsy, as far as the galvanic and faradic 
excitability of the nerves and muscles is concerned, 
and have thereby enabled us to make both the 
prognosis and treatment of these affections more 
certain.  ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
402 
To M. Baierlacher * the merit is due of having first 
employed the continuous current as a means of diagnosis in 
such cases, and of having shown that galvano-muscular 
contractility may still exist after farado-muscular excita- 
bility has disappeared. He observed the case of a woman, 
aged 28, who suffered from paralysis of the portio dura of 
one side. Faradisation had no influence on the muscles, 
nor was there any change in this particular after three 
weeks' treatment. He then applied a continuous current 
of fifteen cells, which caused strong contractions in all the 
paralysed muscles. After three such applications there 
was considerable improvement, and after four more the 
paralysis had almost completely disappeared. 
M. Schulz f has recorded several cases of facial palsy, in 
which the induced current did not cause any contractions 
on the paralysed side. He observed that a current of eight 
cells of Bunsen's battery produced a considerable contrac- 
tion on opening as well as on closing the circuit, whether 
the current was direct or inverse, while a current of the 
same power did not affect the muscles of the healthy side. 
On increasing the powrer of the current to twenty cells, the 
muscles of the healthy side responded on opening and 
closing, yet even then the extent of contraction was more 
considerable in the paralysed side. As time went on, the 
exalted excitability of the paralysed muscles gradually 
diminished, and at last completely disappeared. This 
diminution of galvano-muscular excitability was simul- 
taneous with the recovery of the power of volition over 
the muscles, and at the same time the muscles commenced 
to respond again to the faradic current. 
M. Moritz Meyer | has observed the case of a woman, 
aged 48, who suffered from facial palsy of the left side, and 
where faradisation did not cause any contraction whatever, 
* Baierisches arztliches Intelligenzblatt, 1859. No. 4. 
t Wiener medicinische Wochenschrift, 1860. No. 27. 
+ Die Electricitat in ihrer Anwendung auf Medicin. 2te Auflage, 
1861, p. 323. CHAP, xv.] 
PERIPHERAL PARALYSIS. 
403 
while a continuous current of six cells produced consider- 
able movements in them. The patient gradually recovered 
under the influence of the continuous current. Another 
similar case fell under the notice of Professor Ziemssen.* 
A young man, aged 18, had had facial palsy of the left 
side for three weeks, and faradisation locally applied to all 
the facial muscles individually, and to the branches of the 
portio dura of the affected side, did not cause any con- 
tractions, even if a powerful current was used; while the 
continuous current applied in the same manner caused 
regular and vigorous contractions on making the circuit in 
all the muscles, while on breaking it they responded feebly. 
The galvano-muscular contractions of the corresponding 
muscles on the healthy side were not nearly as powerful as 
on the paralysed side, and the application of the continuous 
current to any paralysed muscle individually, or to the 
nervous fibre animating the same, was not able to restore 
its excitability to faradisation or volition. If very slow 
intermittences of the induced current were used, so that 
one closing and opening was effected in two seconds, it 
appeared that there was in the healthy side a strong con- 
traction on closing, and a feeble contraction on opening 
the circuit in each muscle, while in the paralysed side 
there was no contraction whatever, either on closing or on 
opening. A few weeks afterwards the deformity of the 
face was diminished, but the galvano-muscular excitability 
considerably decreased, and this latter then completely 
disappeared. Tn two months the left side had regained its 
voluntary power, only the eyelids could not be entirely 
closed ; yet even then neither galvanisation nor faradisation 
caused any contractions. The same patient was examined 
two years and a half afterwards, when the face was perfectly 
healthy, during rest as well as during physiognomical 
expressions. Sensibility, however, was considerably dimi- 
nished on the left side. Faradisation caused contractions 
* Die Electricitat in der Medicin, 1866. p. 76. 404 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
in. all the muscles which had been previously paralysed, 
but the response was not nearly so strong as on the healthy 
side. The same condition was observed on applying the 
continuous current, eight cells of which caused distinct 
movements on the right side, while no effect was produced 
on the left. On increasing the power of the current the 
muscles of the left side were seen to contract, but more 
feebly than those on the right side. In another case 
recorded by the same observer the excitability of the motor 
nerves to volition, faradisation, and galvanisation was com- 
pletely abolished, while the paralysed muscles had preserved 
their irritability to the continuous current, and responded 
to direct galvanisation with a sluggish contraction. 
Meyer has found that those cases of facial palsy 
in which farado-muscular excitability is merely di- 
minished, but not completely gone, show the same 
aspect as regards the continuous current, and are 
more favourable as far as prognosis is concerned, inas- 
much as they generally recover within a few weeks, 
while, on the other hand, those palsies in which fara- 
disation produces no effects whatever a week after 
they have come on, and where a feeble continuous 
current causes vigorous contractions, are of worse 
import, because recovery ensues only after many 
months, and even then remains incomplete. In these 
latter cases Meyer believes the seat of the paralysis 
to be in the facial nerve during its transit through 
the petrous portion of the temporal bone, and looks 
upon the galvano-muscular contractions as reflex 
movements produced by stimulation of the ganglion 
geniculatum. The latter hypothesis is, however, not 
tenable. chap, iv.] 
PERIPHERAL PARALYSIS. 
405 
M. Neumann,* when observing a case of this kind, 
conceived the idea of rapidly interrupting the con- 
tinuous current by means of a mechanical contrivance 
in order to arrive at a rationale of these phenomena, 
and noticed that if the interruptions were extremely 
rapid, no effect was produced in the paralysed 
muscles, while the healthy muscles of the other side 
of the face responded as usual. From this he con- 
cluded that the duration of the current was of 
paramount importance in these cases. When this is 
more than instantaneous the current has a more con- 
siderable effect on the paralysed than on the healthy 
muscles; but when the stimulation is merely instan- 
taneous, no effect is produced, even if a powerful 
current be applied. He observed the same thing 
in the nerves and muscles of frogs which were dying. 
Before the excitability of the structures was quite 
gone, there was a stage which often continued for 
several hours and in which the most powerful 
faradic current failed to produce contractions, while 
a weak continuous current caused decided effects. 
M. Bruckner f has recorded several cases of fatty 
degen eration of the muscles, which confirm Neumann's 
statements. Faradisation failed to cause contractions, 
while on closing the continuous current of twenty 
cells a response took place. He also observed that 
the contraction on closing the circuit did not occur 
so rapidly as it does in healthy muscles, but was 
* Virchow's Archiv fiir Anatumie und Physiologic, 1864, p. 54. 
t Deutsche Klinik, 1865. No. 30. 406 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS. 
[chap. IV. 
somewhat retarded; that if the circuit was slowly 
opened and closed, the movements were more exten- 
sive than if there was a rapid succession ; that if the 
direction of the current was quickly changed, the 
strength of the contractions increased; and that there 
was no effect at all if the continuous current was 
applied instantaneously. These facts were observed 
in the peroneal, crural, sciatic, and tibial nerves. 
M. Eulenburg,* who has likewise studied these 
conditions, has assumed different specific energies of 
the motor nerves, viz. the power to respond indivi- 
dually to volition, faradisation, and galvanisation; 
and thinks it probable that, in certain conditions 
of changed molecular arrangement, one of the other 
of these energies, or even two of them, may be totally 
gone, while the third remains intact. This would 
be an analogy to the abolition of certain kinds of 
sensation, which is frequently observed in locomotor 
ataxy, where the sense of touch may be normal, 
while sensibility to pain or the sense of temperature 
may have completely disappeared. 
Professor Erb,f of Heidelberg, has experimentally 
studied the conditions which are now under considera- 
tion, and has come to the important conclusion that 
as far as these alterations of excitability are concerned, 
nerves and muscles obey totally different laws. In all 
cases of exalted galvanic excitability only the muscles 
answer in this manner, and those observers are in 
* Deutsches Archiv fur klinische Medicin, 1866. Bd. ii. Heft 1. 
t Ibid. 1868. Bd. iv. p 566. CHAP. IV.] 
PERIPHERAL PARALYSIS. 
407 
error who have assumed the existence of increased 
galvanic excitability of the nerves, together with lost 
faradic excitability of the same. In fact, where there 
has been an injury to the motor nerves, the excitability 
of the nerves appears to be completely gone, not only 
to the induced but also to the continuous current. 
Soon after the paralysis has set in, whether it be 
caused by rheumatic effusion, or by contusion and 
division of the nerve, the excitability of the nerve to 
both forms of electricity begins to diminish. In 
one of Erb's cases this diminution was, during the 
first few days of the illness, preceded by a slight 
increase of it; and he considers it not improbable 
that this condition may be characteristic of so-called 
rheumatic palsies. Soon afterwards, however, viz. 
in man from the end of the first week, and in injured 
nerves of rabbits even before that time, a consider- 
able diminution of excitability takes place, which 
proceeds gradually from the seat of the disease to 
the periphery, the point of entrance of the nerve into 
the muscle being the last to lose it. This decrease 
of excitability is shown in two ways, for not only 
has the power of the current required for causing 
a slight contraction to be continually increased, but 
on the other hand the contractions caused by even 
a strong current constantly diminish in extent; so 
that, towards the end of the second week, faradic as 
well as galvanic excitability of the nerves has com- 
pletely disappeared. The duration of this stage 
varies according to the cause of the palsy, the in- 408 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS. 
[chap. V. 
tensity of its effect upon the nerve, and the rapidity 
with which the process of regeneration is carried 
on. In rabbits, the nerves of which have been 
bruised, it lasts from five to six weeks : where the 
nerves have been divided its duration is longer; and 
in facial palsy of rheumatic origin it may extend 
over many months, and even years. After a time 
the excitability of the nerves is gradually restored. 
The statements of different observers regarding the 
mode in which the nerves regain their excitability 
vary considerably, and have led them to assume 
various groups and degrees of palsy, which are, 
however, not so distinctly separated in nature. In 
most cases, there appear, simultaneously with the 
return of voluntary motion, traces of faradic as well 
as of galvanic excitability, although at first only if a 
high power be used. Both kinds of excitability seem 
to return almost simultaneously, and the contrac- 
tions then steadily increase from day to day, so that 
at last a feeble current is sufficient to bring them 
about. If the nerve be then acted upon by the 
continuous current, the contractions follow the usual 
law which obtains for the physiological condition of 
the living nerve. 
The cases are, however, exceptional where electric 
excitability is completely restored to its original 
standard; for it generally remains somewhat below 
par. All these conditions do not appear to have any 
direct relation to the recovery of voluntary power. 
The muscles follow totally different laws under CHAP. IV.] 
PERIPHERAL PARALYSIS. 
409 
these circumstances. Within the first few days of 
the palsy there is no decided alteration of direct 
galvanic or faradic excitability, and it is only towards 
the end of the first week that a diminution of it is 
observed. The faradic excitability continues to sink, 
whether the current be slowly or rapidly interrupted, 
and whether the primary or secondary current be 
used ; galvanic excitability, on the contrary, now com- 
mences to rise, and becomes within a few days exalted 
considerably beyond the normal standard, so that a 
much weaker current than is necessary for causing 
contractions in healthy muscles will produce decided 
effects on the paralysed muscles. We have already 
seen that this is owing to the physical difference of 
the continuous and induced current, it being the 
instantaneous duration of induction currents which 
renders them incapable of exciting the muscles, and 
a continuous current of equally instantaneous dura- 
tion having no more effect than faradisation. But 
there is at this period not only an increase in the 
amount of excitability, but also an alteration in its 
quality. If healthy muscles are acted upon by the 
continuous current, the negative pole has a more 
powerful effect than the positive, and the closing 
contraction is stronger than the opening; while the 
positive pole produces effects chiefly on opening, espe- 
cially after the current has acted for some time. In 
paralysed muscles, however, the effect of the positive 
pole increases much more rapidly and considerably 
than that of the negative pole, so that it soon 410 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
becomes equal to the latter, and sometimes even 
stronger. At the same time the effect on closing 
becomes greater than that on opening; and finally, 
an effect takes place with the negative pole on open- 
ing, which is equally powerful and sometimes even 
stronger than the effect on opening at the positive 
pole. 
The form of muscular contraction produced by 
direct musculaf excitation differs considerably from the 
contraction caused by the excitation of healthy 
nerves. The latter is extremely rapid, while the 
former is slow and sluggish; and even if the current 
used be comparatively feeble, tonic contractions of 
long duration may be caused. The shortening and 
elongating of the paralysed muscle occurs much more 
slowly than that of the healthy muscle, and corre- 
sponds to the form of contraction observed by Fick in 
the sphincter of the fresh-water mussel, in which 
there is considerable prolongation of all the successive 
stages of the contraction (p. 187). 
After a certain time galvanic excitability again 
diminishes, but no alterations are then perceptible in 
its quality. The first signs of this diminution seem 
to occur about three months after the commence- 
ment of the disease. Within the following weeks 
this diminution becomes still more distinct; a higher 
power is required for causing contractions, and the 
extent of the latter is much decreased. After a 
time the effect on opening becomes less, and appears 
more tardily than that on closing, even at the posi- CHAP. IV.] 
PERIPHERAL PARALYSIS. 
411 
tive pole. This latter, however, still causes an 
equally distinct closing contraction as the negative 
pole. At a later time we succeed in obtaining feeble 
contractions by direct muscular faradisation, more 
especially in those muscles the nerves of which have 
likewise regained their faradic excitability. Galvanic 
excitability now sinks below the normal standard; 
for while on the healthy side eight cells may suffice 
to cause contractions, from ten to fourteen cells may 
be necessary on the paralysed side, and the con- 
tractions themselves become continually weaker. 
These final alterations of electric excitability do 
not seem to bear any constant relation to the return 
of voluntary motor power, nor to the extent of the 
same. A curious fact which has been noticed at this 
time is an increased excitability of the muscles to 
mechanical stimulation. This occurs later than the 
increase of galvanic excitability, viz. towards the end 
of the third week, after which it rises rather rapidly, 
and again disappears in the third or the fourth month 
of the disease. 
Professor Erb has likewise studied the morbid 
anatomy of these conditions. 
It appears that within the first few days after an 
injury to the nerve has taken place the marrow coagu- 
lates, and is dissolved into several cylindrical pieces, 
which are at first rather long, but afterwards become 
shorter. At the same time the diameter of the fibres 
is considerably increased; the cylindrical pieces just 
mentioned are gradually changed into irregular oil- 412 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
globules, between which fine granules of fat appear, 
which after a time become so numerous that they 
predominate over all other formations. About the 
third week, and afterwards, there is less of marrow 
and fat, the diameter of the fibres becomes smaller, 
the preparations clearer, and nuclei and fibres in the 
process of regeneration are perceptible. Of the 
original fibres scarcely anything remains except a 
small and pale band with irregular outline, in some 
parts of which small globules of fat, marrow, and 
nuclei may be recognised. This band consists of the 
original primitive fibre and the cylinder axis, which 
remains uninjured. The degeneration proceeds in 
every case from the point where the injury has 
occurred towards the periphery; and regeneration 
proceeds in a like manner. From the substance of 
the marrow which has been preserved fresh masses 
of marrow are deposited round the cylinder axis. At 
first only a small dark line is perceptible, but after a 
time a delicate layer, with a double outline, appears, 
which proceeds more and more towards the peri- 
phery. These young regenerated fibres are very 
small, thoroughly homogeneous, and only slowly 
increase in width. When they have become com- 
pletely developed the conductivity of the nerve is 
restored. 
At the point where the nerve has been injured 
phenomena of adhesive inflammation of the neu- 
rilemma set in, viz. swelling, proliferation of cells, 
thickening, and finally shrinking, of connective tissue. CHAP. IV.] 
PERIPHERAL PARALYSIS. 
413 
An identical process occurs in the neurilemma along 
the whole peripheral course of the nerve. Soon after 
the injury has taken place, there is a considerable 
accumulation of granular cells in the neurilemma; 
these cells gradually assume the shape of spindles, 
and the neurilemma is at the same time thickened; 
the connective tissue becomes tougher and firmer, 
the cells disappear, and fibres take their place. Since 
the nervous fibres are now enclosed in a firm sheath, 
the hardness of which is further increased by cica- 
tricial shrinking, the regeneration of the nerves is of 
course much retarded; but in course of time this 
impediment is likewise removed, and the nerves are 
completely restored to their physiological condition. 
These anatomical alterations correspond closely 
with the changes of electric excitability which have 
been previously described. The decrease of electric 
excitability, which occurs soon after the commence- 
ment of the paralysis, would coincide with the in- 
creasing degeneration of the nervous marrow; and if 
this degeneration has reached a certain stage the 
electric excitability is entirely gone. As soon as the 
fibres have become regenerated electric excitability 
returns, and increases in proportion as the fibres 
grow. The slow return of excitability, and its long 
persistence in a degree which is lower than in the 
normal condition, would then be due to the impedi- 
ment which is offered to the regeneration of the 
nervous fibres by the proliferated and shrinking 
neurilemma.  ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
414 
No doubt can exist that there are certain patholo- 
gical conditions of the nerve where it is insensible to 
electricity and yet obeys the orders of volition, which 
is probably due to the persistence of the cylinder 
axis. 
The anatomical alterations of the muscular fibres 
consist chiefly of atrophy, which appears in the third 
week; at the same time the transverse stripes become 
slightly indistinct. There is no fatty degeneration 
of muscular tissue, but an increase of nuclei, which 
often appear in large crowds. The contractile sub- 
stance is altered so that the fibres show a great 
tendency to undergo amyloid degeneration. Large 
numbers of cells appear in the interstitial connective 
tissue, the mass of which is also increased, so that 
the consistency of the muscle is greater. The con- 
nective tissue after a time assumes a cicatricial cha- 
racter, whereby, after the conductivity of the nerves 
has been restored, complete recovery of the muscular 
fibres is much impeded. 
It is more difficult to trace the relation between 
these anatomical alterations of muscular fibres and 
the changes of their electric excitability than it is 
with regard to the nerves. The diminution of direct 
faradic and galvanic excitability which is observed in 
the first two weeks coincides with the alteration of 
excitability in the nerve, although this latter does 
not disappear so rapidly. As during that time no 
striking alterations appear as yet to have taken place 
in the muscular fibres themselves, it may be assumed CHAP. IV.] 
PERIPHERAL PARALYSIS. 
415 
that these first changes of excitability are to be re- 
ferred rather to the intra-muscular branches of the 
nerves and their terminations than to the muscles 
themselves. Concurrently with the diminution of 
excitability, which is caused by the separation of 
the nerve from the centre, muscular excitability is 
diminished; but it does not completely disappear, 
because the contractile fibre with its inherent irrita- 
bility is still in existence. The above-mentioned 
alterations of excitability are observed towards the 
end of the second week ; there is diminished effect of 
currents of instantaneous duration, increased effect 
of currents of long duration, and preponderating effect 
of the positive pole. These coincide, as regards 
time, with the commencement and increase of the 
proliferation of muscular nuclei, and those alterations 
which result in amyloid degeneration and the pro- 
liferation of interstitial connective tissue. The dimi- 
nution of excitability which appears at a later time 
coincides with the cessation of these anatomical 
processes, and the atrophy of the muscular fibres, 
which is rendered more or less permanent in conse- 
quence of the cicatricial retraction of the hyper- 
trophied connective tissue. 
These phenomena are of importance for the dia- 
gnosis of palsies in which these alterations of excita- 
bility are observed. They show us with certainty 
that the paralysing lesion has completely inter- 
rupted the conductivity of the nerve, and that de- 
generation of the nerve has been the consequence. 416 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
They also show us the seat of the paralysing lesion, 
inasmuch as they occur only in the motor and vaso- 
motor peripheral nerves, and not in central paralysis. 
The prognosis of such peripheral palsies appears 
therefore in the first instance dependent upon the 
cause of the paralysis, and is more favourable where 
this can be rapidly removed. Before the cause is 
removed any therapeutical measures, which are peri- 
pherally applied to the paralysed nerves and muscles, 
must inevitably fail. Experience shows that in 
cases of facial palsy of this kind a few months must 
elapse before the first traces of motility reappear, 
and even then more time is required for the com- 
plete restoration of voluntary power. Recovery is? 
often incomplete, and distortion of the face, or at 
least a certain stiffness and rigidity, may remain. 
Professor Erb's investigations are almost entirely 
confirmed by a series of researches which have 
about the same time been made by Professor 
Ziemssen and M. Weiss,* who experimented on 
rabbits, in order to determine the relations of motor 
nerves and muscles to both the continuous and 
induced current, in artificially produced interrup- 
tion of nervous conduction. They operated on the 
sciatic and on the peroneal nerve, either by excision 
of a small piece or by ligature. The latter proceed- 
ing they found on the whole preferable, because it 
was possible, by a more or less tight tying of the 
* Deutsches Archiv fur klinische Medicin, 1868. Bd. iv. p. 579. CHAP. IV.] 
PERIPHERAL PARALYSIS. 
417 
thread, to produce palsies of longer or shorter dura- 
tion, and also because the injury thus made allowed 
healing by first intention. 
The immediate consequence of the operation in all 
cases was paralysis of the whole set of muscles 
animated by the injured nerve, which continued for 
a time proportionate to the severity of the lesion 
made. The average was four weeks with the ligature, 
while, after excision of a piece of the nerve, the palsy 
lasted six or seven months, or even more. Consider- 
able wasting of the leg followed, even where it was 
paralysed only for one month. Where it remained 
paralysed for six months, the wasting was not only 
excessive, but the muscles became rigid and short- 
ened, so that flexions of the knee and ankle-joint 
took place. After the injury had been repaired the 
contraction and rigidity of the muscles disappeared 
rapidly, the muscles increased in bulk, and voluntary 
movements returned. 
Ziemssen and Weiss found the alterations of excita- 
bility of the injured nerve and the paralysed muscle 
to the continuous and induced current to vary 
according to the severity of the lesion, but follow a 
definite law as regards their first appearance and pro- 
gress. They corroborate Erb's discovery, that the 
relations of the nerve to electricity are totally different 
from those of the muscle to the same agent. 
In most cases it was found that from twenty-four 
to forty-eight hours after the operation, the nerve 
had completely lost its excitability to the electric 418 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
stimulus. There was sometimes on the first or 
second day an apparent increase of excitability, 
which, however, was not due to any changes in the 
nerve itself, but merely to an increased electric con- 
ductivity of the skin consequent upon the operation. 
The minimum duration of the loss of excitability was 
three weeks, and the maximum seven months. The 
central end of the nerve regained its excitability for 
days, or even weeks, before the peripheral end of it. 
Galvanic excitability generally returned a few days 
before the faradic, in the central as well as in the 
peripheral end. The degree of excitability, both gal- 
vanic and faradic, was always much greater in the 
central than in the peripheral end. The return of 
excitability in the nerve appeared to be simultaneous 
with the return of farado-muscular contractility and 
the disappearance of exalted galvano-muscular ex- 
citability. 
With regard to the muscles paralysed by the opera- 
tion, it appeared that faradic excitability was dimi- 
nished even on the first day, and completely gone on 
the fifth to nineteenth day after the operation. This 
diminution took place more gradually the nearer to 
the centre the injury had been made. Where the 
injury had been severe, farado-muscular excitability 
disappeared completely, and the paralysis continued 
longer in proportion; when traces of it reappeared, 
a very powerful current was at first required to show 
that it was returning. 
Galvano-muscular excitability remained unchanged chap, iv.j 
PERIPHERAL PARALYSIS. 
419 
on the first day, but was increased on the second, so 
that a feeble continuous current, which had not the 
least effect on healthy muscles, caused powerful con- 
tractions in the paralysed ones. This exaltation of 
excitability began to decrease again in the third to 
seventh week after the operation, and fell then 
either to the normal average, or even below it. In a 
few cases no such exaltation was at all perceptible, 
but these occurred in animals which were before the 
operation uncommonly sensitive to the galvanic 
stimulus. In the large majority of cases galvano- 
muscular excitability persisted throughout the affec- 
tion ; it was lost only in those where a somewhat 
large piece of the nerve had been'excised; and in 
these cases galvanic and faradic excitability fell much 
in the same proportion. With regard to the direc- 
tion of the current, it appeared that the negative pole, 
which in healthy muscles has more effect than the 
positive, had in these cases, just on the contrary, less 
influence than the positive, which was by far the 
most effective. 
The loss of muscular contractility in peripheral 
paralysis is in some instances a very valuable guide 
to diagnosis. Duchenne has recorded a case in 
which he noticed loss of contractility in the para- 
lysed muscles of the shoulder, by which he was led to 
the diagnosis of local injury to the nerves ; and after- 
wards a syphilitic exostosis was discovered, which 
compressed certain branches of the cervical and 
brachial plexus. In most instances the excitability 420 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
of the muscles appears to be lost very soon after the 
lesion of the nerve has occurred. 
III.-PARALYSIS FROM DISEASE OF THE 
SPINAL CORD. 
In such cases the electro-muscular contractility is 
frequently diminished in the affected muscles, but 
it is occasionally quite normal, although the bulk of 
the muscles may have notably decreased and they 
may refuse to obey the orders of volition. 
IV.-HYSTERICAL PARALYSIS. 
We often meet in hysterical women with a more or 
less complete paralysis of one or both lower extremi- 
ties, which is usually caused by anxiety or excitement. 
According to Duchenne, the electric excitability 
of the muscles is normal in all cases of hysterical 
paralysis, while the electro-muscular sensibility (that 
is, the sensation excited by the electro-muscular 
contraction) is nearly or totally gone. But such is 
by no means always the case, for I have found that 
in a certain number of cases of hysterical paralysis 
the excitability of the muscles is considerably di- 
minished, especially where the affection is of long 
standing. Duchenne's assertions are generally correct 
for recent cases. CHAP. IV.] 
HYSTERICAL PARALYSIS. 
421 
Case 5.-Hysterical Paraplegia ; diminished excitabi- 
lity of the muscles. 
In May, 1858, I saw, in consultation with Dr. Todd, a 
lady, aged 28, unmarried, who had nearly lost the use of 
her legs in consequence of a fright. Her gait was stagger- 
ing, and when not sufficiently supported the limbs gave 
way and she fell to the ground. The disease wandered 
about the limbs, sometimes attacking more the right, at 
other times more the left, leg; for a short time the right 
hand became affected, and writing and playing on the piano 
were difficult or impossible. When I first saw her she 
dragged the right leg as a piece of inanimate matter ; the 
foot swept the ground, and being inclined to turn inside, 
the inner edge of the shoe was generally torn after it had 
been worn for a few days. When in the sitting posture, 
she was scarcely able to raise the foot or to turn it outside, 
or to move the toes ; she experienced very great difficulty 
in getting up from a chair, and in getting into and out of 
bed ; and she found it almost impossible to press the pedals 
of the piano and the harp. On administering a feeble 
faradic current to the rectus of the left thigh, the muscle 
immediately contracted, but the same current was not 
strong enough to move the rectus of the right thigh, and 
although I notably increased the intensity of the current, 
whereby the sensation of a powerful thrill through the 
thigh was produced, only feeble vibrations appeared in the 
fibres of the left rectus. The same state was observed in 
the peronei and tibiales muscles ; but after faradisation had 
been used for some weeks, the nutrition was so far restored 
that all the muscles of the right limb responded as readily 
to the current as those of the left. 
V.-LEAD PALSY. 
Paralysis consequent on lead-poisoning affects 
by preference certain sets of muscles, leaving others 422 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, 
[chap. iv. 
nearly or totally intact. The arms and hands suffer, 
while the lower extremities remain comparatively 
well, and in the arm the flexor muscles are spared 
and the extensors attacked. Generally the extensor 
communis digitorum is first affected; the extensors 
of the fore-finger and of the little finger follow in 
their turn; and at last the extensores carpi radialis 
and ulnaris, the triceps and deltoid, and the muscles 
of the ball of the thumb become weak or paralysed. 
In cases of this kind the faradic excitability of the 
muscles is always much diminished, and often 
entirely lost, not only where atrophy has been the 
consequence of lead-poisoning, but also where the 
bulk of the muscles is only slightly diminished; and 
the excitability of the muscles remains in some cases 
impaired even after voluntary movements have 
regained their former power. 
Case 6.-Lead-palsy ; excitability of the muscles gone. 
S. R., a painter, aged 28, has had several attacks of 
lead-colics, from which he recovered under medical treat- 
ment. Six weeks before I saw him, he had pain in the 
joints and twitches in the legs. He now complains of the 
dropping of the left wrist, and of obstinate constipation. 
A blue line on the gums is distinctly visible. All the 
extensor muscles of the left fore-arm as well as the deltoid 
were paralysed ; and the patient could only raise his fin- 
gers if the first phalanges were supported, showing that the 
interossei and lumbrical muscles had not suffered. The 
back of the fore-arm appeared hollow in consequence of 
atrophy of the extensors. He found it difficult to raise the 
arm, and impossible to extend it to a right angle with the CHAP. IV.] 
LEAD-PALSY. 
423 
body. The flexor muscles were not affected. The right 
arm was weak, but not paralysed. The lower extremities 
were in no way affected. On applying a somewhat power- 
ful current to the deltoid muscle, only slight vibrations 
appeared in its fibres, which were wasted, but no con- 
tractions could be produced in the extensors on the back of 
the fore-arm. Faradisation was used every other day for 
about four weeks, after which the patient had recovered a 
considerable degree of power in the muscles, the bulk of 
which had much increased ; but even then the excitability 
of the extensors of the left arm was much less than of those 
of the right. 
The diagnosis between cases of lead-palsy and 
other kinds of paralysis has not only a theoretical 
but also a practical interest, as in the former the ap- 
plication of electricity must be combined with a con- 
stitutional treatment, while some other forms of palsy 
yield rapidly to galvanism alone. When a patient 
states that he has never to his knowledge been ex- 
posed to the influence of lead, this statement is no 
proof that the paralysis may not after all be caused 
by lead; for it is often introduced into the system 
without the patient being at all aware of it. Nor is 
the paralysis of the extensor muscles always preceded 
by, or simultaneous with, symptoms which belong to 
the constitutional disease, and which would, if present, 
facilitate the diagnosis. The electric response of the 
muscles is therefore a most valuable auxiliary for dia- 
gnosis, as it will in many cases enable us to recog- 
nise with certainty whether there is lead or no lead 
in the system. 424 
ELECTRICITY USED FOR DIAGNOSIS, [chap. iv. 
Meyer* has recorded a very instructive case, in which he 
recognised by faradisation that the patient was suffering 
from lead-poisoning. A hatter, aged 38, had for five 
months suffered from stiffness and weakness in both hands, 
which rendered him unable to use them. No further 
symptoms were or had been present previously. Meyer 
examined the muscles faradically, and found that the ex- 
tensor digitorum communis muscle did not respond even to 
a powerful current, and that a very slight sensation only 
was caused in it, while all the other muscles of the arm 
answered well to faradisation. He therefore suspected the 
existence of lead-poisoning, although the occupation of the 
patient was not one in which lead is used, and although 
there were no other symptoms pointing to the presence of 
lead in the system. Faradisation was then resorted to, but 
thirty-seven applications had no beneficial effect. Two 
months later the patient was worse, and he then mentioned, 
in reply to inquiries about lead, that he had for years used 
snuff packed in lead-foil. The analysis of this snuff showed 
the presence of a considerable quantity of lead in it. Snuff 
was now prohibited, and sulphur baths and saline purga- 
tives administered for four weeks. The palsy was then 
again attacked by faradisation, and the patient recovered. 
VI.-RHEUMATIC PARALYSIS. 
In this form of palsy the electro-muscular con- 
tractility is, according to Duchenne, normal, while 
the sensation excited by the electro-muscular con- 
traction may be stronger in the suffering side than 
in the healthy parts. This is true for recent cases ; 
but in those of long standing I have almost invari- 
ably found the excitability of the muscles impaired. 
* L. c. p. 172. chap, iv.] 
PROGRESSIVE MUSCULAR ATROPHY. 
425 
VII.-PROGRESSIVE MUSCULAR ATROPHY. 
Farado-muscular contractility is, in this disease, 
quite proportional to the more or less atrophic con- 
dition of the fibres. The more the bulk of the muscle 
is diminished, the weaker is the contraction exhibited 
by it. In this disease electricity enables us to dis- 
tinguish the state of almost every muscle and part of 
a muscle, whether normal or atrophied. Thus, for 
instance, I have seen cases in which not the whole 
substance of the extensor communis digitorum was 
atrophied, but merely that portion which extends the 
middle finger. This was distinguished by placing the 
electrodes of an induction apparatus upon the belly 
of the extensor communis, when only the fore-finger, 
the fourth, and the little finger were extended, while 
the middle finger remained quite or nearly motionless. 
The same may be observed if the current is directed to 
the interossei and lumbrical muscles, when only one 
or two of them may respond, while the others are not 
affected, even if a powerful current be used. 426 
CHAPTER V. 
ELECTRO- THERAPEUTICS. 
The therapeutical sphere of the various forms of 
electricity has of late become so much enlarged, 
that those who have not given attention to the 
gradual progress of this subject, will probably think 
the catalogue of diseases in which the use of this 
agent is now recommended too long, and object that 
a remedy which is employed for complaints of such 
very different character is not likely to do good in 
any. But it should be considered, in the first instance, 
that e electricity ' or ' galvanism ' is not one single 
thing, but that there are four different forms of it, 
each of which possesses peculiarities of its own, 
which distinguish it from its fellows; while from one 
of them, viz. the continuous current, again, three 
radically different effects may be obtained, according 
as we use its catalytic, electrolytic, or cauterising 
action. Then, again, it must not be lost sight of 
that modern pathology justly attributes a far more 
important influence to the vaso-motor system of nerves 
in the production of disease than was done formerly, 
and that an agent which has been experimentally 
shown to possess most constant and powerful effects chap. v.J 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
427 
on the vaso-motor nerves, is a priori likely to be 
effective in diseases caused by a pathological con- 
dition of the same. An instance of this is to be 
found in Basedow's or Graves's disease, where the 
application of galvanism would appear a priori un- 
reasonable, unless we were guided by the principle 
just enunciated. Finally, it should be understood 
that I by no means wish to convey the idea that all 
diseases which are discussed in this chapter must 
of necessity be treated by some form of electricity. 
I firmly believe that, in the large majority of cases 
which come under our care in the course of practice, 
there are three or four different ways of curing the 
patient; and it is the object of therapeutical 
science to find out the safest, quickest, and least 
unpleasant mode of doing so. This, however, can 
only be accomplished by comparing the results ob- 
tained from different methods of treatment, which 
will eventually lead us to adopt the best. In the 
following chapter it has been attempted to show what 
a scientific use of the various forms of electricity can 
accomplish for the alleviation or cure of disease ; but 
it is by no means intended to urge its exclusive 
adoption in place of other remedies, which in some 
complaints may be equally, or perhaps even more, 
effective. Certain morbid conditions are only men- 
tioned in order to state that, for the present at least, 
no beneficial effects can be expected in them from 
electricity. On the other hand, there are affections 
in which nothing but electricity can do real good, and 428 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
for these its employment will be most strongly re- 
commended ; while, finally, there are some in which 
electricity may be resorted to, either after other 
modes of treatment have failed, or where physician 
and patient incline more to electricity than to 
physic, or to a mere dietetic and hygienic kind of 
treatment. 
The precise mode in which electricity produces its 
therapeutical effects is still to a great extent shrouded 
in mystery ; but much more is now known of it than 
was the case formerly. 
Static Electricity is a powerful excitant, especially 
for the sentient nerves, and may be used with benefit 
wherever it appears desirable to produce a profound 
modification of their condition. It appears to have 
greater effects in antesthesia than any other form of 
electricity, and may likewise be used as a counter- 
irritant in headache and certain forms of neuralgia 
and spasm. 
The effects of the continuous galvanic current are 
much more complicated than those of static electricity, 
and in some instances do not as yet admit of a 
satisfactory explanation. We easily understand its 
thermic and electrolytic effects, in cases where the 
current is made to do the work of the actual and the 
potential cautery; but its mode of action on the 
nervous system, when this is in a state of disease, 
remains at the present time more or less matter of 
hypothesis. CHAP. V.] 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
429 
Remak * distinguishes three principal effects of the 
continuous current, viz. the catalytic, the anti-spas- 
modic, and the anti-paralytic. The first of these are, 
according to him, chiefly seen in inflammatory con- 
ditions and their consequences. He has called them 
catalytic, because an analysis of the facts observed 
by him has shown that, where the continuous current 
removes a morbid condition of the tissues caused by 
defective circulation, or by effusions, this effect is 
not merely due to simple electrolysis, but that the 
principal part in it is played by dilatation of the 
blood-vessels, whereby circulation and absorption are 
facilitated. Such catalytic effects are to be observed 
in inflammatory conditions of the brain, which cause 
tremor and spasm; in inflammation of the spinal 
cord, with consequent palsy of the lower extremities, 
bladder, and rectum; in chronic painful rheumatism of 
the joints, muscles, tendons,- periosteum, nerves, and 
in certain spasmodic affections caused by local irri- 
tation ; in inflammation of the joints caused by injury 
or rheumatism; in effusions which are the conse- 
quence of inflammation, especially in dropsy of the 
joints; and in painful and inflamed tumours. Con- 
cerning the mode of application, Remak is guided by 
the view, that a conveyance of liquids is effected 
between the two poles, and which proceeds in the 
direction from the positive to the negative. He 
therefore advises to place the negative pole to the 
inflamed part, and the positive somewhere in its 
* L. c. p. 203. 430 
ELECTEO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
neighbourhood; but as soon as symptoms of effusion 
are present, the position of the poles should be 
reversed. Again, where the character of the in- 
flammation is erethic, the positive, and where it is 
torpid, the negative, pole should be employed by 
preference near the seat of disease. 
The anti-spasmodic effects of the continuous current 
are, according to the same observer, partly due to its 
increasing the power of volition over the muscles 
affected by spasm or tremor, and to its removing cata- 
lytically any irritation which may cause the spasm ; 
and partly to a direct reduction of the exalted ex- 
citability of the nerves or muscles, which causes local 
spasms. These effects are chiefly seen in the treat- 
ment of reflectory spasms, such as blepharo-spasm 
and histrionic spasm; in the commencement of 
shaking palsy; in nystagmus; in scrivener's palsy, 
stammering, and chorea. 
The anti-paralytic effects of the continuous current 
may be observed in hemiplegia and paraplegia, where 
the disease causing these affections has not too pro- 
foundly affected the nutrition and structure of the 
brain and cord; and also in anaesthesia, atrophy of 
the muscles, traumatic paralysis, and secondary 
paresis. Remak ascribes these effects to the current 
causing dilatation of the blood-vessels of the nervous 
centres, which, if contracted, do not allow the blood 
freely to circulate, and also to its action on the 
nerves of the heart and of respiration; whereby a 
more healthy metamorphosis of matter is caused. chap, v.] 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
431 
Ziemssen * has subjected Remak's propositions to 
a severe criticism, but is nevertheless obliged to 
confess that they are, to some extent, warranted by 
the practical results obtained from the use of the 
continuous galvanic current. No doubt they will 
have in time to be considerably modified, as our 
experience of the effects of the current becomes 
enlarged; but until now nothing better in the way 
of an explanation has been offered. 
There is one point, however, which Remak has not. 
touched upon, and which I am inclined to consider 
of importance. Du Bois-Reymond and his school 
have shown that the most important vital phenomena 
which occur in the nerve consist of different electri- 
cal conditions of the same; and it may therefore be 
assumed that in disease of the nerves, their electrical 
conditions must be considerably altered. 
Now it is known that the continuous current has 
a powerful influence on the electricity of the nerve 
(Electrotonus, p. 103) ; and it is, therefore, by no 
means improbable that in many cases, especially of 
functional nervous affections, it may act by restoring 
the systemic current of electricity to its proper 
condition. No form of electricity, except the con- 
tinuous current, has electrotonic effects, in Du Bois- 
Reymond's sense ; and this would therefore, to some 
extent, explain the superiority of the continuous 
current over other forms of electricity in the treat- 
ment of certain purely nervous affections. Further 
* L. c. p. 67. 432 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
remarks on this subject will be made under the 
heading of ' Spinal Weakness.' 
The mode in which faradisation acts is much 
better understood, as it is not nearly so complicated 
as the mode of action of the continuous current. 
For paralytic affections, the propositions which I 
have laid down in the first edition of this work are 
still in perfect consonance with our present enlarged 
knowledge of this subject. 
They are as follows :- 
a. The faradic stimulus is capable of disturbing the 
'molecular equilibrium of the motor nerves and muscles, 
so as to produce the state in which they are physiologi- 
cally active. This disturbance, if judiciously produced, 
does not cause any injury, but tends to re-establish or to 
ameliorate the lost or impaired function of the motor 
nerves and muscles. 
As the first part of this proposition is derived from 
the teachings of electro-physiology (p. 177), I will 
only say a few words on the latter part, which is an 
induction from my own therapeutical experience. 
There are two kinds of paralytic affections which 
are often beneficially affected by faradisation, in 
which by this proposition only we are able to explain 
the success of the treatment. I allude, in the first 
place, to cases in which the excitability of the para- 
lysed muscles to the faradic stimulus is preserved, 
and, in the second place, to cases in which it is lost. 
Now if, as has often been contended, faradisation 
acted beneficially only by producing contraction, and CHAP. V.] 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
433 
thus improving the nutrition, of the paralysed 
muscles, cases like those just mentioned could not 
possibly be ameliorated or cured by it; since in the 
former class of cases the nutrition of the muscles is 
perfect, as they respond freely to a gentle current; 
and in the latter, no contraction of the muscles is 
produced. Yet cases of cerebral, rheumatic, and 
hysterical paralysis, in which the paralysed muscles 
have quite preserved their contractile power, are 
often considerably and rapidly ameliorated by fara- 
disation ; while on the other hand, cases of lead-palsy 
and of traumatic paralysis recover under its influence, 
although in the commencement of the treatment the 
paralysed muscles do not respond even to a current 
of high tension. In such cases the beneficial effect 
cannot be explained by the electricity producing con- 
tractions of the paralysed muscles, for no contractions 
are produced; nor by its causing an increased supply 
of arterial blood to the limbs, for no increase is 
observable, either in the temperature or in the bulk 
of the muscles ; but only by the supposition that the 
current restores that mobility to the molecules of the 
nerves and muscles which is necessary to enable them 
to be physiologically active. 
b. The faradic stimulus allows the necessary alter- 
nate contraction and expansion of the muscles, without 
which their nutrition is generally soon seriously im- 
paired. 
This fact having never been called in question, I 
merely adduce the evidence of the observations of ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
434 
Dr. John Reid which have been previously mentioned 
(p. 216.) 
c. The faradic stimulus, by producing contractions of 
the muscles, and thus augmenting the chemical changes 
in, that is, the oxidation of, the contractile tissue, causes 
a more abundant supply of arterial blood to it, which is 
evidenced by an increase of heat and bulk in those parts 
which have been faradised, and which in its turn aug- 
ments the nutrition of the muscle. 
This proposition has likewise been fully proved in 
the second chapter of this volume (pp. 233-240). 
In anaesthesia, hypereesthesia, and spasm, faradi- 
sation acts in the same manner as static electricity, 
viz., by modifying the condition of the sentient 
nerves of the part submitted to its influence. The 
particular kind of this influence has been previously 
described (p. 242). 
The differences existing between the physiological 
and therapeutical effects of electro-magnetism and 
magneto-electricity have already been noticed in 
.another part of this volume (p. 347). 
If it has been decided to adopt an electric treat- 
ment in a given case, and the special form of elec- 
tricity to be used, as well as the mode of its admi- 
nistration has been fixed upon, it further remains 
to determine how often it should be used, and when 
the treatment should be discontinued. In rare 
cases one or two applications of electricity are suffi- 
cient to cure a patient; such being chiefly instances CHAP. V.] 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
435 
of hysterical and reflex paralysis, loss of voice, 
muscular rheumatism, and amenorrhoea. In most 
cases, however, it is necessary to use electricity for a 
month or six weeks, either daily or on alternate days, 
according to the severity of the affection for the cure 
of which it is employed. If the patient is well before 
the month is over, it is not necessary to continue the 
treatment; in some instances it may even be hurtful 
to do so. An example of this latter kind will be 
found in the section on neuralgia. As all nervous affec- 
tions are distinguished by their great tendency to 
relapses, it is often advisable to prescribe subsequently 
a second or even third course of galvanism, if sym- 
ptoms which have in the first instance yielded to it 
should re-appear at any time after it has been dis- 
continued. If the patient should not be well at the 
end of a month or six weeks, it is generally better to 
discontinue the treatment for two or three months 
and then to recommence it. A second course of 
galvanism often rapidly cures symptoms which have 
obstinately resisted the first. The only complaints 
in wdiich the galvanic treatment should be con- 
tinued without any interruption until the patient is 
well, are progressive muscular atrophy and diabetes, 
if it has been decided to resort to it in such cases. 
I now proceed to consider the therapeutical effects 
of the different forms of electricity in those diseases 
for the relief or cure of which they have been, or are 
to be, medically employed. 436 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
I.-DISORDERS OF THE MIND. 
Whether any form of electricity may eventually 
prove substantially useful in disorders of the mind, is 
at present a matter of doubt and uncertainty. As far 
as I am aware, no alienist physician has ever yet 
resorted to a methodical use of it in patients of this 
kind, while most of those who occupy themselves 
specially with the therapeutical application of elec- 
tricity, are, as a rule, not consulted in such cases. 
Amongst the best authors on electro-therapeutics, 
Meyer, Ziemssen and Tripier are quite silent on this 
subject. Remak, on the contrary, states that he has 
seen good results from the use of the continuous 
current in morbid conditions of the brain accom- 
panied by disordered mental functions. He con- 
cluded from the occurrence of symptoms of disease 
of certain cerebral nerves in such cases, that the seat 
of the pathological process was at the base of the 
brain; but it is more likely that in his cases the 
affection occupied the pons Varolii, diseases of which, 
when they have existed for some time, are almost 
invariably accompanied by symptoms of mental dis- 
turbance. 
Benedict * is of opinion that these secondary 
mental disturbances are caused by an affection of the 
vaso-motor nerves, and may therefore be cured by 
galvanisation of the sympathetic. He thinks that 
such applications promote the absorption of effusions, 
* Loc. cit. p. 203. CHAP. V.] 
DISORDERS OF THE MIND. 
437 
and thereby remove pressure on the nervous matter. 
Symptoms of mental disturbance generally occur in 
consequence of diffuse degeneration of the grey 
matter of the hemispheres, and not so much upon 
more local pathological processes within the skull. 
Benedict has recorded three cases in which mental 
symptoms were improved by galvanisation. One of 
these was the case of a musician, aged 42, who was 
in bed with general prostration, and suffered from 
vertigo, impaired memory, deficient power of appli- 
cation, and distressing sensations in the head. The 
continuous current was applied along the spine; 
after six applications the patient could walk without 
support, and by further treatment all the head- 
symptoms were considerably improved, so that he 
could return to the active exercise of his profession. 
The second case was that of a cabman, aged 57, who 
amongst other cerebral symptoms, suffered from 
extreme weakness of memory, and was apt to burst 
into tears on the slightest occasion. After a few 
weeks' galvanisation, he was much better in every 
respect, and laughed when his previous depression 
of spirits was alluded to. He was enabled to return 
to his business. The third case was that of a half- 
idiotic boy, who was likewise improved by galvani- 
sation of the brain, although not to any very great 
extent. 
I have had, in the course of practice, somewhat 
frequent opportunities of observing the beneficial 
influence of the. continuous current, in cases where, 438 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
in consequence of impaired cerebral nutrition, mental 
symptoms had made their appearance; and I feel 
convinced that, in well selected cases, highly satisfac- 
tory results may be obtained by a judicious mode of 
galvanisation. Physicians to county asylums, where 
such cases abound, would find this subject an in- 
teresting study, and I should be glad if the following 
remarks were to induce some of them to give it their 
special attention. 
The study of the effects of the continuous current 
in such cases is very much facilitated by the circum- 
stance that each application should rarely exceed 
two or three minutes. 
Loss of Mental Energy from Imperfect Cerebral 
Nutrition.-Cases frequently occur which cannot be 
classified either as paralysis, or insanity, or any other 
definite disease of the nervous system; but the 
symptoms of which are evidently due to impaired 
nutrition of the grey matter; and, if unchecked in 
their progress, would in course of time, undoubtedly 
merge either into paralysis, or insanity, or both. In 
such cases I believe galvanisation of the nervous 
centres to be one of the most rational modes of 
treatment. 
Case 7.-A merchant, aged 48, widower, consulted me 
in March 1867, for nervousness and irritability of temper. 
He had for years past experienced considerable anxiety in 
business, to which he attributed his illness. He complained 
of a sensation of weight and pressure at the top of the head 
and in the temples, and of dizziness, chiefly on stooping and 
looking upwards. His memory and power of application CHAP, v;] 
DISORDERS OF THE MIND. 
439 
were very much impaired. The speech was somewhat 
affected, so that the patient would stop in the middle of a 
sentence, hesitate for a few seconds, paid then abruptly 
finish it. Whenever anything unexpected or disagreeable 
occurred, he became very much flushed in the face, had 
sensations of tingling resembling a slight electric shock 
running down his hands, and would for the time com- 
pletely lose the faculty of speech. The right pupil was 
larger than the left, and the sight was often dim. The tem- 
perature of the right cheek was 88° and that of the left 87° 
F. The right ear was also hotter than the left. The pulse 
was sometimes intermittent and irregular, and the patient 
complained of palpitations of the heart and shortness of 
breath in walking, more especially on going upstairs, but 
there was no disease of the heart or lungs in this case. 
The tongue was dry and thickly coated, the appetite in- 
different, and a sense of fulness and heaviness was expe- 
rienced after meals. The action of the bowels was irregular. 
The urine contained an enormous excess of phosphates, but 
not of urea, and the expulsive power of the bladder was 
diminished. The patient had become very stout during 
the last few years, and his muscles were extremely flabby. 
He rarely took active exercise, as it seemed to make him 
worse. He had already taken iron and quinine, strychnia, 
belladonna, and bromide of potassium, but without any 
improvement. For the last eighteen months he had felt 
too feeble to attend to his business. 
In this case galvanisation of the spine, the cerebral 
hemispheres, and the sympathetic, was resorted to with 
satisfactory results. Almost all the morbid symptoms 
gradually yielded to it, and ten weeks after the commence- 
ment of the treatment the patient was enabled to return to 
his business. He found that he could work well for about 
a couple of hours, but that when he went beyond that, the 
symptoms of pressure on the head and tingling in the arms 
were apt to return. 
The patient had another but much shorter course of 440 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
galvanisation in November 1867, and again in June 1868, 
when several of the old symptoms had re-appeared. On 
both these occasions they yielded rapidly to the influ- 
ence of the continuous current; and when I saw the 
patient last (May 1869) he was, although not strong, yet 
in good health, and. had been enabled, by restricting his 
hours of work, to attend to his business without any 
interruption. 
Dipsomania and Excessive Spirit Drinking.-I am 
strongly inclined to believe . that a systematic use of 
the continuous current would prove of much service in 
dipsomania. I have up to the present time only 
treated one case of this affection, with apparently 
good effects; although the time elapsed since the 
patient was discharged (sixteen months) is not suffi- 
cient to know whether the effect has been permanent. 
But I have seen a considerable number of cases in 
which mental depression and nervousness were so 
great that the patients had long been in the habit of 
taking large quantities of stimulants, in order to 
deaden the acuteness of their wretched sensations; 
and where the morbid desire for alcohol was rapidly 
checked as soon as they were fairly brought under 
the influence of the continuous current, applied in an 
ascending direction to the spine, the cerebrum, and 
the cervical sympathetic. One of these cases is the 
following:- 
Case 8.-In June, 1868, a lawyer, aged 37, married, came 
under my care, who had in consequence of overwork and 
anxiety, got into a state of complete nervous derangement. 
He was utterly incapable of any mental or bodily exertion chap, v.] 
DISORDERS OF THE MIND. 
441 
before he had. taken three or four ounces of brandy (in the 
morning), and. was in the habit of consuming rather more 
than a pint of spirit every day. He hated the very sight 
and smell of brandy ; but if he did. not take it, such horrible 
thoughts came into his head as to render life perfectly 
intolerable. His judgment and intellect were not impaired, 
but he had not the slightest control over the dreadful ideas 
which constantly flitted, across his brain if not under the 
influence of alcohol, and which were chiefly of a homicidal 
and suicidal character. Tonics of every kind, made him 
worse, and several alteratives of considerable efficacy (such 
as bromide of potassium and bichloride of mercury), had 
apparently increased his debility to such an extent as to 
render a prolonged course of them impracticable. Under 
these circumstances the application of the continuous cur- 
rent to the nervous centres seemed expedient. Within a 
week from the commencement of the treatment the patient 
was able to discontinue the brandy in the morning. After 
three months he had come down to half a pint of sherry 
for dinner, and took no spirits whatever. His mental and 
bodily health improved pari passu, and when I saw him 
again in March, 1869, he appeared perfectly well, and had 
lost every symptom of his previous illness. In this case 
the galvanism was applied forty-five times. No medicine 
was given. 
Opium-Eating.-In this country opium-eating is 
often contracted during severe attacks of neuralgia, 
oi' after family afflictions. The habit is very rarely 
broken through, if it has once gained the mastery 
over the patient, as the feelings of depression and 
despair which invade the mind after the comforting 
effects of the opium have disappeared are so acute as 
to be almost unbearable, and only yield to a fresh 
supply of the drug. Under such circumstances the 442 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
continuous current has several times proved to me of 
service. 
Case 9.-A lady, aged 48, widow, had commenced to 
take laudanum after the loss of her husband, six years ago. 
When she came under my care in October, 1867, she com- 
plained of indigestion and weakness in the back, which 
latter prevented her from standing or walking. She had a 
great aversion to taking medicine, and consulted me chiefly 
with regard to the application of galvanism in her case. 
She never mentioned to me that she was in the habit of 
taking opium, but laid stress on the symptoms of con- 
stipation and want of sleep. The latter symptom only 
induced me to resort to the application of the continuous 
current to the head and sympathetic, while for the weakness 
in the back I should have been satisfied with an application 
to the spine. No medicine was given, except Friedrichs- 
hall-water for constipation, with good results. Under the 
influence of the continuous current, the sleep improved, and 
the back became much stronger, so that the patient was 
soon enabled to take a good deal of active exercise. Al- 
though after a time she appeared in fair health, she still 
appeared anxious to continue the galvanic treatment; and 
one day confessed to me that she had been in the habit of 
taking large quantities of laudanum for years past, to which 
she attributed her illness; but ever since the galvanism 
was first applied, she had felt less desire for opium, and 
that she had gradually discontinued the use of it. She was 
afraid that if the galvanism were given up the desire for 
opium would return, and as she found herself much better 
without it, was anxious not to be obliged to do so again. 
A short time afterwards the galvanic treatment was, how- 
ever, discontinued, the patient being desired to return if 
any symptoms of opium-hunger should present themselves, 
but up to the present time this lady appears to have had 
no return of that morbid desire. CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
443 
Excessive Smoking.-Tobacco-smoking is often re- 
sorted to for the same reason as spirit-drinking and 
opium-eating, viz. to allay nervous irritability and 
depression ; and is by many people carried to such 
an extent, as to seriously injure, not only the func- 
tion of digestion, but also the nutrition of the 
nervous system. Such patients say that they ' must ' 
smoke, as others must drink. In several cases of this 
kind which have been under my care, the use of 
the continuous current, coupled with strong remon- 
strances on my part, has enabled the patients to 
break themselves of the habit. 
Hypochondriasis.-In this form of mental disease I 
have reason to believe that the use of the continuous 
current would often be attended with the best 
results. The immediate effects of a galvanic treat- 
ment in such cases are almost always very gratifying; 
but I am at present unable to judge whether the 
results are permanent, as I have only recently re- 
sorted to this treatment. Other modes of combating 
this affection so frequently prove futile, that a trial 
of galvanisation in them cannot be too strongly 
recommended. It seems to do good chiefly in those 
cases where the hypochondriasis arises from ima- 
ginary or real disease of the sexual organs (sexual 
hypochondriasis, spermatorrhoea, impotency). 
II.-PARALYSIS. 
While only slight evidence exists up to the present 
time concerning the beneficial effects of galvanism in 444 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
disorders of the mind, a very extensive experience 
has already been accumulated on its use in paralytic 
conditions, where, in the absence of other remedies 
having a direct curative influence on the paralysis, 
electricity finds a most legitimate and useful sphere 
of action. 
1. Cerebral Paralysis.-The most frequent form of 
cerebral paralysis is hemiplegia, which is caused 
either by the rupture of bloodvessels and subsequent 
haemorrhage into one of the cerebral hemispheres ; or 
by extensive laceration of the tissue of the thalamus 
opticus and corpus striatum, in consequence of soft- 
ening; or by embolism of an important cerebral 
artery. Such pathological processes impede the con- 
duction of the orders of volition, which, in the normal 
state of the brain, are carried through the fibres of 
the corpora pyramidalia to the motor nerves of the 
opposite side of the body, to the muscles, so that 
these become incapable of executing voluntary move- 
ments. 
If the patient survives the paralytic stroke, a pro- 
cess of reparation soon afterwards commences in the 
cerebral substance, which is more or less thorough ac- 
cording to the degree of the paralysing lesion. Where 
an extensive laceration of cerebral tissue has taken 
place, the paralysis will, in all probability, remain per- 
manent ; but where there has been merely an effusion 
of a small quantity of blood, the symptoms are rather 
caused by the clot pressing upon the brain-matter, than 
by destruction of cerebral tissue; and in such cases chap, v.j 
PARALYSIS. 
445 
the patient's health maybe perfectly restored. At first 
the fluid parts of the blood which has been effused 
are absorbed, and an organised membrane, a cyst, is 
formed round the clot, which in course of time is like- 
wise absorbed. The cyst then shrinks up, and at 
last only a cicatrix is found. In a certain number of 
cases this process of reparation is accompanied by a 
gradual amelioration of the paralytic symptoms, and 
thus spontaneous recovery may take place. In other 
instances the gradual shrinking of the cyst acts as 
an irritant on the brain, when the paralysed muscles 
assume a rigid condition, and the motor nerves appear 
to undergo various morbid alterations. Finally, the 
cicatrix may have been formed, and there may be no 
rigidity of the muscles, but the paralysis still con- 
tinues in a more or less degree, owing to the 
function of the injured hemisphere remaining in 
abeyance, in consequence of hypersemia, serous ef- 
fusion, or the effects of shock. 
Embolism of cerebral arteries occurs in patients 
who are subject to organic affections of the aortic or 
mitral valves due to former endocarditis. Particles of 
fibrin are suddenly separated from the warty growths 
on the valves, and being carried along with the 
stream of blood, plug up a cerebral artery. In such 
cases the prognosis is generally unfavourable, not only 
because softening takes place in the neighbourhood 
of the embolus, but also because there is great proba- 
bility of further attacks occurring in course of time, 
even if the first symptoms should have been removed 446 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
by the establishment of collateral circulation. These 
cases are, however, much rarer than those owing to the 
rupture of a blood-vessel in the brain, which latter 
furnish by far the largest proportion of all cases of 
hemiplegia. 
When an extensive laceration of cerebral sub- 
stance has taken place, or when by the shrinking 
of the cyst considerable rigidity of the paralysed 
muscles has been caused, the prognosis is not favour- 
able. But where the clot, and consequently the 
cicatrix, is not very large, the prospects are much 
better, even if no spontaneous recovery takes place. 
It is doubtful whether the process of reparation itself 
and the formation of the cyst may be promoted or 
accelerated by the use of galvanism; but it seems 
certain that by cerebral galvanisation, the parts in 
the neighbourhood of the paralysing lesion, which 
have become unable to fulfil their function, through 
hyperemia, serous effusion, or shock, may sometimes, 
by the galvanic stimulus, be enabled to regain their 
function. 
The following important case occurred in Benedict's 
practice * :- 
A merchant, aged 69, had had an attack of right hemi- 
plegia in August 1862, with loss of consciousness and 
language. In May, 1863, the leg had recovered, but all 
the muscles of the fore-arm and hand, with the only excep- 
tion of the muscles of the ball of the thumb, were paralysed ; 
and the flexors and pronators were contracted. Electro- 
muscular contractility was considerably diminished. The 
* Loc. cit. p. 227. CHAP. V.J 
PARALYSIS. 
447 
continuous current was applied to the left cerebral hemi- 
sphere, and immediately afterwards the patient could flex 
the wrist and the phalanges. After five more applications 
he could extend the metacarpo-phalangeal joints fairly 
well, and the phalangeal joints pretty well. 
I have never seen such immediate results in hemi- 
plegia, merely from galvanisation of the injured 
cerebral hemisphere; but I have found that patients 
of this kind progress more rapidly towards recovery, 
when cerebral is combined with peripheral galvani- 
sation ; and therefore now generally employ both 
methods together. 
Only the continuous current should in such cases be 
applied to the injured cerebral hemisphere. Fara- 
disation by a feeble current has no effect on the 
nervous centres, and it might do harm if a high 
degree of power were used. Several cases have 
occurred in M. Duchenne's * practice, where, by 
the injudicious application of faradic electricity to 
patients who had suffered from haemorrhage into the 
brain, another apoplectic attack was caused. 
The period at which cerebral galvanisation should 
be resorted to, is variously fixed by different observers. 
Remak has recommended to galvanise early the 
sympathetic and the cerebral vessels of the opposite 
side, in order to promote the absorption of the clot; 
but most authors are agreed not to commence the 
galvanic treatment too soon after the attack, although 
the continuous current may certainly be employed 
long before the induced current. As a rule, I should 
O 7 
* ' De 1'electrisation localisee,' etc., p. 274. 448 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
advise to begin using galvanism when two or three 
months have elapsed since the attack took place. 
It is certain that in the large majority of cases, 
cerebral galvanisation alone is not sufficient to pro- 
duce decidedly beneficial effects ; while peripheral 
galvanisation or faradisation almost always prove 
of service. In such cases it must be assumed that 
the paralysis is no longer exclusively due to the in- 
jury of the affected hemisphere, but more to the loss 
of vital energy of the nerves and muscles of the 
affected limb, the molecules of which seem to have 
lost that mobility which otherwise enables them to 
respond to the orders of volition. Whether in such 
cases galvanisation or faradisation should be re- 
sorted to, will depend upon the individual aspect of 
the case under treatment; and it may be laid down 
as a general rule, that where the electro-muscular 
excitability is normal, galvanisation, and where it is 
diminished, faradisation should be employed. It is 
often useful to combine both methods, or to employ 
one after the other has been used for some time and 
failed. 
We have already seen (p. 398) that in some cases 
of hemiplegia the paralysed muscles are relaxed, the 
limbs loose and flaccid, and if the forearm is flexed 
upon the arm, or the leg upon the thigh, no resist- 
ance to that movement is experienced. The para- 
lysed muscles present a striking contrast to the firm- 
ness and plumpness of those of the sound side, and 
they are more or less wasted according to the length 
of time which has elapsed since the paralytic chap, v.] 
PARALYSIS. 
449 
seizure. In such cases there is generally only 
little response to the galvanic stimulus, and the 
heat and nutrition of the limbs is much below 
par. Some of these cases recover spontaneously, 
while others only slightly improve as time goes on. 
If from four to six months have elapsed since the 
seizure, and the recovery is still imperfect, faradi- 
sation is a valuable means of restoring power 
to the motor nerves and muscles which remain 
paralysed, and require a stimulus in order to regain 
their function. Moistened electrodes should be di- 
rected to the suffering nerves and muscles in the 
way described above (p. 378). The old-fashioned 
way of using the induced current in these cases, viz. 
to let the patient hold one conductor in the right 
and the other one in the left hand, or to place his 
feet in two separate vessels filled with salt water and 
connected with the poles of a battery, is to be strongly 
deprecated, as by such a proceeding painful and 
irregular commotions are caused in the paralysed as 
well as in the healthy muscles, which are indiscrimi- 
nately affected. This method of operation can there- 
fore not be beneficial to the patient. On the con- 
trary, it has often done harm. The intermittences 
of the induced current should be slow, so as to avoid 
any irritation of the brain. The following is a case 
in which only a few muscles remained paralysed after 
the stroke, and in which a considerable amelioration 
was produced by faradisation. 
Case 10.-Jane S., aged 35, was in July, 1857, admitted 450 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
into Carlisle ward, St. Mary's Hospital, under the care of 
Dr. Alderson. From the somewhat confused statement of 
the patient, whose intellect and memory are below the 
average, it appears that she had an apoplectic seizure fifteen 
months ago, in which she lost consciousness and the use of 
the left arm and leg. The leg appears to have soon re- 
covered; at least when I first saw her on July 20, she could 
walk with ease, but several muscles of the left arm were 
paralysed, viz. the deltoid, the extensor of the forefinger, 
and all the muscles of the thumb. She could raise the 
humerus, this movement being produced by the concurrent 
action of the trapezius, serratus magnus, and deltoid, but 
she was not able to lift the arm to a right angle with her 
body, and when she held the hand on the lower part of the 
spine, she could not move it upwards. The forefinger was 
slightly contracted, and could not be extended ; the thumb 
was held against the forefinger, and was totally powerless. 
All the affected muscles were flabby and wasted. The 
patient was not able to use her needle or do any other 
work. When I directed the faradic current to the para- 
lysed muscles, they showed much less excitability to it than 
the corresponding muscles of the other side. The deltoid 
was much improved after five applications, but the muscles 
of the forefinger and thumb recovered only after a month's 
treatment, in which faradisation was used about twenty 
times. The patient then left the hospital, being again able 
to use her needle, and to accept a situation as cook. 
The following is another case of this description, 
in which the loss of power was more general:- 
Case 11.-B. W., a gentleman aged 68, of gouty consti- 
tution, first came under my care in June, 1866. He was 
then suffering a good deal from gravel, and excess of uric 
acid in the urine, and digestion and assimilation had been 
imperfect for five or six years. In December, 1866, while 
dressing for dinner, he had an apoplectic seizure, accom- CHAP. V.1 
PARALYSIS. 
451 
parried with loss of consciousness and paralysis of the left 
side of the body. For a week he was in a very precarious 
condition, and I believe his life was only saved by large 
doses of ammonia and chloric ether, which I ordered to be 
given at short intervals. He gradually, however, recovered 
his consciousness and intellect; the face resumed its nor- 
mal appearance, and the muscles of the arm also improved. 
Four months after the attack, he was in the following con- 
dition His memory and speech were unaffected, and 
there were no distressing sensations in the head. The skin 
of the left arm and leg was cold and flabby, and the pulse 
weaker in the left than in the right side. There was a feeling 
of numbness, and a certain degree of anaesthesia, in the 
left arm and leg. The muscles were relaxed and somewhat 
wasted, especially the extensors, but there was no rigidity 
either in the upper or in the lower extremity. Feeding, 
dressing, and all other movements of the arm and hand were 
extremely difficult, although with a great amount of exertion 
they could be performed. The patient could walk com- 
fortably for half a mile, but then began to feel fatigued, and 
was obliged to rest. 
From these symptoms I concluded that the clot which 
had been formed in the right corpus striatum and thalamus 
opticus, and which had produced the paralysis, had, to a 
great extent, been absorbed. If, therefore, the original 
injury had been repaired, the seat of the paralysis was 
now not so much in the brain, as in the motor nerves and 
muscles, which had been weakened by their long disuse. 
Faradisation was therefore now resorted to, with the result 
that, after sixteen applications, the bulk of the muscles was 
increased, the circulation in the limbs was properly re- 
established, and the patient had almost entirely recovered 
his motive power. 
It must, however, not be supposed that faradi- 
sation always produces such beneficial results as in 
the two cases just related; sometimes there is onlv a 452 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
trifling improvement or none at all, of which the 
following is an instance :- 
Case 12.-In May 1858, I was consulted in the case of a 
merchant, aged 60, married, who had been in tolerably 
good health until December 1857, when he was knocked 
down by a cab. With the exception of some bruises on 
the back and the leg, no apparent injury was caused by 
this accident, but the day after he was seized by an attack 
of hemiplegia, which affected the whole left side of the 
body. He did not lose his speech nor his consciousness. 
The face recovered rapidly, but the arm and leg remained 
completely useless. He could pull up his shoulder to some 
extent, but was unable to lift the hand to the forehead or 
put it on his back, or on the opposite shoulder; nor could 
he bend the elbow, or move the wrist in any direction. 
He had to be lifted into, and out of, his bed, and every- 
thing had to be done for him as for an infant. There were 
hardly any contractions in the muscles, which were flabby, 
and responded only little to the faradic current. His 
general health was tolerably good. Faradisation was used 
for six weeks, but with no perceptible effect, the condition 
of the patient remaining much the same as before. The 
muscles of the limbs which had been faradised, were better 
nourished and answered more readily to the current than 
before ; but there was no return of voluntary power. 
At that time the continuous current was not used 
in such cases ; but it is likely that it would have 
produced better results in the preceding instance 
than faradisation. 
In a certain number of cases of hemiplegia the 
nerves and muscles of the affected side are equally 
excitable to electricity as those of the healthy side. 
In these cases the continuous current is more chap, v.] 
PARALYSIS. 
453 
valuable than faradisation, although this latter is 
by no means ineffective. 
Case 13.-A naval officer, aged. 54, unmarried, came 
under my care in February, 1868. He had had an apo- 
plectic seizure in June, 1866, in which he lost the use of the 
left side. Speech and consciousness had not been impaired, 
but the arm and leg had been completely paralysed for 
about three months. Both extremities then began to 
recover their motive power to some extent; but as they 
were still very weak about twelve months after the stroke, 
the patient was faradised in the country, with satisfactory 
results. The leg became very much stronger, so that he 
was soon enabled to walk without a stick, for two or 
three miles at a time. The arm also improved, but not 
nearly as much as the leg, and the treatment was discon- 
tinued after three months, as it did not seem to produce 
any further effect. The patient then came to town to 
consult me, and as faradisation had already had a fair trial, 
I recommended galvanisation of the right cerebral hemi- 
sphere, and of the motor nerves and muscles of the arm. 
Within three weeks the patient had so far recovered the 
use of the hand as to be able to do everything for himself, 
although it was not yet quite as strong as the right hand. 
There are few cases of hemiplegia where there is 
not a slight amount of rigidity in some of the para- 
lysed muscles; but in some instances the rigidity is 
so severe as to form the most prominent symptom. 
Twitchings of the fingers and toes are often con- 
nected with it; they occur especially at night, and 
seriously interfere with sleep. In such cases the 
continuous current should be used in preference to 
faradisation, which latter may however be employed 
where an effective apparatus furnishing a continuous 454 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
current is not procurable. The following case shows 
that faradisation of the antagonists of the rigid 
muscles may do a certain amount of good in such 
conditions :- 
Case 14.-In December, 1858, a man of the name of 
Marsh was under the care of Dr. Todd, in King's College 
Hospital. Four years ago he had an attack of paralysis of 
the right side. The paralysed muscles had then soon 
assumed a state of rigidity, which had not undergone any 
considerable change since that time. When I first saw the 
patient he could with some difficulty walk, but the right 
arm was perfectly useless, owing to rigidity of a number of 
muscles ; viz. of the coracobrachial muscle, whereby the 
arm was adducted to the side, and of the biceps, by which 
the tore-arm was bent upon the arm. If forcible extension 
of the fore-arm was attempted, the biceps resisted the move- 
ment, but no pain was experienced during such forcible 
extension. The triceps was rigid, although much less so 
than the biceps ; it was shown to be so when complete 
flexion of the fore-arm was attempted, so as to place the 
fingers on the acromion of the same side. The flexor 
muscles of the wrist and of the fingers were completely 
rigid ; the hand was strongly flexed upon the fore-arm, and 
the fingers pressed against the palm of the hand, so that 
the patient was obliged to cut his nails very short, in order 
to prevent the skin from being irritated by them. The 
tendons of the flexors projected like tight strings beneath 
the skin. The patient, however, felt no pain if a forcible 
extension of the wrist and of the fingers was attempted. 
The muscles were not much wasted, but faradic exci- 
tability was very trifling in the extensors, while the flexors 
of the fore-arm contracted readily under the influence of a 
gentle current. The muscles of the lower extremity were 
not nearly so rigid as those of the arm; some degree of 
contraction however existed in the hamstring muscles and CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
455 
the flexors of the toes ; and in walking the patient was seen 
to drag the paralysed leg. 
I thought that in this case it might be possible by fara- 
disation to correct to some extent the disturbance in the 
equilibrium between the different sets of muscles of the upper 
extremity ; and this view was confirmed by the result of the 
treatment; for after I had faradised the extensors of the 
fore-arm for some time, the tendons of the flexors, which had 
before projected like tight strings beneath the skin, became 
soft and flexible ; and the patient was able to open his hand 
and stretch his fingers; but having been some time after- 
wards exposed to a violent cold draught, the flexors again 
assumed a certain degree of rigidity. Unfortunately there 
was at that time no battery in King's College Hospital 
furnishing a continuous current, which I should have 
■wished to apply to the rigid flexors, or the patient's con- 
dition might have been much more ameliorated. By fur- 
ther faradisation he again improved, but he left the hospital 
before a permanent relief was afforded. 
In such cases there is always a certain degree of 
subacute or chronic inflammatory irritation of that 
hemisphere of the brain which is opposite to the 
paralysed side ; and in a certain proportion of them 
the continuous current applied to the head of the 
opposite side, to the sympathetic, and finally as cord- 
nerve current, produces more benefit than any other 
remedy. From a very large number of such cases 
which have been under my care, I select the follow- 
ing 
Case 15.-Mrs. D., aged 53, came under my care at the 
Infirmary for Epilepsy and Paralysis, in June, 1866. She 
had been in good health until two years ago, when her 
husband being thrown out of employment, she had to 456 
ELECTRO-TIIERAPE UTICS. 
[chap. v. 
undergo a good deal of anxiety and trouble, together with 
bad living. Two months ago she was seized with a para- 
lytic stroke, which affected the left side, and left her 
entirely helpless. When I first saw her, she had recovered 
the use of the leg so far that she could just drag herself 
along with the aid of another person's arm, for a short 
time, but the left arm was quite powerless. On examining 
the limbs I found that the arm as well as the leg were 
warmer than those of the healthy side, and that there 
was rigidity of most of the flexor muscles of the arm and 
forearm, and of the hamstring muscles of the thigh. The 
forearm, hand and leg, appeared contracted, and on my 
trying to extend them the patient complained of excessive 
pain, which rendered further endeavours to that end use- 
less. I applied faradisation to both arms for the purpose 
of diagnosis, and found that the paralysed muscles con- 
tracted in the most violent manner as soon as the con- 
ductors were applied to them, while the muscles of the 
healthy limb did not answer to the feeble current used, but 
contracted in the ordinary and regular way, as soon as the 
power of the current was somewhat increased. This made 
it evident to me that considerable intracranial irritation 
existed, and that faradisation could not be of much use. I 
prescribed atropine with bromide of potassium, and applied 
a current of twenty cells of the continuous battery to the 
right temple, the upper cervical ganglion of the sympathetic, 
and as cord-nerve current from the cervical portion of the 
spinal cord to the median, ulnar, and sciatic nerves, syste- 
matic use being made of voltaic alternatives in order to 
increase the therapeutical effect. This application had a 
most remarkable effect in loosening the muscular tightness, 
and the patient was, a short time after the application, able 
to stretch the arm and to open the hand. She had also 
somewhat less difficulty in walking. The improvement, 
however, lasted only for a few hours, and when I saw her 
again, three days afterwards, she was in much the same 
condition as before. The continuous current was now CHAP. V.J 
PARALYSIS. 
457 
applied regularly twice a week, in the manner described 
above, with progressive improvement in all the symptoms ; 
and at the end of six weeks the patient could walk by her- 
self without assistance, and had also to a great extent 
recovered the use of the arm. This was now quite flexible, 
the muscular rigidity and the pain having entirely dis- 
appeared, but the power in the arm, as well as the leg, was 
still somewhat less than it had been before the attack. 
In cases of this kind, galvanisation of the injured 
hemisphere appears to attack the seat of the disease, 
and if not able to restore any destroyed brain-matter 
to its previous healthy condition, yet does good in 
this way, that it not only seems to check the in- 
flammatory irritation, and to promote the absorption 
of effusions which have taken place, but also restores 
their energy to the neighbouring parts of brain-tissue 
which have not been destroyed as far as their texture 
is concerned, but merely deprived of their vital 
force, either by the pressure of the effusion, or by 
the shock experienced during the apoplectic attack. 
The presence of early muscular rigidity is therefore 
no longer a thoroughly bad symptom in these cases; 
but if, in addition to the rigidity, spasms and con- 
vulsions are present in the paralysed side, the pro- 
gnosis is, generally speaking, more unfavourable. 
The results of galvanisation are not always so 
immediate as in the case just described; yet it is 
pleasant to see how, even in the apparently worst 
cases of hemiplegia with rigidity, perseverance in 
treatment is rewarded by success. Private patients 
are apt to lose hope if there is not a quick im- 458 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap, v. 
provement; but from what I have seen in the out- 
patients of the hospital, where I have been able to 
keep such cases under observation for twelve or 
eighteen months consecutively or even longer, I have 
come to the conclusion that no case, however bad, is 
utterly hopeless. The anatomical alterations which 
Messrs. Charcot and Cornil * have described as 
occurring in the motor nerves under these circum- 
stances, are therefore probably not constant, or if 
they are, it must be supposed that they gradually 
yield to the influence of galvanisation. 
Where hemiplegia is combined with total loss of 
language (aphasia) the prognosis is decidedly un- 
favourable. A slight impediment of speech (thick- 
ness, huskiness, etc.) often yields to treatment, but 
aphasia never. 
In paralysis owing to tumour or abscess of the 
brain, or any other severe structural lesion, no form 
of electricity can do good. But where it seems 
to occur in consequence of exhaustion and slight 
effusion, the continuous current is the best remedy. 
The effect is generally immediate and almost magical. 
The following case is one of this class :- 
Case 16.-Paralysis of the right arm in consequence of 
sudden loss of cerebral energy, 
A merchant, aged 52, married, had been in a low state 
of health for some years past in consequence of much 
anxiety and trouble, but had not suffered from any serious 
* Comptes rendus de la Societe de Biologie. Paris : 1863. chap, v.] 
PARALYSIS. 
459 
illness. He was sitting quietly at home, on July 20, 1867, 
writing a letter, when he suddenly felt faint and giddy, 
the pen dropped out of his hand, and he completely lost 
the use of the right arm. He did not lose his speech and 
consciousness, nor the use of the leg, nor was the face dis- 
torted. A friend who happened to be present advised him 
to put his hand into boiling water, which he did, and blist- 
ered it most severely with it. (The same barbarous treat- 
ment which, of course, cannot do the least good, has been 
adopted in at least a dozen cases of paralysis which have 
been under my care.) As the scalding of the arm and 
hand produced no effect, a cold douche was next applied to 
it, and the wrist was then a good deal knocked about, in 
order to get the life back into it. As none of these violent 
measures had the least effect, the patient consulted me two 
days afterwards, when I found complete paralysis of the 
forearm and hand, and nearly complete anaesthesia of the 
hand and fingers. I applied a current of twenty cells 
to the left hemisphere for one minute, after which the 
patient lifted his wrist and moved the fingers to a slight 
extent. I did not use any peripheral galvanisation. Two 
days afterwards he came again, when I found that the 
improvement had continued, but not made further progress. 
I then again resorted to cerebral galvanisation, with the 
effect that a little more action in the hand became manifest. 
But as it was still very weak, I now combined peripheral 
galvanisation of the radial and median nerve with it. The 
effect of this was apparently even greater than that of the 
cerebral application, as the patient could grasp my hand 
firmly afterwards, and dress himself without assistance. 
Another application of galvanism on the following day 
completely restored the use of the hand and fingers. 
Concerning the pathology of this case I would 
remark that evidently no rupture of a blood-vessel 
could have taken place in the left hemisphere, as 460 
ELEC IRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. V. 
then the effects of the continuous current, applied so 
shortly after the seizure, could not have been so 
great. The paralysis probably arose from exhaustion 
of that portion of the brain which is the centre for 
the motor nerves of the upper extremity, and was 
probably accompanied with slight serous effusion. 
The beneficial effects produced by peripheral gal- 
vanisation in this case do not clash with this view, 
for no absolutely peripheral galvanisation is possible, 
since a portion of the galvanic current used probably 
always travels towards the centres of the nervous 
system. A proof of this amongst others, is the 
sensation of taste which is frequently perceived by 
patients, while their hands or legs are galvanised; 
and which was the case with the patient just men- 
tioned. That slight serous effusions may be very 
rapidly absorbed by the passage of the continuous 
current through such parts, is likewise shown by the 
instantaneous effects of the current in cases of 
muscular rheumatism, of which more hereafter. 
Most cases of paralysis which occur during con- 
valescence from acute diseases have the same path- 
ology as the case just described, and should therefore 
be treated by the same means. In these conditions 
the induced current is not nearly as useful as the 
continuous, because its effects are only peripheral, 
while the disease is of central origin. Cases of this 
kind occur after measles, scarlet fever, small-pox, ery- 
sipelas, typhoid fever, pneumonia, dysentery, cholera, 
and puerperal fever. Diphtheritic paralysis has a CHAP. V.J 
PARALYSIS. 
461 
somewhat different pathology, as it is due partly to 
the local effects of the poison on the pharynx, and 
partly to its general effects on the blood. In this 
form of paralysis the pharynx is always first affected, 
and sometimes remains the only part which is para- 
lysed; while in other instances the muscles of the 
eyes, the lower extremities, the upper extremities, 
the muscles of the trunk, and the respiratory muscles 
become affected in the succession in which they have 
just been mentioned. Anaesthesia often precedes 
diphtheritic paralysis, and farado-muscular and gal- 
vano-muscular excitability is generally normal. In 
all such cases no time should be lost in employing 
galvanisation, as the probability of cure is in inverse 
ratio to the length of time which has elapsed since 
the commencement of the affection. 
Where paralysis after acute diseases takes the 
form of complete hemiplegia, which is on the whole 
rare, the disease is more apt to resist the galvanic 
treatment than where it is either more localised or 
more general. There is probably in such cases 
actual haemorrhage into the brain, and not merely 
exhaustion and serous effusion. 
2. Spinal Paralysis.-By this is meant real para- 
lysis of motion, and not want of co-ordination of 
movements, which latter occurs in tabes dorsalis or 
ataxy. Spinal paralysis is generally due to menin- 
gitis or myelitis, or to tumours pressing on the cord. 
If the paralysing lesion is seated in the lumbar 
portion of the cord, there is paralysis of the lower 462 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. V. 
extremities (paraplegia), and of the muscles of the 
pelvis. If the dorsal portion is affected, the abdo- 
minal and lumbar muscles suffer likewise, respiration 
is impeded, and there may be tympanites, priapism 
and paralysis of the sphincters. Finally, if the cer- 
vical portion is diseased, the upper extremities are 
also paralysed, respiration suffers more considerably, 
and deglutition becomes imperfect; but the intellect 
and the nerves of special sense remain in their 
normal condition. In cases of this kind the excita- 
bility of the muscles is diminished in exact pro- 
portion to the degree in which their nutrition is 
impaired; and it may at last entirely disappear. 
Anaesthesia is more complete and permanent in spinal 
than in cerebral paralysis; nutrition is therefore 
more seriously impaired, and there is great dis- 
position to decubitus. Hemiplegia is very rare as a 
consequence of disease of the spinal cord; but there 
is no doubt that it occasionally occurs. In such 
instances only one-half of the spinal cord is diseased. 
The chief sign whereby we may distinguish spinal 
from cerebral hemiplegia, is the movement of the 
umbilicus, which, in the former is, by every in- 
spiration, drawn towards the sound side. 
Whether galvanisation is likely to do good or not 
in spinal paralysis, depends chiefly upon the cause 
and duration of the disease, and upon the age and 
constitution of the patient. If the paralysis is caused 
by tumours pressing on the spinal cord, or if there is 
scrofulous or other disease of the vertebrae, or if the CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
463 
substance of the cord is actually destroyed by in- 
flammation and softening, the galvanic current may 
relieve certain symptoms of the affection, but cannot 
have any curative effects. On the contrary, if the 
paralysis is due to slight meningitis or myelitis, or 
to over-exertion and consequent exhaustion of nervous 
power, or to aneemia, much benefit may result from 
a judicious use of both galvanisation and faradisation. 
Cceteris paribus, young patients and recent cases are 
more likely to get well than the reverse. 
Case 17.-Paraplegia due to disease of the spinal 
cord in the dorsal region. 
T. B., aged 35, a surveyor, had, with the exception of 
gonorrhoea, never been ill until six months ago, when he 
was unusually over-taxed with work, and was constantly 
exposed to the influence of damp and cold. So gradual 
was the loss of power that came over him, that he was not 
the first to notice it, but was told by his friends that he 
walked lame. Soon afterwards, however, he felt so weak 
that he could not walk without the aid of a stick. His 
feet used to perspire a good deal before he began to suffer 
in this way, but had not done so after he had become 
lame. In the region of the tenth dorsal vertebra, the back 
was painful to pressure, and hot sponges applied there, 
produced a peculiarly unpleasant sensation, different from 
that which was felt on other parts of the back. The 
patient had at first perceived ' pins and needles ' in the 
lower extremities, which was, after a time, succeeded by a 
feeling of numbness, so that in walking he did not feel the 
ground. When standing in the dark, or with his eyes 
closed, he at once began to stagger. Going downstairs 
was very difficult for him. The skin was dry, cold, and 464 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
flabby. I examined it by the aid of the resthesiometer, 
and found a great diminution of sensibility all over the 
lower part of the back, the epigastrium, and the lower 
extremities; but there was no complete anaesthesia. The 
muscles of the abdomen and of the lower extremities were 
somewhat wasted, and sluggish in their response to the 
galvanic stimulus. The patient suffered from costiveness 
and a feeling of pressure and tightness in the epigastrium, 
and was obliged to use great exertions for relieving the 
bladder. The urine was apt to turn alkaline in a short 
time, but otherwise healthy. The patient had sometimes 
involuntary emissions of feeces and urine. He had taken 
much medicine, especially strychnia, bichloride of mercury, 
and iodide of potassium, but without any benefit. 
The diagnosis was: chronic myelitis in the dorsal 
region, due to over-exertion and exposure ; the treatment 
to consist of galvanisation of the back and the feet, and 
faradisation of the muscles of the abdomen and of the 
lower extremities. No medicine was given. The result 
was as follows:-The feet, to which a current of thirty 
cells of Bunsen's battery was administered, became warm 
and glowing after a short time, and the pain in the back, 
for which a current of twelve cells was used, was very 
much diminished. After a fortnight's treatment the 
patient felt a good deal better. He had more control over 
his legs, was better able to hold and pass his urine, and 
sensation was more distinct everywhere. He remained 
under my care foi' nearly six weeks, getting gradually 
stronger, and being again able to walk a short distance 
without the aid of a stick. The feet now perspired as 
much as they had ever done before. In this case, a 
longer treatment would probably have effected a complete 
cure, as the mischief in the cord had evidently not pro- 
ceeded to destruction of nervous matter. 
Case 18.-A commercial traveller, aged 38, consulted 
me in October, 1864, for weakness in the back, and loss chap, v.j 
PARALYSIS. 
465 
of power in the lower extremities. He began to suffer in 
March of the same year, after unusually hard work and 
great fatigues; and had got gradually worse from that 
time. At first he felt a sensation of pins and needles in 
the feet, but this had now been succeeded by numbness. 
His gait was tottering, and he could only walk by the aid 
of two sticks. There was a high degree of anaesthesia in 
the back from the sixth dorsal vertebra downwards, and 
also in both thighs and legs, so that the application of an 
extremely powerful galvanic current was only just felt as a 
slight tingling sensation. The patient also suffered from 
costiveness and difficulty of micturition. There was no 
ataxy. I applied the continuous current twice a week for 
two months, at the end of which time the patient could 
walk without a stick, had lost the feeling of numbness in 
the feet, and the anaesthesia of the back had so far yielded 
that the application of forty cells of the battery was all he 
could comfortably bear, while at first the current of a 
hundred cells had appeared to him 'like nothing.' From 
beginning with the latter number, I gradually came down 
to fifteen cells, which were distinctly felt when I discon- 
tinued the galvanism. The patient being anxious to re- 
sume his avocations, I put him on a course of nitrate of 
silver, in order to guard him against a relapse; and I lately 
heard that he had remained in good working condition 
ever since. 
The following case is of a different kind, as it was 
caused by mechanical violence :- 
Case 19.-R. M., a bricklayer, aged 37, was admitted as 
an out-patient at the Infirmary for Epilepsy and Paralysis, 
in October, 1866. Three months ago he had been run 
over by a cart, which had injured his back, and from that 
time he had lost power in the left thigh and leg. On ex- 
amining the back, I found a considerable depression about 
the seventh dorsal vertebra, while the sixth vertebra was 466 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
unusually prominent. There was great tenderness on 
pressure at these points, and incomplete anaesthesia of the 
left side of the back, and of the left thigh and leg. There 
was loss of power in all the muscles of the lower extremity, 
but no paralysis; the patient was able to move the thigh 
and leg, but any such exertion caused considerable pain 
and exhaustion. These symptoms I thought at first due 
to subacute inflammatory softening of part of the posterior 
arch of the sixth dorsal vertebra, whereby the dura and 
pia mater, and the left postero-lateral column of the cord, 
were compressed, but they were more probably owing to 
effusion, and subsequent partial muscular contraction and 
paralysis, whereby the position of the vertebrae became 
altered. In this case I used a cord-current of twenty cells. 
When I saw the patient again, three days afterwards, the 
tenderness on pressure and the anaesthesia were consider- 
ably less, but there was no more power in walking. The 
continuous current was repeated four times more, after 
which the depression of the seventh, and the prominence 
of the sixth dorsal vertebra, had very nearly disappeared, 
and there was neither tenderness nor anaesthesia. As the 
muscular power, however, did not return, I applied fara- 
disation to the muscles of the thigh and leg, with the result 
that, after three such applications within ten days, the 
patient could be discharged cured. 
An interesting case of imperfect spinal hemiplegia 
has been put on record by Benedict:- 
A porter, aged 42, was admitted into Oppolzer's clinique, 
in the General Hospital of Vienna. Twelve months before 
admission he was accidentally pressed against the wall of a 
cellar by a large tub. He lost his consciousness, but soon 
returned to work. Ever since that time, however, he 
noticed progressive weakness in the whole of the right 
side, and lancinating pains in the right leg. On being ex- 
* Canstatt's Jaliresbericht, 1867, vol. i. CHAP. V.J 
PARALYSIS. 
467 
amined it was found that sensibility to pain as well as to 
touch was lost in the right arm and leg; that passive 
movements were not felt in the upper extremity, while on 
the hip-joint they caused pain. The patient could move 
his leg, but several muscles of the arm and shoulder were 
paralysed. Active and passive movements of the head 
were extremely difficult; there was great tension of the 
muscles, and pain and crepitation about the cervical 
vertebrae. The gait was that peculiar to hemiplegic 
patients. Headache in the occiput was complained of; 
there was no reflex action from tickling. Electro-muscular 
contractility was normal; electro-muscular and electro- 
cutaneous sensibility destroyed; sixth cervical vertebra 
strongly prominent, fifth much depressed. The vertebral 
column was strongly prominent towards the neck. Bene- 
dict pronounced the case to be one of affection of the spine, 
seated probably about the fifth cervical vertebra; the 
symptoms being due to compression of the right postero- 
lateral column of the cord. He applied the continuous 
current to the spine. The next day the patient felt passive 
movements, and the tension of the muscles of the arm was 
less. Four days afterwards the cutaneous sensibility in 
the foot and leg had returned, and the sensation in the 
arm was also normal. A fortnight afterwards the patient 
was discharged nearly well. 
The following is one of Meyer's cases * :- 
A Prussian officer, aged 38, who was much exposed to 
cold and heat alternately, being employed in the gun- 
factory at Spandau, first perceived in 1862 a sort of un- 
steadiness in his legs, which was followed by a feeling of 
cold and numbness in the whole left side of the body. 
These sensations gradually disappeared, but were succeeded 
by progressive weakness in the left thigh, reflectory move- 
ments in both legs, wasting of the left glutsei and muscles 
* Die Elektricitat, etc., p. 328. 468 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
of the left thigh, and a feeling of weight in the lumbar 
spine. The patient improved under treatment; but in 
October, 1867, on getting out of a cab, fell down, and could 
not get up by himself. From that time the lameness of 
the leg increased very much; going downstairs was very 
difficult, and the muscles of the thigh wasted away rapidly. 
There was pain on pressure on the lumbar spine. Meyer 
applied the positive pole to the painful spot of the spine, 
and the negative to the left crural plexus. After nine 
such applications the nutrition of the leg was improved, 
the lameness less, going upstairs and downstairs was easy, 
and the patient could walk for some miles without fatigue. 
Dr. Hitzig * has cured a similar case :- 
A sergeant-major of the Prussian Guards, aged 33, fell 
with his horse in March, 1865, and came down on the 
bottom of his back. He felt pain there, but was able to 
remain in active service until May, when he had pleurisy. 
He was convalescent in July, but from that time the pain 
in the back increased ; there was also pain in the legs, and 
extreme sensibility to touch. He had ' pins and needles ' 
in the feet, and felt the ground soft on walking. There 
were involuntary muscular twitches, and the patient got 
very lame ; emissions of semen took place three or four 
times a week. He could neither walk nor stand with 
closed eyes, or in the dark, and was obliged, when he 
walked, to do so in a stooping position, as in walking erect 
he felt dizzy, and the pain in the back increased. Nitrate 
of silver and iodide of potassium had no effect. He slept 
badly, and had scarcely any appetite. After eight applica- 
tions of the continuous current to the spine continuatively, 
he slept well; there was only little pain, and the legs felt 
easier. The crural nerves were now likewise galvanised 
intermittently, and with such good effect that the numb- 
ness in the feet disappeared, and he could stand with closed 
* Virchow's Archiv, 1867, vol. xl. CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
469 
eyes for fifteen seconds without staggering. After six 
weeks all symptoms had yielded to the galvanic treatment, 
with the exception of a slight pain in a few of the inter- 
vertebral spaces. The patient had two relapses, after con- 
siderable exertions and cold, but which yielded to the same 
treatment. 
3. Paralysis from Disease of the Cervical Sympathetic. 
-Certain cases of paralysis can only be explained by 
assuming either pressure on, or disease of, the cervical 
sympathetic; and the diagnosis is confirmed if the 
paralysis is cured by galvanisation of the sympathetic, 
without any other treatment. One of the most inter- 
esting cases of this kind that have as yet been 
recorded, occurred a short time ago in the practice 
of Dr. Drissen, of Berlin : - 
A sculptor, aged 35, served in the Prussian campaign of 
1866. Ever since July of that year he had suffered a good 
deal in his arms. When he came under observation, both 
arms were wasted and as cold as ice ; the hands were anes- 
thetic and anemic, like those of a dead body; no blood 
flowed when a needle was deeply stuck into them and 
taken out; the movements were difficult and powerless. 
The lower extremities were in much the same condition, 
but not quite so bad. Diaphoretics of all kinds had been 
used for producing perspiration, but without success. Dr. 
Drissen directed the continuous current to the cervical 
sympathetic, and during the second application profuse 
perspiration occurred, more especially in the fingers, 
while the hands became red; diplegic contractions of the 
upper and lower extremities occurred at the same time. 
The temperature of the limbs rose considerably, and the 
motive power of the extremities was simultaneously in- 
creased. After twelve applications the paiient had so far 470 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
recovered that he could return to the active exercise of 
his profession. In this case no peripheral galvanisation 
had been used, nor had any medicine been given. 
The following case occurred in the practice of the 
same observer:- 
A youth, aged 18, perceived, after lifting a heavy weight, 
a sensation of heaviness and stiffness in the arms, which 
increased chiefly in the right side, and prevented him from 
writing. Neuralgic pains occurred in the sphere of the 
median and ulnar nerve. Peripheral galvanisation was 
resorted to for six weeks, but as the symptoms were 
rather aggravated than otherwise, the patient was taken to 
Dr. Drissen, who applied the positive pole to the left 
superior cervical ganglion, and the negative to the right 
transverse processes of the second to sixth dorsal vertebrae. 
The right arm felt warm after the first application ; the 
second produced strong contractions in the biceps; and 
the third in the deltoid. After this treatment had been 
continued for two months, the patient was perfectly well. 
Meyer* has had similarly good results in the 
following case, which was of a more severe kind :- 
A butler, aged 46, had for some years past suffered from 
occasional spasmodic sensations in the throat, which ren- 
dered deglutition impossible ; sensations of numbness and 
tightness in the legs, the spine, and the chest, were also 
complained of; sometimes there was general tremor and 
convulsive movements of the heels, knees, and the neck. 
Standing gradually became difficult, and walking impos- 
sible. The right side of the neck was much swollen, hard, 
and extremely sensitive, especially on the point correspond- 
ing to the superior cervical ganglion. Meyer thought that 
the tumour, by pressing on the cervical sympathetic, 
* Loc. cit. p. 340. CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
471 
caused all these symptoms, and therefore resorted to 
galvanisation of the same. No other treatment was used. 
Within six months the patient had so far recovered that 
he could walk several miles at a time. He was under 
treatment altogether for about eighteen months, the gal- 
vanism having been applied 270 times. In 1867 he was 
perfectly well. 
The following instance of sympathetic paralysis 
occurred in my own practice :- 
Case 20.-A boy, aged 8, had within six months 
hooping-cough, scarlet fever, pneumonia, and chicken-pox. 
After the first two illnesses he remained comparatively 
well, but after the pneumonia he did not rally, and the 
chicken-pox seemed almost to finish him. He was in bed 
two months after the eruption had disappeared, and was 
excessively weak and thin. He gradually got somewhat 
better under restorative treatment, so that he was able to 
walk about a little, and take a certain amount of food. 
He was however frequently sick after his meals, and suf- 
fered at the same time from headache, dizziness, pain, and 
spasmodic contractions of the arms and legs. The upper 
extremities were so weak that he could hardly do anything 
for himself; they were cold and nearly anaesthetic, and 
much wasted. The lower extremities were affected in 
a much lesser degree. The intellect was acute. The little 
patient had a strong dislike to solid food, on account of 
mastication hurting him; and on examining the joint of 
the jaw, I found slight but highly sensitive swellings in 
both sub-auricular fossae, more especially so in the right. 
I prescribed hypophosphite of soda, with small doses of 
iod'de of potassium, and an ointment of iodide of potas- 
sium to be applied to the swelling about the jaw. After 
six weeks the boy was in the same condition as before, and 
I then resorted to galvanisation of the sympathetic, three 
times a week. From the first application there was a 472 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
steady improvement, and after twenty-two applications the 
little patient had completely recovered his health. 
4. Hysterical Paralysis.-This form of paralysis, 
which occurs generally in consequence of mental 
shock and painful emotions, in girls and women 
whose sensibility is unusually acute, may attack a 
few muscles only, or an entire limb, or the whole 
body. It is brought on either suddenly, or creeps on 
gradually and unawares. It frequently assumes the 
form of paraplegia, the recti of the thighs being most 
affected, but hysterical hemiplegia is by no means 
uncommon. Hysterical paralysis is altogether a 
functional disorder, and in no way connected with 
structural lesions in the nervous centres, the peri- 
pheral nerves, or the muscles. It is seldom the only 
symptom of hysteria in a patient, but is generally 
accompanied by globus, hysterical pains, anaesthesia 
of the skin, muscles and bones, cramps, and disturb- 
ance of the menstrual function. The course and 
termination of hysterical paralysis appears some- 
times whimsical. Some cases get well in an almost 
incredibly short time, without any treatment, and 
such cases often make the fortune of quacks, while 
others resist for years a variety of energetic thera- 
peutical efforts. On the whole, galvanisation of the 
spinal cord is the best treatment; but where no 
apparatus furnishing a continuous current can be 
procured, faradisation of the skin of the paralysed 
limbs by fine wire-brushes should be resorted to. 
The induced current applied by moistened conductors CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
473 
to the paralysed muscles has usually only little effect, 
as it is chiefly upon sensibility, and not so much on 
contractility, that we have to act in this condition. 
Some cases are cured by the use of faradisation and 
galvanisation alternately. 
Case 21.-A girl, aged 19, living at Kilburn, became an 
out-patient at the Samaritan Free Hospital in September, 
1864, and was sent to me by Dr. Savage. She had always 
been in indifferent health, and during the last three years 
had gradually lost the power over her arms and legs, to 
such an extent that she was scarcely able to walk even 
when supported, and entirely incapacitated from doing any 
work whatever. The cause of the affection was said to be 
due to ' some trouble ' she had had. She first menstruated 
at 15 years of age, but was always irregular, the discharge 
being very pale and scanty. Sixteen months ago the cata- 
menia ceased altogether, and from that time she became 
nearly idiotic. She was very listless when I first saw her, 
had a vacant look, and considerable dilatation of both 
pupils, more especially of the left one. The left iris was 
scarcely at all influenced even by strong light. The voice 
was almost entirely gone; she could only speak in a faint 
whisper. She was frequently troubled by pain in the head 
and the back. Her hands and feet were always quite cold. 
She complained of sickness in the morning, total want of 
appetite, and constipated bowels. She was always worse 
after emotions, and had frequently had hysterical fits. The 
muscles were very badly nourished, but contracted tolerably 
well under the influence of the electro-magnetic current. 
There was nearly complete anaesthesia of the whole left 
side, including the conjunctiva. On the right side the loss 
of sensation was not so marked as on the left; but the 
prick of a pin was only felt as if it were a touch by some 
blunt instrument. I applied an inverse continuous current 
of from 40 to 50 cells to the spine, continuatively, twice 474 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
a week. After six weeks the patient was so much im- 
proved that she could walk three miles at a time without 
support; she could dress and feed herself; was able to do 
heavy work about the house, and had always warm hands 
and feet. The voice had returned, the bowels acted regu- 
larly, and she was cheerful, and took an interest in every- 
thing relating to her affairs. The pupils also gradually 
recovered their normal size ; and the catamenia re-appeared 
on December 27, and continued from that time at regular 
intervals. The patient has several times called upon me 
within the last two or three years, and informed me that 
she has continued in perfect health ever since. 
Case 22.-A lady, aged 30, unmarried, was said to have 
suffered from congestion of the spine eighteen months 
before she came under my care (May, 1868). She had not 
been able to move from her bed or sofa since then, and had 
lost flesh to a great extent. When she endeavoured to sit 
up or walk, she felt so sick, that she was obliged to lie 
down again. There was a sensation of numbness in both 
lower extremities, and in the back from the sixth dorsal 
vertebra downwards, but no complete anaesthesia. Both 
legs were habitually cold; the appetite was excellent, but 
the bowels habitually confined, and the catamenia rather 
too abundant. The cause of the affection was a series of 
great mental emotions the patient had undergone. Faradi- 
sation and galvanisation were alternately used with the 
effect that after six weeks' treatment she could walk half- 
a-mile, without feeling sick or tired. The treatment was 
continued in the country, and when I last heard of her 
(April, 1869) she was again quite strong and well. 
Case 23.-Hysterical Paralysis, Neuralgia, and Loss 
of Voice. 
M. K., aged 40, a needlewoman of feeble constitution, 
had for a long time suffered from neuralgia in the right 
arm, and also from want of power in the muscles, so that CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
475 
she was entirely unable to work. The cause of the affection 
was trouble and anxiety. She became an out-patient at 
the Samaritan Free Hospital, under the care Dr. Henry 
G. Wright, who sent her to me. After four operations, in 
which I directed an extra-current to the weakened muscles, 
and a primary current to the skin, she was greatly im- 
proved ; but when she came to me next time, she had 
entirely lost her voice. I thereupon directed the faradic 
stimulus to the recurrent nerve, with the effect that the 
voice returned at once. By further treatment the patient 
was entirely cured. 
5. Lead Palsy.-In this disease, which affects 
chiefly painters and compositors, but may also be 
caused by drinking water, beer or wine, which has 
become impregnated with lead, or by taking snuff 
which has been packed in lead-foil, or by using cos- 
metics containing lead, and in various other manners, 
the internal administration of iodide of potassium 
is the best means of removing the lead from the 
system; but this alone is seldom sufficient for curing 
the disease, the most frequent symptoms of which 
are dropping of the wrists, colicky pains in the ab- 
domen, anaesthesia and neuralgia, obstinate consti- 
pation, weakness, or even loss of sight, and spasm 
of the eyelids. 
For these symptoms galvanisation of the optic, 
sympathetic, and the cord, and faradisation or gal- 
vanisation of the paralysed muscles, is the most 
satisfactory method of cure. 
Lead palsy attacks with preference the upper ex- 
tremities. M. Tanquerel des Planches saw amongst 476 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
113 cases of this affection, 93 cases of palsy of the 
arms, 14 of the lower extremities, and 6 of general 
paralysis. Certain sets of muscles are more liable 
than others. The extensors of the right forearm 
are the first to suffer; the wrist drops and cannot 
be extended; the power of extension of the first pha- 
langes of the fingers is also gone ; but the motion of 
the two last phalanges is not impaired, as the inter- 
ossei scarcely, if ever, participate in the disease. 
The muscles generally soon become atrophied, the 
back of the forearm appears concave, the thenar 
eminence flattened, and the triceps and deltoid more 
or less wasted. The electric contractility of these 
muscles is either totally gone, or considerably dimi- 
nished ; but the sensibility is generally preserved. 
M. Eulenburg has related a case in which faradic con- 
tractility was completely lost, but galvanic excitability 
preserved and even increased; and a good therapeutical 
effect was obtained, without restoration of faradic, or dimi- 
nution of galvanic, contractility. In such cases, whether 
we use extra- or intra-muscular excitation, a portion of the 
current will travel to the unaffected antagonists of the 
paralysed nerves and muscles. Eulenburg has, however, 
seen after a galvanic treatment, not only recovery of volun- 
tary power, but also of faradic contractility. In one case 
he observed diplegic contractions, not only with the ar- 
rangement mentioned by Remak (p. 322), but also in 
crossed or unilateral arrangement of the electrodes, on 
any part of the trunk, with continuative or intermittent 
application of from 10 to 20 cells. These contractions 
appeared almost immediately on closing the circuit; where 
the poles were crossed they were stronger, and came on 
more rapidly in the arm corresponding to the negative CHAP. V.j 
PARALYSIS. 
477 
pole; but on increasing the power of the current, they 
appeared in the other arm, and even in the face, and one 
or both lower extremities. They commenced with move- 
ments of extension and abduction of the fingers, elevation 
and adduction of the hand and the forearm, and finally the 
whole arm was elevated and adducted towards the thorax. 
Where the current acted continuatively, these movements 
partook rather of the character of a gradually increasing 
tetanic contraction; while if it was intermittent the con- 
tractions were jerking and convulsive. 
6. Paralysis from Disease of the Urinary Organs.- 
Inflammation and abscess of the kidneys, renal cal- 
culus, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the 
bladder, chronic inflammation and enlargement of 
the prostate, stricture of the urethra, and other 
diseases of these parts, may produce incomplete pa- 
ralysis of the lower extremities. In such cases the 
discharge of the urine is more or less impeded; the 
sphincter ani is weak, the digestion deranged, the 
limbs shaky, and the muscular sense nearly lost. 
The degree of weakness in the legs varies with the 
state of the urinary organs. In most of these cases 
a constitutional treatment is absolutely necessary for 
the cure of the affection, since the mere application 
of galvanism to the paralysed limbs cannot remove 
the cause of the disorder. In some cases the paralysis 
disappears after the cause has been removed ; but if 
it still persists after that, a faradic treatment is ge- 
nerally required. In some such patients, faradisation 
may even remove the cause, and thus cure the disorder. 
Case 24.-A gentleman, aged 36, consulted me in De- 478 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
cember, 1866, for general debility and want of power in 
walking. He was not actually paralysed, but very weak 
in his legs, which was partly due to malnutrition of the 
muscles, and partly to pain in the thighs, which increased 
on walking. This pain seemed to radiate from the perinaeum, 
and was worse after emptying the bladder and taking exer- 
cise. As the perineeum was very tender to touch, I made 
a rectal examination of the prostate, and discovered that 
the organ was very sensitive and considerably enlarged. 
The patient then told me that he had had gonorrhoeal 
inflammation in 1862, and again in 1865, which was evi- 
dently the cause of the chronic inflammation of the pro- 
state. The urine was neutral, and contained a good deal of 
muco-pus. The patient had already taken iodide of potas- 
sium, iron, and strychnia, without benefit. I prescribed 
small doses of liquor arsenicalis for improving the secretion 
of the urine, and applied faradisation to the prostate, for 
reducing the enlargement of that organ. The first appli- 
cation gave immediate relief, as the tenderness in the peri- 
nasum was diminished, and the patient could walk with 
more ease afterwards; nor was micturition so painful as 
it had been before. The urine was slightly acid after the 
arsenic had been taken for five days, and in about a fort- 
night it was perfectly healthy. After twenty-one faradic 
applications, the size of the prostate had become normal, 
with proportionate improvement in all the symptoms. The 
muscles of the thighs and legs were now galvanised several 
times, and within six weeks the patient was quite recovered. 
7. Rheumatic Paralysis.-Paralysis of certain mus- 
cles or sets of muscles is not unfrequently induced 
by rheumatism. The angler, the huntsman, and 
others who by pleasure or necessity are much exposed 
to damp and cold, are chiefly liable to this kind of 
palsy, which affects with preference the muscles of 
the lower extremities, thus giving rise to incomplete CHAP. V.] 
PAE ALY SIS. 
479 
paraplegia, which is frequently mistaken for a sym- 
ptom of disease of the spinal cord. The extensor 
muscles of the forearm, which are animated by the 
radial nerve, are also often subjected to rheumatic 
paralysis. Next in frequency ranks paralysis of the 
muscles of the eyes, the portio dura, and the deltoid 
and trapezius. The interossei and lumbrical muscles 
are also liable to rheumatic palsy. I have observed 
this latter affection chiefly in young women suffering 
from anaemia and defective circulation, especially in 
the extremities. The first symptom is a feeling of 
numbness and pain in the fingers, and the movements 
become difficult and troublesome. On faradising the 
interossei, their excitability generally appears im- 
paired. In such cases it is easy to arrest the disease 
by a short faradic treatment; but if nothing be done 
for it, the muscles may in time become atrophied; 
the interosseous spaces then appear hollow, the cir- 
culation becomes impaired, the hand thin and cold, 
the fingers can be but slightly removed from one 
another, and the extension of the two last phalanges 
is impossible; numbness and stiffness increase, and 
at last the hand becomes quite useless. Paralysis of 
the portio dura will be considered under a separate 
heading. 
The invasion of rheumatic paralysis is sometimes 
sudden, in other cases gradual. It is sometimes the 
consequence of rheumatic fever. It may begin with 
pain in a set of muscles, whereby motion is rendered 
difficult or impossible; and -when the pain is gone, 480 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
the immobility still continues; in other cases no 
pain, but only numbness is complained of, which is 
especially great in the toes, if the seat of the paralysis 
is in the lower extremities. If the invasion has been 
sudden, and pain is felt in the paralysed muscles, 
the electric excitation of the muscles is likewise 
painful; but when the disease has come on gradually, 
galvanism excites very little sensation. 
There is no kind of paralysis in which the thera- 
peutical effects of faradisation are so striking as in 
rheumatic paralysis, in which affection it cannot be 
replaced by any purely medicinal treatment. This 
applies also to protracted and severe cases which 
have resisted a variety . of energetic therapeutical 
measures. M. Guitard has related the case of a 
patient who had suffered for three years from rheu- 
matic paralysis; there was general emaciation and 
immobility; the head drooped on to the chest, the 
thighs were flexed upon the abdomen, the legs upon 
the thighs. Faradisation was used for a month, and 
after that time the head could be held erect, and the 
legs be moved into and out of bed. The faradic 
treatment was then discontinued for some time, 
whereupon the patient relapsed into nearly his pre- 
vious state; it was then recommenced, and at the 
end of six weeks an almost total recovery had taken 
place. 
I am convinced that every case of rheumatic para- 
lysis can be cured by faradisation, provided that the 
muscular tissue has not yet been destroyed, and the chap, v.] 
PARALYSIS. 
481 
treatment is not too soon discontinued. In cases of 
muscular atrophy resulting from rheumatic paralysis, 
faradisation is likewise of great service. 
Case 25.-Rheumatic Paralysis of the Forearm and 
Hand. 
Mrs. G., aged 51, was sent to me by Dr. Hyde Salter, in 
January, 1862. Three months before, she had suffered 
from a severe attack of rheumatic fever, nearly all the 
joints having been affected. As soon as she was able to 
move about, again, she went into the country, where her 
general health much improved. Her right arm and hand, 
however, remained painful and useless, and she was there- 
fore advised to try faradisation. On examining the fore- 
arm and the hand with the {esthesiometer, I found that the 
sense of touch was considerably impaired. Moreover, the 
muscles were considerably wasted, more especially the 
flexors and the interossei and lumbricals ; and on applying 
the faradic current to these muscles individually, it ap- 
peared that their sensibility, as well as their contractile 
power, were very nearly gone. The hand had lost its 
natural shape, and resembled a bird's claw; a configuration 
of the hand which is always associated with loss of power 
in the interossei and lumbrical muscles, and renders it 
entirely useless. The pain was greatest at night, and 
chiefly felt in the fingers. The general health of the 
, patient was tolerably good, but she was very thin, and 
suffered greatly from despondency. I used faradisation of 
the skin for the cure of the pain, and of the suffering 
muscles for restoring them to their normal nutrition and 
function. After two operations the motor power of the 
fingers was much increased : the muscles responded more 
readily to the faradic stimulus, and the (esthesiometer 
showed an improvement in the sense of touch. The pain, 
although not entirely gone, was much diminished. After a 
fortnight's treatment, the patient attending every other 482 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
day, she was able to cut her own meat, and to do some 
housework, and in a month she could do needlework for 
three hours consecutively without feeling pain or fatigue. 
There was then no longer any difference in the sense of 
touch in the right and left arm, the bulk of the muscles 
was much increased, and the hand had resumed its normal 
shape. This result was all the more satisfactory, as the 
age and general weakness of the patient were not in favour 
of a rapid cure. 
In these cases galvanisation is equally effective as 
faradisation, and sometimes even more rapid in its 
action. 
8. Reflex Paralysis.-This form of paralysis, which 
is due to an irritation proceeding from a sensitive 
nerve, and thence transmitted to the spinal cord, 
often disappears spontaneously as soon as the irrita- 
tion is removed; in many cases, however, even after 
the cessation of the cause, the paralysis remains; 
and then faradisation or galvanisation are by far the 
best therapeutical measures to be used. Again, in 
many cases, faradisation or galvanisation may remove 
the irritation, and thus exercise a curative action. 
These propositions will be best understood, if illus- 
trated by a few cases. 
Case 26.-Reflex Paralysis of the Hand after 
Amputation of a Finger. 
Mrs. D., aged 42, pricked the forefinger of her left hand 
with a needle. This induced considerable pain, of which 
she did not at first take much notice; but as the finger 
soon became much inflamed, she applied for medical advice. 
Notwithstanding the treatment she underwent, the inflam- CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
483 
mation increased, gangrene ensued, and at last amputation 
of the finger became necessary. This operation was per- 
formed by Mr. Spencer Wells, on December 23, 1858. 
Three months elapsed before the stump was healed, as at 
first the pus was of a very bad character ; and the secre- 
tion only improved after repeated cauterisations with 
nitrate of silver. When the cicatrix had at last been 
formed, it appeared that the patient had entirely lost the 
use of her hand, and Mr. Wells then sent her to me. 
When I first saw her, the fingers were extended and quite 
stiff; flexion and lateral movements were impossible. The 
forearm could only with difficulty be bent, and every 
movement of it was painful. Numbness was felt in all the 
fingers, and pain in the elbow was complained of. The 
stump, which had a livid colour, was extremely sensitive, 
and at the slightest touch of it the patient almost fainted. 
Besides this, she had that peculiar symptom which is by 
no means rare in persons who have undergone an amputa- 
tion ; that is, she felt pain in the removed part, which in- 
creased towards evening. Otherwise she was in fair 
health, with the exception, however, that she had three 
years before, after a difficult labour, lost the catamenia, 
and, in consequence of this, she suffered from headache for 
a few days every month. I directed a primary faradic 
current to the left arm, the positive pole being alternately 
applied to the trunks of the median and ulnar nerves. 
Intra-muscular faradisation of the interossei and lumbri- 
cals was also performed. Immediately after the first 
application, the patient was able to bend the second and 
third phalanges of the fingers ; and after three more appli- 
cations, she was no longer troubled with pain in the re- 
moved finger. After the ninth operation, the catamenia 
reappeared. The restoration of the mobility of the first 
phalanges of the fingers required a somewhat longer treat- 
ment, as in them the affection was very obstinate; but 
after some weeks this was also attained. At the same 
time the stump had assumed a much healthier colour; it 484 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
was firmer, and not so sensitive to touch as before. The 
catamenia continued afterwards at regular intervals. 
Case 27.-Reflex Paralysis and Neuralgia of the 
Forearm after Fracture. 
M. W., a married woman, aged 46, suffered a fracture of 
the lower end of the radius of the right arm, in conse- . 
quence of a fall. She became an out-patient at the 
Middlesex Hospital, where a bandage was applied ; but by 
the carelessness of the patient, this got out of order, and 
the bone healed crookedly in consequence. It was then 
again fractured by a surgeon, and put straight; but the 
cure was now protracted over ten months ; and when the 
bone was at last healed, the arm remained painful and 
entirely useless. She became, some time afterwards, an 
out-patient at the Samaritan Free Hospital, and was sent 
to me by Dr. Henry Gr. Wright. Faradisation of the 
median and ulnar nerves was twice performed, when the 
pain was entirely gone, and the arm could be used as 
before. 
Case 28.-A gentleman, aged 46, when on a shooting 
excursion, in October, 1867, accidentally shot the thumb of 
his right hand right off at the metacarpal joint. The 
wound took nearly six weeks to heal, and it was then 
found that the hand was completely paralysed. Strychnia 
and stimulating embrocations were used, but without any 
effect; and the hand was totally useless when the patient 
consulted me in April, 1868. One application of the con- 
tinuous current restored the mobility of the hand ; but as 
it was still weaker than the left hand, the current was ap- 
plied three times more, after which the hand was as useful 
as it could be minus a thumb. 
Case 29.-A young lady, aged 15, of scrofulous habits, 
suffered from an abscess on the right side of the neck which 
had to be opened, and was rather slow to heal. When the CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
485 
wound was quite closed, it was found that there was com- 
plete loss of power in the left trapezius and other muscles 
which execute the lateral movement of the head, so that 
the patient was unable to turn the head to the left side, 
while she could turn it to the right. I was consulted some 
time afterwards (July, 1869), and applied the continuous 
current intermittently to the suffering muscles. After the 
current had acted for about ten seconds, I desired the 
patient to make an effort to move her head to the left, 
when it was found that she could do it, although not 
easily. A few more applications completely restored the 
power in the muscles which had been paralysed. 
9. Peripheral Paralysis from Injury to the Nerves 
{Traumatic Paralysis).- The pathology of these af- 
fections has already been discussed on p. 400. They 
occur chiefly in consequence of accidents, or by sur- 
gical operations unskilfully performed ; for instance, 
where the ulnar nerve is divided in resection of the 
elbow-joint, etc. Pressure by tumours or effusions 
(syphilitic or gouty) may cause the same phenomena. 
The degree of functional disturbance is always directly 
proportional to the extent of the lesion. Where all 
the fibres of the nerve are totally destroyed, the 
properties of the muscles animated by it are totally 
lost; in other cases, where the continuity of the 
nervous fibres has only been more or less damaged, 
but not entirely destroyed, the muscles become weak, 
and their sensibility and excitability to the faradic 
stimulus diminished. 
On the whole it cannot be said that the results of 
treatment in cases of this kind are very brilliant. 486 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
We have seen that the conductivity of the paralysed 
nerves does not reappear before at least two or three 
months have elapsed after the commencement of the 
disease, and that four, six, or even more months are 
necessary for recovery. Whether an electric treat- 
ment has much influence on these conditions is at 
present doubtful. Of course, where faradisation or 
galvanisation are employed shortly before the con- 
ductivity is re-established, as was done, for instance, 
in Bayerlacher's and Eulenburg's cases (p. 409), 
the results will apparently be excellent; but where 
the treatment is commenced in the beginning of the 
disease, the effect has generally not been quite so 
satisfactory. Nevertheless, electricity is the most 
rational remedy in peripheral palsy. It is still 
doubtful whether the continuous current does, by its 
catalytic effects, assist in removing the effusions of 
blood or serum which have taken place at the seat of 
the injury (Erb) ; but it seems rational to use it 
for that purpose in the earliest stages of the disease, 
the application being continuative, at the seat of the 
injury. At the same time we may galvanise the 
cervical sympathetic, and the sympathetic branches 
which accompany the vertebral artery. Local ab- 
stractions of blood, blisters, and iodide of potassium 
may be used at the same time. 
Whether the regeneration of the nerve, and there- 
fore the re-establishment of its conductivity, may be 
promoted or accelerated by the use of any form of 
electricity, is as yet unknown. It is, however, certain chap, v.] 
PARALYSIS. 
487 
that when the regeneration of the nerve has taken 
place, and this does nevertheless not regain its func- 
tion, electricity is the most effective means to restore 
its obedience to the orders of volition. 
Electricity may also be of service by preventing 
muscular atrophy. We have already seen (p. 216) 
that muscles which are frequently caused to con- 
tract will preserve their nutrition longer and more 
thoroughly than those which remain quiescent. In 
paralysis from injury to a nerve, the continuous 
current should be used for this purpose, because this 
is the only form of electricity by which contractions 
can be produced. Faradisation employed soon or 
immediately after the commencement of the affection, 
is useless, and does not even prevent atrophy of the 
muscles deprived of their connection with the cord, 
because it is unable to cause them to contract. On 
the contrary, if resorted to from about eight to 
twelve months after the accident, when regeneration 
of the nervous tissue has taken place but the will 
does not reach the muscles, faradisation may be used 
with advantage. 
Case 30.-A porter, aged. 32, suffered compound fracture 
of the right arm and other injuries from being run over by 
a van, in December, 1860. After three months the frac- 
ture was healed, but the arm remained useless. He came 
to me in May, 1861, when I found complete anaesthesia, 
paralysis, atrophy, and loss of electric contractility of the 
muscles, from the acromion downwards. I recommended 
him to do nothing for three months, and then to present 
himself again. This he did in the October following, when 488 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
he appeared to he much in the same condition as when I 
first saw him. I then commenced the faradic treatment, 
and after four months he had to a great extent recovered 
the use of the arm, although it was still weaker than pre- 
vious to the accident. 
Case 31.-An unmarried lady, aged 30, of delicate con- 
stitution and sedentary habits, was sent to me by Dr. 
Thorowgood in June, 1868. She had had a railway acci- 
dent, near Basle, in Switzerland, in September, 1867, 
when the carriage in which she was seated fell down a 
steep bank, and was upset. She was stunned for a time, 
but soon recovered herself. Her right collar-bone how- 
ever was broken, and the skin and subjacent parts on the 
lower half of the right forearm were severely lacerated. 
For a fortnight after the accident, she felt pins and needles 
in her arms and legs, but had not done so lately. The 
fracture of the collar-bone healed within two months, and 
the injury to the soft parts of the forearm likewise. Three 
deep scars are to be seen on the front of the latter. There 
were all the symptoms of certain branches of the motor 
nerves of the arm having considerably suffered. Cutaneous 
sensibility in the lower part of the forearm, the hand, and 
the fingers was considerably diminished ; the third finger 
being the worst in this respect. Concerning the sense of 
touch, it was found that the two points of the aesthesio- 
meter were felt at the proper distance in the first, second, 
and little finger, but not in the third, where only one point 
was felt. Electro-cutaneous sensibility, both from faradi- 
sation and galvanisation, was likewise impaired, more 
especially in the third finger. The interossei and lumbrical 
muscles of the right hand were weak and wasted; the 
intra-metacarpal spaces being hollow, and the bones pro- 
truding. Farado-muscular contractility was much dimi- 
nished, but nowhere completely lost; galvano-muscular 
contractility was somewhat increased. The patient ex- 
perienced much difficulty in carving, dressing, writing, chap, v.] 
PARALYSIS. 
489 
and. buttoning her sleeves and gloves ; but she could do all 
these things with an effort. She was able to bend the first 
phalanges, but not the second and third. There was no 
difference of temperature in the two hands. The lower 
portion of the forearm was emaciated, there being a dif- 
ference of seven-eighths of an inch between the two arms ; 
for, while the left arm measured fully seven inches, the 
right measured only six and one-eighth. The general 
health of the patient was satisfactory. I applied the posi- 
tive pole of twenty cells to the cicatrices, in order to pro- 
mote, if possible, the regeneration of nervous fibres ; and 
also acted intermittently on the suffering muscles. After 
four such applications the patient felt a good deal stronger 
in the arm and wrist; she could hold things better, did not 
feel so stiff in writing, and her hand and arm did not ache 
after writing as they used to do. She also found carving 
and dressing easier, and had succeeded in turning a key in 
a lock, which she could not do before. After a few more 
applications, the third finger, which had formerly appeared 
as a ' dead log,' recovered its sensibility, and she felt the 
prick of a pin and the two points of the compasses quite 
distinctly. The metacarpal spaces became more filled up, 
and when she left town for change of air, a month after the 
commencement of the treatment, the arm and hand were 
much more useful than before, although not quite recovered. 
Cases of paralysis from continued pressure, espe- 
cially from the head resting on the arm, which occurs 
frequently during intoxication by alcohol, or in pa- 
tients who are under the influence of chloroform, are 
generally curable by faradisation or galvanisation. 
Case 32.-A lady, aged 23, had her first confinement in 
November 1864, during which she was for some time under 
the influence of chloroform. While in this condition her 
head rested heavily on the left arm, and pressed so much 490 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
on the brachial plexus that a number of muscles, animated 
by the latter, became completely paralysed, there being also 
anaesthesia of the left arm. She was sent to me in January, 
1865, by Mr. Paget. The affection was most severe in the 
muscles of the forearm, the patient being quite unable to 
lift the wrist, which was much swollen and had to be bound 
up with a splint. As she also complained of great weak- 
ness in the other limbs and the back, I combined a cord- 
current of fifty cells with faradisation of the left shoulder 
and arm. After six weeks of this treatment, the patient 
had entirely recovered the use of the left arm, and felt 
much stronger generally. 
Case 33.-Count Z., aged 63, had, about twenty years 
ago, suffered from a rupture of the capsular ligament of 
the hip-joint in consequence of an accident, and had never 
quite recovered from the effects of it. He complained of 
great numbness and stiffness in the right leg, the muscles 
of which were not nearly so well developed as those of the 
left, so that he had much difficulty in walking. The affec- 
tion was evidently due to pressure from effusion and ex- 
travasation of blood. Sir James Clark, whom he had 
consulted in June, 1857, believed that faradisation would 
be the best means to restore him, and sent him to me. 
The patient was considerably improved by a short treat- 
ment, but as he left town soon afterwards to return to 
Russia, the cure was not complete. 
10. Infantile Paralysis.-The pathology of this 
affection is still somewhat obscure. Infantile para- 
lysis comes on frequently after convulsive fits, owing 
to irritation of the brain; but sometimes it appears 
suddenly, without any premonitory symptoms, in a 
child which is otherwise perfectly healthy. On ex- 
amining the paralysed limbs in such cases, we gene- 
rally find that electro-muscular contractility is much CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
491 
diminished, or even entirely lost, in all the paralysed 
muscles ; there is atrophy of the muscles and bones, 
the paralysed limb being shorter and thinner than 
the healthy one ; and the temperature in the former 
is considerably lower than in the latter. The sensi- 
bility of the skin, the muscles, and the nerve-trunks 
is, however, not impaired, even in cases of very long 
standing. Benedict has found in some cases that in 
the commencement of the affection, the motor excit- 
ability to the continuous current was very much 
increased. I am unable to say whether this is the 
rule or not, as all cases which have been under my 
care had existed for some years before I was consulted. 
Infantile paralysis resists all purely medicinal treat- 
ment, and only improves under the long-continued 
use of faradisation and galvanisation. Dr. Russell 
Reynolds,* who has written an excellent paper on 
this subject, recommends the alternate use of these 
two agents, and my experience entirely coincides 
with that of Dr. Reynolds. I generally advise a 
month's galvanisation, then a month's rest, and a 
month's faradisation, and so on. Gymnastic exercises, 
frictions with stimulating liniments, a meat diet, and 
the internal administration of phosphorus, may be 
combined with the electricity. 
Case 34.-A boy, aged 11, came under my care in August, 
1867. He was the eldest of three brothers, all of whom 
had suffered of nervous affections. This boy, when six 
months old, began to have convulsive fits, and was some- 
* The Lancet, vol. i. 1868. 492 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[jcHAP. V. 
times screaming the whole night. After an unusually bad 
attack the right leg became paralysed, the little patient 
being then eleven months of age. He had subsequently 
whooping-cough and scarlet-fever, and had lost his hearing 
on the right side after the latter complaint. His general 
health was now tolerably good; the intellect keen, the 
appetite large, the bowels regular; he had not suffered 
from convulsions for the last five years. The right thigh 
measured eight inches and the left twelve, four inches 
above the patella; the right leg seven inches and the left 
nine and a half, three inches below the patella. The para- 
lysed leg was about half-an-inch shorter than the healthy 
one, and he therefore wore a raised boot to correct the 
difference. The left leg was 2° Fahr, colder than the right, 
but there was no anaesthesia. Galvano-muscular and farado- 
muscular excitability were both considerably diminished. I 
advised the parents to let the boy have a course of faradisa- 
tion and galvanisation occasionally for a month; when no 
electricity was used, friction of the leg with linim. camph. 
co., a liberal diet, plenty of fresh air and exercise, and gr. 
of phosphorus. The boy has been brought to me three 
times, and each time improved considerably. When I saw 
him last, in December. 1868, the difference between the left 
and right thigh, which was at first four inches, was only 
one and a half, and the difference between the right and 
left leg, which was at first two and a half inches was only 
one inch. The boy could walk for three or four miles, with 
a stick, without feeling much fatigue, but going upstairs, 
running, and jumping were difficult and tired him consider- 
ably. It is possible that within another year or two this 
boy may completely recover. 
11. Palsies of the Nerves and Muscles of the Eye.- 
If the third nerve or motor oculi is paralysed, the 
upper eyelid droops down and cannot be raised, 
through loss of power in the levator palpebree su- chap, v.] 
PARALYSIS. 
493 
perioris muscle (ptosis) ; the pupil is dilated and the 
eye cannot be moved in any direction except outwards, 
as the rectus externus, which is animated by the sixth 
nerve, retains its function. This muscle is, however, 
after a time generally affected by secondary contrac- 
tion, which causes divergent squint and double vision. 
Local palsy of the fourth nerve is of rare occurrence, 
and difficult to recognise. Professor A. von Graefe,* 
of Berlin, says that in this affection the pupil is 
turned a little upwards and inwards; when looking 
upwards, vision is not disturbed, but in looking at 
an object placed horizontally before the eye, the 
patient sees it double; and therefore, in order to 
avoid this, the head is generally turned towards the 
opposite side. 
If the sixth nerve is paralysed, the patient squints 
inwards, and has double vision in certain directions; 
sometimes the inward deviation of the eye is so 
considerable, that the cornea may be entirely con- 
cealed at the inner angle of the orbit. 
These palsies may be caused by cerebral affections ; 
but are more frequently owing to rheumatic or sy- 
philitic effusions, or to over-exertion of the eyes, or 
to pressure by tumours and exostoses. The patients 
are generally treated with iodide of potassium, and 
counter-irritation of the skin in the neighbourhood 
of the eye; and some recover by that treatment. 
Operative interference has often been attempted, but 
generally left the patient in a worse condition than 
* Archiv fur Ophthalmologic, vol. i. p. 1. ELECTRO -TIIER APE UTIC S. 
[chap. V. 
494 
he was before the operation. Where the usual means 
do not improve the condition of the paralysed muscles, 
both faradisation and galvanisation may be employed. 
M. Meyer,* Mr. Soelberg Wells,f and myself, have 
seen very favourable results of the former; while 
Benedict J expresses himself strongly in favour of 
the latter. When using faradisation, I generally 
place the positive pole below the ear, and a small 
moistened sponge connected with the negative pole 
to the skin of the closed eyelid, as near as possible 
to the paralysed muscle, sending the current through 
for two or three minutes. If galvanisation is used, 
it is not necessary to apply the current to the eye 
itself, as in this instance the effect takes place through 
the reflex action of the fifth pair of nerves. Benedict 
recommends to apply the positive pole to the forehead, 
and in ptosis, to draw the negative pole over the lid; 
in paralysis of the rectus externus, to put the negative 
pole to the cheekbone; and in paralysis of the rectus 
internus, to draw it over the skin of the side of the 
nose. He is quite correct in stating that an effect 
often takes place instantaneously, and that the ap- 
plication should be short and feeble; but he is wrong 
in denying the beneficial influence of faradisation in 
these cases. Only a short time ago I had a patient 
under my care who suffered from paralysis of the 
rectus internus muscle, and in whom the continuous 
* Deutsche Klinik, 1856, no. 38. 
t 'A Treatise on the Diseases of the Eye,' London, 1869, p. 568. 
t Archiv fur Ophthalmologie, vol. x. p. 1. CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
495 
current was applied for a fortnight without any 
benefit whatever; I then resorted to faradisation, 
with the effect that the patient felt a great deal 
better after the first application, and rapidly recovered 
under a continuance of the faradic treatment. The 
rule should therefore be to apply either one or the 
other form of electricity, and not to continue one of 
them too long if no decided benefit is produced. 
Case 35.-A lady, aged 43, who had been in the habit of 
over-exerting her eyes, being very fond of painting in water- 
colours, was exposed to wet and cold in November, 1861, 
and suddenly noticed that she saw everything double. A 
blister was applied behind the ear, and she was freely 
purged, after which she was put on a course of iodide of 
potassium. As she did not get better, she was sent to me 
in February, 1862, when I found paralysis of the left rectus 
internus muscle, which was probably owing to rheumatic 
effusion. I used faradisation six times, after which the 
double vision existed only for objects at a great distance, 
but not for near things. The patient was then obliged to 
leave town, but returned in May of the same year, and had 
ten more applications, after which the muscle had quite 
recovered, and the double vision disappeared. 
Case 36.-A lady, aged 40, was sent to me by Mr. White 
Cooper, in October, 1862. She had for some time suffered 
from mydriasis of the right eye, which considerably inter- 
fered with sight. She was otherwise in good health, and 
unable to account for this affection. I applied a gentle 
current for a short time, which caused the iris to contract 
visibly. She was only able to stay in town for a few 
days, so that the treatment could not receive a full trial; 
but she was considerably improved even by the short treat- 
ment she had followed. 
Case 37.-A gentleman, aged 49, had for ten months 496 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
suffered from ptosis of the left eyelid, for which he had 
undergone a variety of treatment without benefit, when he 
consulted me in December, 1864. There were many other 
symptoms, exciting the suspicion of cerebral disease. He 
had six applications of the continuous current to the eye in 
a fortnight, during which he recovered the power over the 
eyelid, although there was no improvement in the other 
symptoms. 
Where both eyelids are drooping, we have to do 
with an incurable affection of the corpora quadrige- 
mina; yet even in such cases the continuous current 
may prove of benefit, but which I fear is generally 
only temporary. 
Mr. Carter* has lately recommended to combine 
faradisation of the paralysed muscle with tenotomy 
of the contracted one, and appears to have been 
successful in carrying out this treatment. He pro- 
poses to apply the electrodes directly to the muscular 
substance, the eyelid being lifted and controlled by a 
retractor, and the current being directed to that 
portion of the conjunctiva which corresponds to the 
situation of the muscle. Such an application is 
much more painful than the one I have recommended, 
and it would therefore be better first to use the 
electricity externally, and only in case this should 
not answer, to apply it internally. The combination 
of tenotomy with faradisation, however, will probably 
prove successful in many cases where the use of 
either of these remedies singly might fail. 
12. Paralysis of the Portio Dura.-Most cases of 
* The Lancet, December 1868. CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
497 
facial palsy are due to the influence of damp and 
cold. A rheumatic effusion takes place into the 
cellular tissue, by which the peripheral branches of 
the portio dura are compressed, and their function 
more or less inhibited. In such cases the lower 
portion of the face is generally more affected than 
the upper one. Cases which occur in children or 
young persons, and where the quantity of lymph 
effused is not very considerable, may get well spon- 
taneously ; but in adults, or where a large effusion 
has taken place, the palsy only yields to appropriate 
treatment. Where all the muscles of the face are 
equally affected, we must conclude that the nerve is 
compressed by an effusion in the fallopian canal. In 
slight cases of this kind the farado-muscular excit- 
ability is diminished, and in severe cases it is com- 
pletely lost. Galvano-muscular excitability is some- 
times increased, and sometimes normal, but only in 
exceptional cases it is diminished or lost. 
The treatment generally employed for these cases 
consists of blistering, and the internal use of iodide 
of potassium or strychnia. Electricity is, however, 
much more rapidly successful, especially if the affec- 
tion be of recent origin. A considerable proportion 
of these cases may be cured by faradisation; but 
where this fails, and likewise in those cases where it 
produces no muscular contractions at all, galvan- 
isation is preferable. The faradic current should be 
applied to all the paralysed muscles individually; 
while galvanism is better applied to the nerve, the 498 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
positive pole being placed to the cervical spine, and 
the negative one passed over the peripheral branches 
of the portio dura. Voltaic alternatives are decidedly 
useful. Where the external application does not 
produce much benefit, the negative pole may be 
applied to the mucous membrane of the cheek, which 
sometimes does good, after all other modes of applying 
the current have failed. 
Cases of rheumatic paralysis of the portio dura 
generally yield to treatment even if they have existed 
for a very long time ; thus Professor Ore has related 
a case of eight and a half years' duration, which was 
cured by faradic electricity, and Dr. Russell Reynolds 
succeeded by the same means in notably improving 
one of fourteen years' standing. 
Facial palsy is also observed as a symptom oi 
hemiplegia, but it then generally appears only in a 
few muscles of the face, the respiratory branches of 
the portio dura, which animate the levator alee nasi 
et oris, and the buccinator muscle being chiefly af- 
fected. In such cases the electro-muscular con- 
tractility is either normal or increased to both kinds 
of current. As this form of facial palsy has a central 
origin, faradisation should not be used. The palsy 
frequently disappears spontaneously, but -where it 
continues troublesome for several months after the 
attack, galvanisation may be resorted to, and gene- 
rally proves successful. 
In tumours of the corpus striatum and crus cerebri, 
and in disease of the pons, facial palsy appears 
combined with paralysis of the third and other cere- CIIAP. V."] 
PARALYSIS. 
499 
bral nerves. In such conditions no form of electricity 
can be of decided or permanent use, although the 
continuous current cautiously applied may relieve 
certain symptoms of the affection. 
If facial palsy ensues in the course of locomotor 
ataxy, it is generally an unfavourable sign, showing 
that the disease is gradually advancing towards the 
medulla oblongata, and the roots and nuclei of the 
cerebral nerves. The continuous current may, how- 
ever, under these circumstances be employed with a 
fair chance of temporary benefit. 
Where facial palsy is due to injury, the prognosis 
is not so favourable as in those cases which are 
owing to rheumatic effusions. The injury may be 
due to external violence, such as a blow, shot, cut, 
fracture of the petrous portion of the temporal bone, 
division of the nerve in surgical operations, pressure 
by the application of the forceps, &c.; or to some 
pathological process in the internal ear, as caries or 
necrosis of the petrous portion of the temporal bone, 
syphilitic exostoses, etc. In such cases the farado- 
muscular excitability is quite gone, while galvano- 
muscular excitability is increased, chiefly in the 
commencement of the affection. The prognosis here 
depends entirely upon the cause; and any form of 
electricity applied as long as the cause is still acting, 
can do no good. But if the cause has been removed, 
and the nerve yet refuses to obey the orders of 
volition, galvanisation is the best means of restoring 
its function. 500 
ELECTROTHERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
From many cases of facial palsy which have come 
under my observation, I select the following :- 
Case 38.-Paralysis of the Face. 
Mr. F., a barrister, aged 35, having been exposed to a 
draught of cold air at a railway station, became affected 
with paralysis of the left portio dura. The physiognomical 
expression had entirely vanished from that side of the face. 
The patient was not able to laugh, to frown, to whistle, or 
to shut his eye, which latter appeared staring and protruded. 
The angle of the mouth was depressed, and drawn towards 
the opposite side; that of the sound side being higher and 
drawn towards the ear. The cheek was flabby and loose ; 
and eating and speaking was troublesome. The patient 
was sent to me by Dr. Todd, whom he had consulted six 
months after the commencement of the affection. Farado- 
muscular contractility was diminished. I directed the 
faradic stimulus to all the paralysed muscles individually, 
with the effect that the patient regained his normal phy- 
siognomical expression, after a fortnight's treatment. 
Case 39.-George W , a shoemaker, aged 44, came 
under my care at the Infirmary for Epilepsy and Paralysis, 
on April 25, 1866. He had for the last ten wreeks suffered 
from paralysis of the portio dura, which he ascribed to 
having got wet through, and been exposed to a cold draught 
in a doorway. He was unable to close his eye, to laugh, or 
to whistle, and could not pronounce the letter 'fl' The 
right nostril was ' shut up,' and he had great difficulty in 
masticating his food at the right side. He also complained 
of headache, and occasional attacks of vertigo; but was 
otherwise in good health. Faradisation produced no con- 
traction in the muscles of the face, while the continuous 
current caused contractions both on closing and opening 
the circuit. A continuous current of twenty cells was now 
applied regularly twice a week, and after six weeks of this 
treatment the patient was quite well. CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
501 
13. Paralysis of the Vocal Cords: Aphonia and 
Dysphonia.-The introduction of the laryngoscope 
into medical practice has greatly facilitated the 
diagnosis of diseases of the larynx; and therefore 
the treatment of these affections is now more easy, 
safe and successful than it could have been before. 
Where loss of voice is due to pressure by an in- 
ternal aneurism or cancer on the recurrent nerve, 
no good can be done by electricity applied to the 
larynx; where it is owing to inflammation, ulcera- 
tion, or morbid growths in the throat, a special local 
treatment by caustics, astringents, the ecraseur, etc., 
together with constitutional remedies, has to be 
resorted to; but where the affection arises from mere 
loss of power in the muscles connected with the 
vocal cords, faradisation of the skin of the larynx, 
or of the suffering muscles, is the best treatment. 
Such loss of power is frequent in hysterical girls, 
but it also occurs after acute diseases, such as typhoid 
fever and diphtheria, after ague and rheumatism, in 
poisoning by arsenic and lead, in anaemia, from 
taking cold, through over-exertion of the voice, or a 
powerful impression upon the nervous centres, such 
as terror, fright, etc. In such cases the voice not 
unfrequently comes back after a time without any 
treatment having been resorted to; but there are 
numerous instances in which it does not return for 
years, and all treatment is unsuccessful, except the 
electric. 
The first case of functional aphonia treated by 502 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
galvanism has been recorded by Dr. Grapengiesser,* 
of Berlin, who applied the current of a single gal- 
vanic pair to the throat of a girl who had lost her 
voice for several years. He first vesicated each side 
of the larynx by blisters of the size of a shilling, and 
then applied the zinc pole to one of the excoriated 
spots, and the silver pole to the other. The circuit 
was kept up for a quarter of an hour, during which 
time the larynx heaved convulsively, and a great 
quantity of serous liquid flowed from the sores. 
The sobbing continued after the metals had been 
removed, much mucus was expectorated, and two 
hours afterwards the voice was much more audible 
and dear. After this process had been repeated 
several times, the voice was perfectly restored. Six 
months afterwards, however, it was suddenly lost 
again in consequence of a cold, and it did not again 
return, although the same process of galvanisation 
was repeated. 
Since then all the different forms of electricity 
have been frequently used in the treatment of func- 
tional aphonia, and the results of the treatment have 
on the whole been very satisfactory. 
An easy and successful method of applying elec- 
tricity in these cases is faradisation of the skin of 
the larynx by fine wire-brushes. I have on several 
occasions restored the voice by one such application. 
The current used must be of high tension. There 
* Versuche den Galvanismus ziur Heilung einiger Krankheiten anzu- 
wenden. Berlin, 1801. chap, v.] 
PARALYSIS. 
503 
are, however, cases in which this method produces 
no effect, and in these, internal faradisation of the 
glottis should be resorted to. This method, which 
has been described on p. 385, has yielded excellent 
results, chiefly in the hands of Dr. Morell Mackenzie 
and Professor Ziemssen of Erlangen. 
Dr. Mackenzie * subdivides paralysis of the vocal 
cords into bilateral and unilateral paralysis of the 
adductor muscles, bilateral paralysis of the abductors, 
unilateral paralysis of one abductor, and paralysis 
of the tensors and of the laxors. Bilateral paralysis 
of the adductors of the vocal cords prevents approxi- 
mation of the cords on attempted phonation, and 
consequently gives rise to loss of voice. Out of more 
than 200 cases of this affection which have been 
under Dr. Mackenzie's care, direct faradisation of the 
glottis has failed only in four, so that the proceeding 
seems to be almost a specific for the complaint. 
Unilateral paralysis of the adductors prevents the 
approach of one vocal cord to the median line, and 
gives rise to hoarseness or loss of voice. This is 
more difficult to cure, but also yields occasionally to 
faradisation. In paralysis of the tensors of the vocal 
cords, these are not properly stretched; the voice is 
lost or muffled, the higher notes more or less sup- 
pressed, and vocalisation is attended with a sense of 
fatigue or pain. In paralysis of the laxors of the 
vocal cords, the formation of the lower notes is 
* Hoarseness, loss of voice, and stridulous breathing, in relation to 
nervo-muscular affections of the larynx. London, 1868. 504 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
interfered with, and the pitch of the voice is raised. 
Both tensors and laxors may be beneficially affected 
by faradisation, while in paralysis of the abductors 
electricity does no good. The following cases may 
serve to illustrate these different conditions :- 
Case 40.-Bilateral Paralysis of the Adductors of the 
Vocal Cords. 
In May, 1862, I treated an interesting case of this kind, 
together with Professor Czermak, of Prague, who had just 
then introduced the use of the laryngoscope into this 
country. It was the case of a female patient, aged 30, 
who had lost her voice two months before, in consequence 
of a great emotion. An examination of her throat showed 
that the adductors of both vocal cords were perfectly 
motionless and paralysed. Faradisation of the skin of the 
larynx was resorted to, and after two such applications, 
the patient could speak again, although still in a hoarse 
tone only. It was then discovered, by another examina- 
tion with the laryngoscope, that the right vocal cord had, 
to a great extent, recovered its motion, but there was as 
yet no improvement in the left. By further treatment, the 
left cord was also brought back to its normal condition, 
and the voice entirely restored. 
Case of unilateral paralysis of the adductors :- 
C. E., aged 19, came under Dr. Mackenzie's care in 
June, 1865. He had at the end of July, 1864, suffered 
from a severe attack of diphtheria, and on recovering from 
the acute stage, had experienced great difficulty in swallow- 
ing, and loss of voice. The power of swallowing was now, 
to a great extent, recovered, though he still had occasional 
attacks of coughing from ' things going the wrong way ' 
whilst he w'as taking his meals. This was especially apt CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
505 
to occur in drinking. He had been taking iron, quinine, 
and strychnia, and for six weeks electricity had been daily 
applied to his throat externally. The voice, however, had 
not at all improved. A laryngoscopic examination showed 
slight paralysis of the adductors of the right vocal cord. 
Dr. Mackenzie applied faradisation of the affected muscle 
daily, from August 16 till September 10. By that time the 
patient was able to sound his voice, though he usually spoke 
in a whisper. Ten days later the sound of the voice was 
the rule rather than the exception, and by the middle 
of October the patient was able to speak in a strong, clear 
voice, wliich to strangers appeared perfectly natural, 
although he thought that 1 it sounded differently to what 
it had done before his illness.' The action of the right 
cord now appeared perfectly normal. 
Case of paralysis of the tensors of the vocal 
cords:- 
G. S., aged 10, suffering from loss of voice, but other- 
wise healthy, was seen by Dr. Mackenzie in August, 1863. 
In March of that year the child had been suffering from an 
attack of bronchitis, in which the nervous symptoms 
predominated, and on recovery it was noticed that she had 
lost her voice. Various tonics were tried in vain, and 
change of air to Brighton likewise failed to restore the 
voice. Dr. Mackenzie applied electricity to the vocal 
cords, and the voice was at once perfectly restored. 
Case of paralysis of the laxors of the right vocal 
cord:- 
Madame C., aged 34, a professional singer, consulted 
Dr. Mackenzie in May, 1865, on account of a difficulty she 
had experienced during the last year in forming her lower 
notes. Her voice in the ordinary way extended from 
a below the lines to d above the lines. A year ago she first 506 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
experienced a slight difficulty in forming the lower a, and in 
January she could not reach beyond &. During the last 
two months she had not been able to sing at all, even in 
private, but broke down directly she attempted even a few 
notes. She attributed this loss of power to a strain, for 
she had first noticed a difficulty after the performance of a 
long and trying cantata, which had been twice encored. At 
the time she had experienced a stinging sensation, extending 
from the right side of the throat towards the ear. She had 
been constantly under treatment since her voice first 
became affected. The only thing which had seemed to do 
her good was a solution of caustic applied to the throat 
with a piece of sponge. But although this gave her tem- 
porary relief, there was no permanent improvement. On 
making a laryngoscopic examination, the parallelism 
between the .vocal cords was seen to be lost, the right cord 
curving away in the centre from the median line. Dr. 
Mackenzie now resorted to faradisation of the right vocal 
cord. At the end of six weeks there did not appear to be 
any improvement, but a fortnight later the patient was 
decidedly better. In order to test the voice, she was now 
allowed to sing a few notes once a week, but at no other 
time. At the end of three months the voice was much 
improved, and in the following autumn it had so far 
recovered that the lady was able to accept an engagement 
in Madrid. 
14. Difficulty of Deglutition.-Where difficulty of 
swallowing is due to paralysis or spasm of the 
pharynx or oesophagus, faradisation and galvanisation 
are the best, and in many instances, the only means 
by which we can hope to cure this most troublesome 
and annoying affection. 
Case 41.-Major I., aged 42, consulted me in Sep- 
tember, 1862, for loss of voice and difficulty of deglutition, CHAP. V.] 
PARALYSIS. 
507 
brought on by an apoplectic attack which he had hadin 1859, 
and which affected the entire left side of the body. For seve- 
ral months after this he had been in such a condition that 
his life was despaired of. He gradually, however, got better, 
and partially recovered the use of his arm and leg, while 
the voice and deglutition did not improve. The latter 
symptom even became worse as time went on, there being 
constant regurgitation, especially of fluids, which distressed 
the patient more than anything else. After a fortnight's 
faradisation the voice was so much improved that he could 
converse with ease, while the power of swallowing had not 
yet returned. I then applied a continuous current to the 
pharyngeal and oesophageal nerves, with the result that, 
after the second operation, a marked improvement was 
perceptible; and in a week the patient was able to swallow 
quite easily, without any regurgitation taking place. 
Case 42.-A gentleman, aged 34, had ague while 
travelling in Tuscany, in summer, 1862. Ever since that 
time he had felt difficulty in retaining his food, which 
generally returned in from five to ten minutes. As time 
went on, the interval between taking and returning the 
food increased, which was probably due to that portion of 
the oesophagus which was just above the seat of the para- 
lysis having become dilated, and forming a pouch which 
would contain as much as half a pint of beef tea, and 
retain it for twenty minutes or half an hour; after which 
the greater part of it would be suddenly returned through 
the mouth and the nostrils. The only way in which this 
patient succeeded in obtaining the passage of food into the 
stomach was by eating very small quantities of food fre- 
quently. There was no stricture, as a probang introduced 
into the oesophagus did not encounter any resistance. The 
patient had already taken iron, quinine, strychnia, cod 
liver oil, and many other remedies without benefit, and he 
had become very much emaciated and reduced in strength. 
I applied faradisation by means of an insulated conductor, 508 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
in the form of a probang, three times a week, and pre- 
scribed ol. morrh. and liquor arsenicalis. Within a month 
from beginning this treatment, the patient had recovered 
the faculty of oesophageal deglutition, and had gained nearly 
a stone in body-weight. He continued the constitutional 
remedies for another month, after which he was quite well. 
M. Hiffelsheim * lias recorded the case of a man, 
aged twenty-six, w ho-hadsuffered from acne, which 
was cured by arsenic, but who had otherwise been in 
good health. He had such difficulty in retaining his 
food, that most of what he took was returned as soon 
as it came into the pharynx, the liquids being re- 
jected through the nose. In this case the continuous 
current was applied to the pneumogastric nerve. 
After three applications, the patient could eat some 
roast meat and retain it; after five more he was 
quite well. 
III. SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
Spasmodic diseases are on the whole less amenable 
to electricity than paralytic affections; yet in certain 
kinds of spasm, electricity fully deserves a trial when 
other remedies have failed. It appears probable that 
our methods of applying electricity in spasmodic 
affections are still defective, and that with an improved 
method better results would be obtained than is now 
generally the case. The methods principally employed 
at the present time are faradisation of the skin, and 
galvanisation of the affected nerves. Static elec- 
* Annales d'electricite medicale. 1862. CHAP. V.] 
SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
509 
tricity was formerly much employed in these cases, 
and seems to act much in the same manner as fara- 
disation of the skin. As regards galvanisation, I am 
inclined to think that a longer application than is 
generally resorted to for the treatment of paralysis 
is necessary for the cure of spasms. 
1. Chorea.-This affection, which is generally 
brought on by terror, fright, rheumatism, or in- 
testinal derangement, is frequently seen to disappear 
under the influence of cold affusions to the spine, 
strychnia, carbonate of iron, zinc, arsenic, &c., or 
even without any treatment. Labaume, Fabre- 
Palaprat, and Drs. Addison, Golding Bird, and 
Gull have treated cases of chorea by static electricity, 
and have been well satisfied with the result. Dr. 
Bird has reported thirty-seven cases, thirty of which 
were completely cured, five relieved, one refused to 
continue the treatment, and only one was not cured. 
He applied static electricity in the way described above 
(p. 289), and affirms that the rapidity with which the 
patients were relieved was nearly proportionate to 
the facility with which the peculiar papular eruption 
on the skin took place. Dr. Gull, whose experience 
agrees with that of Dr. Bird, believes that the benefit 
is the result of a direct stimulation of the blood- 
vessels of the nervous centres, producing a more 
tonic and vigorous circulation in them. 
Faradisation of the skin and of the suffering 
muscles is likewise often beneficial in chorea. Chil- 
dren bear this operation remarkably well, as it is 510 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
not necessary to employ a strong current, a gentle 
application being sufficient for most cases. 
Benedict lias recommended to apply an inverse 
current to the spine, for a minute or a minute and a 
half continuatively, while Meyer recommends the 
intermittent application of the current to the suf- 
fering limbs. In the practice of the Infirmary for 
Epilepsy and Paralysis, where cases of chorea occur 
frequently, I generally use galvanisation and fara- 
disation of the limb alternately, together with gym- 
nastic movements, whereby most cases recover in a 
short time. 
2. Scrivener's Palsy: Schreibekrampf. - This 
troublesome affection may be caused by emotion and 
anxiety, rheumatism, over-exertion of the hand, and 
by neuritis of the radial or ulnar nerves. In some 
cases of scrivener's palsy reflectory spasms occur, 
as the fingers, and especially the thumb, are strongly 
flexed into the palm of the hand whenever the 
patient takes up a pen; in other cases there is a 
semi-paralytic condition of the extensors of the 
thumb and forefinger. Mr. Solly * has rendered it 
probable that the origin of the affection is not local, 
but that it is due to incipient granular disintegra- 
tion of the 'vesicular neurine ' of the upper portion 
of the spinal cord, and that entire rest from the oc- 
cupation which has produced the disease is the best 
treatment. While doing full justice to the able 
* Surgical Experiences: the subjects of clinical lectures, p. 205. 
London, 1865. CHAP. V.] 
SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
511 
reasoning of Mr. Solly, I must say that the experi- 
ence concerning the beneficial effects of galvanism 
in this disease is now sufficiently large to justify 
us in advising a galvanic treatment, especially in 
those cases where complete rest and change of 
scene appear impracticable. 
The mode of applying electricity should vary 
according to the nature of the individual case. 
Where there is loss of the power in the muscles, 
faradisation; but where spasm is a prominent sym- 
ptom, galvanisation appears preferable. In order to 
illustrate the treatment, I subjoin two of Meyer's* 
cases:- 
A private secretary, aged 27, perceived eight or nine 
months before he came under treatment, a sort of pricking 
and contraction in the wrist, and which extended to the 
fingers, especially the thumb and forefinger. The thumb 
was flexed, and adducted to the index as soon as the 
patient began to write. On examination it was found that 
there was loss of power in the abductor pollicis brevis and 
extensores pollicis longus and brevis. Faradisation of these 
muscles was now performed, and five weeks after the com- 
mencement of this treatment the patient could write with 
ease for fourteen hours successively. 
Another patient of Meyer's, likewise a private secretary, 
aged 48, had for twelve months suffered from spasm in the 
thumb and forefinger, which tightly grasped the pen as 
soon as any attempt at writing was made; at the same 
time the wrist was spasmodically flexed towards the fore- 
arm, and turned outwards, so that writing was quite im- 
possible. Meyer discovered a painful swelling in the course 
* Loe. cit. p. 309. 512 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
of the radial nerve immediately above the elbow-joint. 
The continuous current was used sixty-five times, after 
which the patient was quite well. 
3. Spasmodic Wry-neck: Torticollis, Caput obsti- 
pum.-This affection occurs mostly in adults, and 
can therefore scarcely be considered as a form of 
chorea. It consists of a convulsive affection of the 
spinal accessory nerve of one side, whereby the 
sterno-cleido-mastoid and the trapezius muscles are 
thrown into commotion. Electricity of high tension 
as a counter-irritant, and induction currents methodi- 
cally applied to the antagonists of the suffering 
muscles, have effected amelioration or cure; but as 
the current must be very powerful if it is to do good, 
the continuous current appears preferable, its appli- 
cation being far less unpleasant. 
Case 43.-Wry-neck and Dysm&norrhoea. 
In November 1859, I was consulted by a lady, aged 34, 
who had for about eighteen months suffered from spasmo- 
dic contractions of the left trapezius and cleido-mastoid 
muscles. The first symptoms had come on after a violent 
emotion, caused by witnessing an accident in the street. 
At first the contractions were slight, and only occurred if 
the patient was excited, or suddenly spoken to ; but the 
affection gradually became more troublesome. When she 
carried a fork, a spoon, or a cup to the mouth, the head at 
once turned away ; at the same time a feeling of numbness, 
stiffness and fatigue was observed in the left side of the 
neck; but there was no pain, unless the contractions were 
unusually violent. She was at first treated by blisters to 
the neck, and purgatives, but without any avail. At a chap. v.J 
SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
513 
later period of her illness, she consulted Dr. Todd, who 
prescribed valerianate of zinc, which she thought had done 
her some good ; but as, after having taken it regularly for 
two months, she was still a severe sufferer from her com- 
plaint, by the advice of Dr. Todd she came to me for 
faradisation. On examining the muscles of the neck, I 
found the left trapezius and cleido-mastoid somewhat rigid. 
The corresponding muscles of the right side were not 
wasted, but on applying the faradic currents to the two 
sets, the excitability of the fibres appeared greater on the 
left than on the right side; and the sensation excited by 
the application of the current was also more considerable 
on the left side. "While I was examining the muscles, 
violent spasms occurred ; the head was convulsively thrown 
towards the left side, and all the patient's endeavours to 
keep it straight were of no avail; but by faradisation of 
the antagonistic muscles, I succeeded in restoring the 
balance between the two sets, and calming the spasms. I 
afterwards used faradisation of the skin, which I had 
previously found to be of benefit in hysterical convulsions. 
The influence of emotion in exciting the spasms was most 
striking in this case. The patient suffered far less when 
she was alone, and if the room was darkened; but if she 
thought herself observed and the object of wonder or pity, 
she became much worse. She had, therefore, almost 
retired from society, and was only with difficulty induced 
to leave her rooms, from which she used to shut out the 
light. As eating was troublesome, she took as little food as 
possible, and, in consequence of this, and the melancholic 
turn of mind caused by her affection, her general health had 
become impaired, and the catamenia were very scanty. 
Faradisation was continued for three days, when the 
catamenia appeared before the time, and unusually abund- 
ant, so that the treatment had to be discontinued for a 
week. After that it was recommenced, and the patient 
gradually improved, so that after a month's treatment the 
spasms appeared to be completely subdued. The general 514 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
health rapidly improved in consequence of the changed 
mode of life now adopted by the patient, and the catamenia 
again became normal. 
Case 44.-In May, 1861, I was consulted by a brewer 
from Hampshire, aged 40, a strong healthy man, who, with 
the exception of what he described as biHous head-ache, 
from which he now and then suffered, had never been ill 
before the present affection came on. In February last, he 
first noticed that his head was inclined to fall towards the 
left side. He was unable to assign any exact cause for the 
complaint, but mentioned that some time before, while 
driving, his horse fell and broke his neck, which gave him 
a great shock. He had also had much anxiety lately, and 
had slept on a damp couch shortly before being attacked by 
the spasms. The latter affected the left side of his neck, 
and gradually became so much worse that he was constantly 
obliged to hold his head in the right position with the left 
hand, so that the latter became in a measure useless. He 
was no longer able to dress himself. His food had to be 
cut for him, as he could not hold the knife and fork. He 
was also disturbed at night; for if he attempted to sleep on 
the side as he had been accustomed to do, his head began 
to shake, so that he was obliged to lie straight on his 
back. He could then sleep well, and generally felt better in 
the morning than at other times of the day. The treat- 
ment at home consisted of laudanum, calomel, blisters, 
leeches, and cupping; but it had no beneficial effect 
whatever. He then came up to town to consult Dr. 
Lichtenberg, who prescribed a veratrine ointment to be 
applied to the nape of the neck, and sent him to me, that 
the suffering part might be subjected to faradisation. On 
examining the neck, the left trapezius and cleido-mastoid 
were found more strongly developed than the corresponding 
muscles of the right side, which were soft and flabby. After 
the first operation, the patient felt easier, and could hold 
his head straight for a short time without being obliged to chap, v.] 
SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
515 
support it with the hand. The improvement was so rapid 
that, after a few other applications, the patient could feed 
and dress himself without aid. He could again sleep on 
the side, without being disturbed by shaking of the head. 
I was therefore hopeful of a cure; but the patient, being 
anxious about his business, felt so unhappy in London, 
that he left town before he was quite cured, after having 
stayed here less than a week. 
Case 45.-A married lady, aged 38, who had had no 
children, consulted me in June 1867, for a spasmodic affec- 
tion of the left side of the neck, from which she had 
suffered for the last six years. As a child she had had 
St. Vitus's dance, and had always been in delicate health ; 
her mother was hysterical, and one of her sisters had like- 
wise suffered from chorea. The symptoms of wry-neck 
were very similar to those in Case 43, with the exception, 
however, that there was also occasional spasm in the left 
arm. I employed galvanisation of the left sympathetic and 
the spinal accessory nerve three times a week for a month. 
The head was always perfectly quiet during the applica- 
tion, and much more steady for the after part of the day, 
but the affection had not quite yielded to the treatment 
when the patient was obliged to leave town. She had 
another course of galvanism in July 1868, and then she got 
quite well. 
4. Epilepsy.-In certain forms of epilepsy which 
resist other modes of treatment, the continuous 
galvanic current may do a great deal of good. 
Faradisation is, as a rule, useless in this disease, as 
it has no effect on the nervous centres; indeed, the 
only cases of epilepsy in which it has ever been of 
service, have been those where the menstrual func- 
tion was dormant or irregular, and where it proved 
valuable as an emmenagogue. The best mode of 516 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
applying the continuous current is to direct the 
electrodes to the mastoid processes, the cervical 
sympathetic, and those peripheral nerves in the 
domain of which an aura is repeatedly or occasionally 
experienced. Where the aura starts from a mucous 
membrane, the negative electrode should be applied 
to it; but where it starts from the epigastrium, the 
positive answers better. 
Case 46.-Irregular attacks of Petit Mai. Galvanisa- 
tion of both Hemispheres, and of Medulla Oblongata. 
John F., French polisher, aged 36, married, admitted in 
the Infirmary for Epilepsy and Paralysis, November 27, 
1866, has for the last six years suffered from irregular 
attacks of petit ma], which come on in the following 
manner :-While he is at work, or at meals, and without 
any apparent cause, he suddenly feels severe pain at the 
back of the head, and a thrilling sensation seems to go 
through him, as if he were going to die. Sometimes it 
appears to him ' as if a vapour rose on his brain and muddled 
him.' This lasts only about a second, and he then quite 
loses his consciousness for about a minute. While he is in 
this condition, he generally does something odd-for 
instance, he scratches the plate with the knife, or tears up 
paper or his clothes, or pulls a handkerchief over his head, 
or, if in the street, puts mud on his clothes, &c. When he 
comes out of these attacks, he feels very confused, and sees 
double for two or three minutes. Within an hour or two 
he has quite recovered himself. These fits he has two or 
three times a week, generally only one in one day, and only 
very rarely two or three successively. He attributes his 
illness to a great deal of trouble and anxiety. He also had 
a great fright some years ago, when he was awoke by an 
alarm of the house being on fire. He has never drunk or CHAP. V.] 
SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
517 
smoked to excess. His mother was hysterical, and his 
father died of consumption. Digestion had been out of 
order lately, and he had lost flesh. Four years ago he was 
operated upon for fistula in ano. There was no tubercle in 
lungs, but general emaciation. Ordered ol. morrh. ss. 
bis die, and argenti nitr. gr. ss. bis. 
January 8, 1867.-Digestion improved; has gained 
flesh ; look much better; fits much the same. Continue 
ol. morrh.; argent, nitr. gr. j bis die. 
February 5.-Is now in good general health, but petit 
mal no better. Discontinue ol. morrh. and argent, nitr. ; 
ordered zinci sulph. gr. ij ter die. 
March 19.-Zinc has gradually been increased to gr. xxx 
per diem, but has had no effect except to confine the bowels. 
Continue it for another fortnight, taking pil. coloc. co. for 
constipation. 
April 2.-Petit mal the same. Ordered misturae amarae 
(consisting of extr. quass. gr. iij to the ounce of water), 
§ j bis, and galvanisation of both hemispheres and medulla 
oblongata twice a week. 
May 7.-Since galvanisation was commenced has had 
only one fit, in which he tore his waistcoat. Rep. mist, 
amar. and galvanism. 
October 15.-Has had altogether fifteen applications of 
galvanism, and no fit during the last four months. Ceased 
attendance. 
Case 47.-Epileptic Fits, with Aura starting from 
Epigastrium. Frequent Aurce without Fits. Gal- 
vanisation of the 8olar Plexus. 
Harriet S., aged 26, unmarried, admitted in the Infirmary 
April 25, 1866. She is an eldest child, and works at a sew- 
ing machine. She had an aunt and a cousin who died of 
fits. When she was a child of about four years, they gave 
her a ' roundabout ' at a fair, after which she was first taken. 518 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
When she was fifteen the fits became worse. She was only 
menstruated at eighteen, and the fits then began to occur 
chiefly about the menstrual period, although she was by no 
means quite free ' between times.' She has now generally a 
series of six or eight fits about the time of the catamenia, 
and two or three off and on between. The fit is the usual 
epileptic one, with biting of tongue, and convulsion for 
about five minutes. It is ushered in by an aura running 
up from the epigastrium to the head, lasting a minute or 
half a minute. She describes it as a sort of creeping or 
crawling, which gradually proceeds upwards, and she loses 
consciousness when the crawling arrives at the head. 
Auras frequent without a fit-sometimes four or five in one 
day. She fears the auras very much, as they leave her 
breathless and in a state of excessive alarm. She says that 
they are worse at full moon. She sleeps very badly, and is 
sometimes so restless at night that she is obliged to take a 
' penn'orth of laudanum,' which makes her stupid the day 
after; dreams a good deal, generally of horrible things ; is 
irritable and low-spirited; says that the least thing upsets 
her so, ' as if she had the palsy ' ; appetite ravenous ; bowels 
costive. Ordered potass, brom. gr. xv ter die, with Tqx of 
tinct. hyoscyami; emplastr. lytt. to epigastrium. 
May 23.-At last menstrual period had only two fits 
instead of six or eight as usual, and none ' between times.' 
Feels better in herself; auras not diminished in frequency, 
although blister has been repeated three times. Ordered a 
lotion of equal parts of tincture of iodine and wrater to be 
freely applied to starting-point of aura. Continue bromide. 
June 16.-Has had one fit since, but says that ' sensa- 
tions have been dreadful.' Ordered pure tinct. iodi to be 
applied to the epigastrium. 
June 30.-Iodine has blistered the skin; aura? no better. 
Positive pole of twenty cells, with large conductor, to solar 
plexus, negative to ganglion cervicale superius of cervical 
sympathetic, first at right, then at left side. 
July 7.-Was five days without an aura after application chap, v.] 
SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
519 
of galvanism • had two yesterday, but they had not nearly 
the same effect upon her as usual. Rep. galvanism, con- 
tinue bromide. 
August 4.-Has had neither fit nor aura ; mental health 
wonderfully improved. 
October 9.-Has had altogether eleven applications of 
galvanism. Neither fit nor aura for three months. Ceased 
attendance. 
Case 48.-Epileptic Attacks. Aura starting from the 
Mucous Membrane of the Nose. Galvanisation of the 
Olfactory Nerve. 
Richard S., aged 42, unmarried, a carpenter, was admitted, 
September 18, 1866. Twenty years ago he went to South 
America, where he had a sunstroke, and remained very ill 
for some time afterwards. Since then he has been, off and 
on, subject to epileptic fits. At first they came at very 
long intervals, but now he has generally one or two every 
week. They are preceded by the perception of an abomin- 
able smell, either of tainted meat or fish, or rancid fat. 
Sometimes there is an interval of six or eight hours 
between the first perception of the smell and the fit, while 
at other times the fit occurs close upon the smell becoming 
perceptible. Occasionally, however, he has a bad smell 
and a pain across the nose without a fit. The convulsions 
last two or three minutes. General health tolerable, but he 
cannot masticate very well, as all his teeth were knocked 
out by blows he got on board ship. Ordered calc, hypo- 
phosphitis gr. v ter die. 
October 23.-No change, although the dose has been 
increased to gr. xxx per diem. Potass, bromidi gr. xv 
ter die. 
November 27.-Feels clearer in head and sleeps better. 
No change in fits and auras. 
December 11.-Has had headache and palpitations of the 520 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
heart. Fits the same. Potass, bromidi gr. xx ter die, 
with gr. v of ferri et quin. citr. 
January 22.-Feels not so well; is rather weaker than 
usual. Fits the same. Ferri et quin. citr. gr. x, without 
potass, brom. An insulated sound with metallic top, and 
connected with the negative pole of fifteen cells, is intro- 
duced into the cavity of the nose, the positive pole being 
placed to the mastoid process of the same side, two minutes 
to the left, and the same to the right side. 
29.-Has had no fit since and no bad smells. Rep. mist, 
et galvanism. 
March 26.-Has had eight applications of galvanism, 
and only two fits since it was first used. Smells have 
become less annoying and strong. 
July 9.-Has had altogether fifteen applications of gal- 
vanism. Smells have quite disappeared, and no fits during 
the last two months. Ceased attendance. 
Such results as these are very encouraging, but it should 
be added that they are not always so satisfactory. It 
would appear, indeed, that in some cases which seem to 
be well suited for the application of galvanism, it neverthe- 
less produces little or no benefit, while in two cases which 
have been under my care, the remedy seemed to disagree with 
the patients. The following is one of the latter kind :- 
Case 49.-Caroline B., aged 27, single, admitted March 
2, 1868, had her first fit eight years ago after a violent 
storm. With the exception of an attack of ' inflammation 
of the bowels,' which she had ten years ago, has always 
been in tolerable health. No family history of nervous 
affections. The fit is ushered in by an aura starting from 
the epigastrium, similar to that in Case 47. Galvanism 
was used in her case three times. After the first ap- 
plication ' she had such curious sensations that she did 
not know what to do; ' she felt reeling and giddy, as 
if she had been drinking. A second shorter application 
had the same effect, and after the third she had a bad head- 
ache and felt unable to do anything for a day or two. It chap, v.j 
SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
521 
was therefore given, up. Such idiosyncrasies must, how- 
ever, be very rare, as amongst sixty-four epileptics in which 
I have used galvanism, the application of it disagreed with 
only two. Further observations will show whether the 
immediate benefit which is perceptible in the large majority 
of cases will be permanent; but there is now sufficient 
experience to show that, in well-selected instances, a judi- 
cious use of the continuous galvanic current may be of 
essential service. 
5. Asthma.-Dr. Hyde Salter,* in his able treatise 
on asthma, speaks strongly against the employment 
of galvanism in that disease, and condemns 'the 
passing galvanic shocks through the chest.' He says 
that he has known this to do great harm; to bring 
on an attack in a patient at the time free from 
asthma; that it has, to his knowledge, aggravated 
existing spasm, but never done any good. Dr. 
Salter is at a loss to imagine what idea could have 
suggested the use of galvanism in asthma; but as he 
has taken himself great pains to prove that asthma 
is a nervous affection, depending upon a morbid con- 
dition, either of the pneumogastric or the brain, 
and not upon structural disease of the heart oi' 
air-passages, I am surprised at Dr. Salter's reason- 
ing. I could understand his anathema against gal- 
vanism in asthma, if that disease were due to bron- 
chitis, emphysema, or heart-disease; but as he, with 
great acumen, has made it out to be owing to spastic 
contraction of the un-striped fibre-cells animated by 
the pneumogastric nerve, galvanisation of that nerve 
* On Asthma : its pathology and treatment, p. 317. 2nd edit. 1868. 522 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. V. 
would appear to be a most rational mode of treat- 
ment. Of course we must not think of 'passing 
galvanic shocks through the chest.' This would be a 
foolish proceeding, which could in no case be expected 
to have any beneficial effect. The proper way to 
apply galvanism in a case of asthma would be, to pass 
a gentle continuous current through the pneumo- 
gastric nerve, where it is accessible to the elec- 
trodes, at the neck, in the proximity of the carotid 
artery (p. 324). The induced current applied any- 
where, or any form of electricity applied to the chest, 
would be of no use whatever; but galvanisation of 
the vagus will, I trust, eventually prove a useful 
remedy in cases where other remedies have been found 
wanting. The applications should be very gentle, 
and continued for one or two minutes at a time. 
Long and strong applications only irritate the nerve, 
and might therefore excite an asthmatic attack. I 
have used the continuous current in the way just 
described in two cases of true spasmodic asthma, 
uncomplicated with emphysema or other structural 
lesions, with apparently excellent effects ; but suffi- 
cient time has not yet elapsed to enable me to say 
whether the results may be considered permanent. 
Anyhow, galvanisation of the pneumogastric may be 
safely recommended as a mode of treating asthma 
which has no inherent drawback, and offers a fair 
chance of success. 
6. Shaking Palsy: Paralysis agitans.-Trousseau 
speaks of paralysis agitans as an absolutely incurable chap, v.] 
SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
523 
disease, and this, I believe, is even now true for cases 
which are of long standing, and in which all the 
limbs are affected ; but if the affection be confined 
to one or two limbs, and the case be one of com- 
paratively recent standing, the continuous current 
applied to the nervous centres and as cord-nerve- 
current, may be of service. 
Case 50.-A gentleman, aged 42, who had indulged in 
smoking to an almost incredible extent, his usual allowance 
during the last twenty years having been between twenty 
and thirty full-flavoured cigars in the day, consulted me in 
April, 1866, for shaking palsy of the right arm, which had 
come on four months ago. The arm, which at first shook 
only when the patient was excited, or wished to do any- 
thing hurriedly, now shook continually, and this shaking 
was much more violent when he was in any way worried 
or excited. During the last fortnight, the left arm had also 
commenced to shake occasionally, but as a rule, it was 
quiescent. There was no pain either in the right or in the 
left arm. The patient's general health was tolerable, but 
his eyesight was extremely weak and dim, and he com- 
plained of obstinate constipation. I first made the patient 
promise to give up smoking altogether, and at once, which 
he did. I then carefully regulated his diet, and applied the 
continuous current to the optic, sympathetic, and as cord- 
nerve current, every other day for a fortnight. At the end 
of that time, the patient's sight was considerably improved, 
his bowels were regular, and the arms perfectly steady. 
Three months afterwards he wrote to say that he had had 
shaking in the right arm only on one occasion, after having 
had a considerable annoyance, but that it went off the next 
day, and that he felt quite well again afterwards. 
Dr. Russell Reynolds* has placed on record a case of 
* The Lancet, 1859. Vol. ii. p. 558. 524 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
paralysis agitans of the right arm, which had come on 
suddenly in a man aged 57, who had for two years before 
suffered from occasional tremor of the right arm and leg. 
He used the current of 120 links of Pulvermacher's chain 
battery to the arm, for half-an-hour or an hour each time. 
There was improvement after the first application, and after 
five the spontaneous jactitation completely ceased. It is 
true that in this instance the shaking palsy had only lasted 
a fortnight, and was confined to one limb, which would 
make the case a most favourable one for galvanic treatment. 
I have treated a considerable number of cases of 
shaking palsy of long standing, and where all the 
limbs were affected, affording more or less relief in 
most of them ; but I have never obtained a cure where 
both the upper and lower extremities were affected. 
In some cases, galvanisation combined with the sub- 
cutaneous injection of morphia and atropia, and 
large doses of iodide of potassium, is followed by 
much more improvement than by any of these reme- 
dial measures used singly. 
7. Tetanus.-Many cures of tetanus by electricity 
have been published, but such observations have not 
been given with sufficient detail. It is obvious that 
if electricity is used in this formidable disease, only 
the continuous current should be employed. 
The observations of Messrs. Nobili and Matteucci 
on this subject have already been noticed (p. 202). 
Ranke,* who has lately followed it up, found that 
frogs tetanised by strychnia became quiet as soon as 
a continuous current was sent through the cord. 
* Zeitschrift fur Biologie, vol. ii. p. 398. chap, v.] 
SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
525 
The direction of the current seemed to have no 
influence, but the power required for subduing the 
spasms was only discovered by actual experiment. 
At a certain stage of the poisoning, and where a suf- 
ficiently powerful current was employed, the frog 
remained, during the passage of the stream, perfectly 
insensible to irritants which either before or after- 
wards caused violent reflex spasms ; but the animal 
died all the same, even if the galvanism was con- 
tinued for a considerable time. Ranke has likewise 
established the fact that we are able, by galvanising 
the cord of unpoisoned frogs, for the time being, to 
completely inhibit reflex action. 
The only cases of tetanus successfully treated by 
the continuous current which have been given with 
sufficient detail, are two recently placed on record by 
Dr. Mendel * of Berlin. 
One of these was the case of a girl, aged 4, who had been 
run over by a cart on May 17, 1868, in consequence of 
which she suffered comminutive fracture of both phalanges 
of the right thumb, and some minor injuries. The father 
of the child dressed the wound himself, and when, eight 
days afterwards, the crushed finger was only connected 
with the hand by a small bridge of skin, he cut this right 
through. The general condition of the child appeared then 
to be satisfactory. Six days afterwards, difficulty of swal- 
lowing came on, the teeth could not be separated from each 
other, and the muscles of the neck became rigid. A centi- 
gramme of opium was given every two hours, without any 
result; on the contrary tetanus declared itself decidedly, 
fresh sets of muscles being successively seized by clonic 
* Berliner klinische Wochenschrift, Sept. 21, 1868. 526 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
contractions, while those previously affected remained in 
tonic contraction. 
On June 12 the little patient had a pulse of 132, the tem- 
perature in the rectum being 103'5° Fahr. She was lying on 
her back, moaning and coughing alternately; could neither 
sit nor walk nor stand, and only sit up in bed with much 
trouble, and amidst convulsions. The head was strongly 
retroflexed; the face bluish-red and slightly cedematous; 
the pupils slightly dilated. The masseters and temporal 
muscles were tetanically contracted on both sides, so that 
only the handle of a spoon could with difficulty be inserted 
between the teeth; on the tip of the tongue there were 
some abrasions perceptible, probably from the impressions 
of the teeth. A few herpetic vesicles were noticed on the 
edge of the right side of the lower lip. The right thumb 
was absent; on the right hand there was, above the os 
metacarpi pollicis, which was preserved, a wound of the size 
of a bean, covered with abundant granulations. The hand 
was flexed at a right angle, and slightly supinated ; the 
fingers were closed in the hand. Even on using consider- 
able force, it was impossible to change the position of the 
hand or the fingers. The muscles of the forearm and arm 
appeared hard and stiff. The left arm was in its normal 
condition. 
The trapezii, on both sides, but more especially the right 
one, were rigid and prominent; the head could not be 
moved to either side; the muscles of the back, more espe- 
cially the right rhomboides major, were tonically contracted. 
The muscles of the abdomen were in their usual condition, 
but those of both thighs harder than usual; both feet, more 
especially the right, had assumed the highest degree of pes 
equinus. The muscles of the calf were as hard as a board ; 
the position of the foot could not be altered by employing 
mechanical force. Whenever the body was somewhat 
strongly touched, the spasms increased, their character 
being chiefly that of opisthotonus. 
An examination of the chest showed, to the right and CHAP. V.] 
SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
527 
posteriorly, moist sounds, which were more feebly percep- 
tible anteriorly. The left lung was not affected. The urine, 
which was scanty and passed into bed, contained a large 
amount of urates, but neither albumen nor sugar. There 
was some constipation. The continuous galvanic current 
was now used, and all internal remedies were omitted. 
The positive electrode of a battery of eight cells of Kruger 
and Hirschmann (Daniell's) was applied to the external 
side of the right forearm, and the negative to the cervical 
spine. Almost immediately after closing the circuit it 
became possible to move the hand, which had until then 
been quite fixed, freely in all directions; the tetanus in the 
muscles of the forearm had in fact disappeared. The posi- 
tive electrode, applied in the same manner to the muscles 
of the left calf, while the negative was applied to the lumbar 
spine, appeared to have no effect on the muscles, the foot- 
joint remaining fixed. The positive electrode was then 
applied to the anterior part of the leg, close above the 
joint, after which the tetanus of the gastrocnemii and the 
tibialis porticus muscle disappeared almost immediately; 
and the foot was easily movable in every direction. The 
same proceeding was repeated on the right leg. When the 
positive electrode was placed upon the tetanic muscles, no 
effect was produced, but on being applied to the front of 
the leg, the tetanus ceased at once. The muscles of the 
jaw did not yield so readily, although the positive pole was 
successively placed on various points of the face ; and only 
when it was directed to the left infra-orbital nerve, the 
mouth could be opened a little further. The electrodes 
having afterwards been applied to the muscles of the neck, 
the tetanus ceased there likewise, and the head became 
movable in every direction. 
The whole application lasted about fifteen minutes, and 
the muscles remained relaxed after the application. On 
the following day, the improvement continued, there was 
greater suppleness of all the muscles of the extremities; 
neither the flexors of the forearm, nor the gastrocnemii had 528 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
returned to their previous rigidity ; the position of the head 
and back was better, and the mouth was so far opened that 
a finger could be brought between the teeth. The joints 
were, however, somewhat stiffer than they had been imme- 
diately after the first application. The induced current 
was now used, in order to see whether this would have any 
effect, but the muscles remained in exactly the same con- 
dition as before, and the irritation produced fresh reflex 
spasms. The little patient was now again treated with the 
continuous current, as on the preceding day, and the same 
result, immediate relaxation of the rigid muscles, was ob- 
tained. 
The day after (June 14), the pulse had gone down to 
112, and the temperature to 99'3° Fahr. The child had 
slept at night, the cough and other symptoms of bronchitis 
were less; there was some appetite; the mouth was so 
much open as to allow the introduction of the thumb. 
There was still slight rigidity in the muscles of the right 
forearm, and both legs, but some little force was sufficient 
to overcome it. The position of the head and back was 
satisfactory. The continuous current was again used. 
June 15.-The child had had a good night, had eaten a 
roll, could put her feet to the ground, and had walked a 
few steps on being supported. 
June 16.-The general condition much improved. 
June 17.-The head was freely movable in every direc- 
tion ; the tongue could be put out; the child could stand 
upright. The muscles of the back and the extremities were 
soft and flexible. There was some oedema round the ankles. 
General condition satisfactory. Galvanisation repeated. 
June 18.-No convulsions during the last few days ; sleep 
and appetite good; the fingers of the right hand are still 
slightly contracted, and closed into the hand. No trace of 
tetanus left; galvanisation repeated for curing the contrac- 
tion of the fingers. Within a week this result was like- 
wise obtained. In this case the relief caused by the appli- 
cation of the continuous current was so immediate and CHAP. V.] 
SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
529 
decided, that no doubt about the real efficacy of the remedy 
could be entertained. 
Dr. Mendel has also recorded a case of idiopathic 
tetanus in a girl aged 11, in which the continuous 
current, within ten days, completely overcame the 
affection. In this case he found that if the positive 
pole was placed to the second or third lumbar vertebra, 
and the negative to the sternum, there was immediate 
relaxation of the abdominal muscles. He has drawn 
the following conclusions from his two cases: a 
gentle current should be locally applied to the affected 
muscles. If a strong current is directed to the cord, 
powerful convulsions are the consequence. The posi- 
tive pole should be directed to the antagonists of 
the affected muscles, which agrees with Remak's 
experiment, in which galvano-tonic contractions of 
the extensors were produced by acting on the median, 
and contractions of the flexors by acting on the radial 
nerve (p. 195). The current thus applied seems to 
act rather on the sentient than on the motor nerves, 
for no contractions are visible, while the excessive 
irritability of the sentient nerves is subdued. Dr. 
Mendel thinks that the direction of the current is of 
no importance in these cases. His success appears 
to have been so marked as to encourage us to resort, 
in the treatment of tetanus, to galvanisation, rather 
than to any other remedy. 
8. Hydrophobia.-Several Italian authors have, in 
the commencement of this century, published cases 
of hydrophobia said to have been cured by galvanism ; 530 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
but these records are worthless, because the cases 
have not been sufficiently detailed. More recently 
Signor Schivardi * has published a case of this disease 
which was treated under the supervision of a com- 
mittee of medical men in Milan appointed to study 
hydrophobia, and of which the following is an ab- 
stract :- 
A girl, aged 9, was bitten by a suspicious dog on March 
15, 1866. There were three wounds on her head, and one 
on the right hand, which were not cauterised, but merely 
treated with an ointment, and healed spontaneously. The 
first symptoms of hydrophobia came on on April 27. Two 
days afterwards she was received into the hospital. The 
committee agreed that the continuous current should be 
used, and the negative pole of twenty-two cells of Daniell's 
battery was applied to the forehead, while the positive was 
directed to the feet. 
This current, which deflected the needle to an angle of 
34°, was for four days uninterruptedly sent through the 
body of the patient. The result was that the pulse became 
more quiet, the patient slept, and the throat-spasms de- 
creased so much that the patient could eat and drink again. 
On the sixth day of the disease, after eighty hours' galvani- 
sation, the girl had lost every symptom of hydrophobia, 
and electricity seemed to have mastered the disease ; but the 
patient was now in a state of great prostration and somno- 
lence. The committee refused to administer stimulants. 
The weakness got worse during the next few days. The 
pulse became more frequent, there was profuse perspiration, 
no appetite, loss of consciousness, diminished quantity of 
urine, which was alkaline, and a rod with hydrochloric acid 
approached to the mouth of the patient was covered with 
white fumes. The patient died seven days and seven hours 
* Gaz. med. ital. Lombard. No. 22. 1866. chap, v.] 
SPASMODIC DISEASES. 
531 
after the first symptoms of hydrophobia had set in, of 
arsenic poisoning of the blood. 
Signor Scliivardi thinks that this patient might 
have recovered if stimulants had been given; but 
this, of course, is only an opinion. There seems to 
be no doubt that the symptoms of hydrophobia were 
relieved, but the poison killed the patient just as well 
as if no treatment had been adopted. This would be 
analogous to the case of Ranke's frogs, which, after 
being poisoned with strychnia, could be kept without 
convulsions by the use of the continuous current, but 
died nevertheless of the systemic effects of the poison. 
9. Stammering.-The best mode of treating stam- 
mering is, systematically to educate the vocal organs ; 
but where this is slow to act, or seems to fail, the 
continuous current may be of service in conjunction 
with it. 
Case 51.-An intelligent boy, aged 9, one of ten children, 
was sent to me in January 1868. His general health was 
tolerably good, but ever since his fourth year he had suffered 
from defective speech. He could only talk fluently when he 
was excited, but otherwise he stammered very much. He 
complained of headache and occasional dizziness, and the 
pupils were excessively large. Having some suspicion of 
masturbation, I examined the sexual organs, and found a 
very high degree of congenital phimosis which appeared to 
produce considerable irritation. I therefore, before resort- 
ing to any further treatment, sent him to Mr. Curling to be 
circumcised, which was done in February 1868. In con- 
sequence of this operation the general health improved, but 
the spasm in the throat was still as bad as ever. I there-, 
fore now applied the continuous current to the laryngeal 532 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
nerves continuatively, giving at the same time directions 
for a gymnastic education of the voice. After two months' 
treatment, the patient attending twice a week, he was very 
much improved; and when I saw him again four months 
afterwards, he spoke as well as could be wished. 
10. Facial spasm : {histrionic spasm, tic convulsif}.- 
This affection, which is owing to irritation of one or 
several branches of the fifth pair of cerebral nerves, 
resists all purely medicinal treatment. Neurotomy 
of the portio dura, which has sometimes been per- 
formed for the cure of it, I should consider bad 
practice, as it produces paralysis instead of spasm, 
the former being a greater inconvenience than the 
latter. On the other hand, the excision of a small 
piece from that branch of the fifth nerve, the irrita- 
tion of which produces the spasm, generally cures the 
complaint, without paralysing the muscles of the 
face. The ulterior consequences of neurotomy of 
branches of the fifth nerve in such cases are not yet 
well known; but as it is almost always either the 
supra-orbital or the infra-orbital nerve which has to 
be divided, it is to be feared that the nutrition of 
the eye may suffer in consequence of such operations. 
It would therefore be very desirable to have a less 
severe mode of treatment at our disposal. 
The continuous galvanic current, applied to the 
branches of the fifth nerve, generally improves the 
spasm; but seems to cure cases only of recent stand- 
ing. I have never yet succeeded in completely curing 
one of more than twelve months' duration ; while CHAP. V.] 
ANAESTHESIA.. 
533 
Remak * appears to have succeeded better. In some 
cases a continuative, and in others an intermittent, 
application answers best. The direction of the cur- 
rent should be frequently changed, and the length of 
the application should be from one to five minutes. 
Subcutaneous injections of morphia and atropia are 
useful in conjunction with galvanism. 
11. Muscular contractions.-These occur chiefly 
after exposure to damp and cold, and in hysterical 
persons, and are almost always curable by galvanisa- 
tion or faradisation. Contractions in consequence of 
disease of the nervous centres are always accompa- 
nied by other symptoms pointing to an irritative lesion 
of the brain or spinal cord, and are not nearly so 
amenable to electricity as those due to rheumatism 
or hysteria. 
IV.-ANAESTHESIA. 
Anaesthesia may be due to disease of the brain, 
spinal cord, or peripheral nerves, and is either con- 
plete or partial. In some cases all the different kinds 
of sensations are lost, but in others only one or two 
of them are gone, while the others remain intact. 
Thus common sensation may be impaired or lost, 
■while the senses of temperature and locality are as 
acute as ever, &c. In most forms of anaesthesia an 
electric treatment is of service. Where the affection 
is due to effusions compressing the nervous matter, 
the continuous current appears to be most effective; 
* Berliner klinische Woclienschrift, No. 22. 1864. ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
534 
but where it occurs in consequence of great torpidity 
of nervous power, more especially in hysteria, fara- 
disation of the skin or static electricity, are likewise 
applicable. 
1. Anaesthesia of the Cerebral Nerves. 
a. Loss of Smell {anosmia').-Total loss of smell is 
rare, and its pathology still somewhat obscure. In 
some cases it appears to be due to cerebral disease, 
while in others the olfactory nerve is compressed 
by tumours, exostoses, and effusions. Bertholon has 
recorded a case of anosmia consequent upon rheu- 
matism, and which was cured by static electricity. 
Kragenhoflf obtained a similar good result in a case 
of hemiplegia, complicated with loss of smell. Du- 
chenne mentions that he has frequently used fara- 
disation of the mucous membrane of the nose for 
restoring the lost smell, and has generally been 
successful. Most smells being disagreeable, patients 
seem generally not to care very much to have that 
sense restored. I have seen a case in which anosmia 
came on through excessive snuff-taking, in a Por- 
tuguese merchant; I proposed to him an electric 
treatment, but he would not submit to it. 
b. Amblyopia; amaurosis; weakness of sight from 
imperfect nutrition of the optic nerve.-Amaurosis was 
much more frequently diagnosed before the intro- 
duction of the eye-mirror into ophthalmic practice, 
than it is at present. Von Graefe* excludes from 
* J. Soelberg Wells's Treatise on Diseases of the Eye, p. 396. CHAT. V.] 
ANAESTHESIA. 
535 
this denomination all disturbances of sight depen- 
dent upon material changes in the refractive media, in 
the internal tunics of the eye, and also neuro-retini- 
tis and embolism of the central artery of the retina. 
He confines the term amaurosis to cases of blindness 
from primary or degenerative atrophy of the optic 
nerve, while he understands by ' amblyopia,' that 
impairment of vision, which is produced by irregu- 
larities in the circulation, and which may in the end 
lead to primary atrophy of the optic nerve. 
The medicinal treatment of these affections gene- 
rally yields little or no result. The various forms 
of electricity have often been used, and sometimes 
with satisfactory results. De Saussure obtained a 
cure of amaurosis by shocks of static electricity 
directed from the eye-ball to the neck; while Ma- 
gendie and Person were successful with magneto- 
electricity. M. Lesueur * has recorded a case of 
complete amaurosis, but where the mobility of the 
iris had not suffered, and which was nearly cured by 
electro-magnetism. He applied one moistened con- 
ductor to the closed eye, and the other to the neigh- 
bourhood of the orbit, the neck, and the scalp. 
The operation lasted four minutes. The patient dis- 
continued the treatment before she was quite cured, 
but at the end of it she could read a test-type three 
millimetres high. Unfortunately neither M. Lesueur 
nor any other observer has examined the eyes of 
such patients with the ophthalmoscope, so that we 
* Journal des Connaiss. mid., mars 10, 1861. 536 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
have no accurate information on the nature of the 
disease. 
Mr. Dann,* of Crick, Derby, has recorded a case of loss 
of sight in a servant-girl, aged 15, free from symptoms of 
hysteria, who while engaged with her work, fell and struck 
her eye upon a round knob of the stair balusters. The eye 
became much swollen and inflamed. The patient could see 
imperfectly after the accident, but the following morning 
she was totally blind on the injured side. Mr. Dunn saw 
her three weeks afterwards, when the eye looked perfectly 
healthy, all traces of inflammation having disappeared. 
Supposing it to be a case of concussion and subsequent 
paralysis of the retina, he passed a gentle magneto-electric 
current through the eye, using his finger as electrode. An 
immediate improvement took place; the sight gradually 
returned, and in five minutes the girl read large capitals 
with the affected eye. Faradisation was twice repeated, 
and after the last application one eye was as good as the 
other. In this case also no ophthalmoscopic examination of 
the eye was made. 
Duchenne recommends faradisation for amaurosis; 
but the continuous current would seem to be the 
best of all the different forms of electricity, on 
account of its powerful physiological action on the 
optic nerve (p. 157). The continuous current has 
not yet been fairly tried, and it appears, therefore, 
very desirable that a systematic use of it should 
be made in one of our numerous ophthalmic hos- 
pitals, in order to lead us to definite conclusions 
about its actual value. An examination of the 
eye by means of the ophthalmoscope should always 
* The Lancet, November 1867. chap, v.j 
ANAESTHESIA. 
537 
precede the commencement of the galvanic treat- 
ment, so as to leave no doubt about the nature of the 
case. The applications should be intermittent, short, 
gentle, and frequently repeated. One electrode should 
be put to the cheek and forehead alternately, and the 
other to the tongue ; and voltaic ' alternatives should 
be systematically employed. 
In weakness of sight, without structural lesions, and 
which might perhaps merge into amblyopia or amau- 
rosis if allowed to go on unchecked, the continuous 
current often produces excellent results. I have seen 
a number of cases of this kind, which were due 
either to over-exertion of the eyes in reading and 
drawing, or to the general malnutrition of advancing 
age, and in which a short galvanic treatment rapidly 
restored the eyesight to its normal strength. Some 
of these cases were complicated with photophobia, 
which yielded to the same remedy. 
c. Ancesthesia of the fifth Cerebral Nerve.-An in- 
stance of this kind has already been described (p. 
137). I now subjoin the result of the treatment in 
that case, which consisted of the systematic appli- 
cation of the continuous galvanic current to the 
several branches of the fifth nerve, the positive pole 
being placed to the nape of the neck, while the nega- 
tive one was being gently passed along the peripheral 
ramifications of the nerve. No medicine was given. 
After this treatment had been followed for about three 
months, with several interruptions due to extraneous cir- 
cumstances, the following change had taken place in the 538 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
patient's condition :■-The symptom of photophobia had en- 
tirely disappeared. Indeed the patient was able to leave off 
wearing the eyeshade after the first few applications of the 
galvanic current. The tinnitus aurium was likewise almost 
entirely gone; it was only occasionally slightly perceived 
when the patient was lying down at bedtime. The opacity 
of the cornea was considerably less on the left side. The 
patient can now read Ko. 10 (pica) of Jager's test-types 
with the left eye, while, when he first came to me, he could 
with great difficulty make out single letters of No. 20 (8- 
line Roman). On the right side the improvement was like- 
wise satisfactory, as the patient could read single letters 
of No. 20 with that eye. When I first saw him he was 
obliged to be led by another person; but now he was able 
to guide himself in the streets, and to read the street names 
at the street corners and the signboards of shops. Com- 
mon sensation had to a great extent returned in the left 
side of the forehead, the right cheek, and the chin. In the 
other parts of the face it was still considerably impaired. 
The sense of locality in both sides of the face was re-esta- 
blished, for the patient could tell distinctly where he was 
touched or pinched. The sense of temperature had come 
back to some extent, for the patient was able to distinguish 
between heat and cold, although not so keenly as previous 
to the affection. The sense of touch had returned in the 
left side of the forehead, the right cheek, and part of the 
chin, as shown by the proper perception of the two points 
of the aesthesiometer. The secretion of tears and saliva 
had partially returned, while the excessive secretion of 
mucus had been considerably checked. The lips were no 
longer covered with froth, but quite dry. The lateral mo- 
tion of the muscles of mastication was nearly re-established. 
The patient has been advised to continue the galvanic 
treatment, and I believe that the function of the fifth pair 
will, in course of time, be completely restored by it. He is 
now quite able to follow a light occupation. CHAP. V.] 
ANAESTHESIA. 
539 
d. Loss of Taste is very rare, and would, if reme- 
diable at all, probably yield to the influence of the 
continuous current. 
e. Nervous Deafness.-Cases not unfrequently occur 
in which there is a defect of the power of the brain 
or the auditory nerve to receive or appreciate sounds, 
without any physical alterations of the organ of 
hearing. Such may be properly called cases of ' ner- 
vous deafness.' 
The affection is often accompanied by general 
debility, and seems to arise from causes which have 
a tendency to weaken the tone of the nervous centres, 
such as grief, anxiety, sleeplessness, over-exertion of 
mind or body, and exhaustive discharges. I have 
likewise seen it come on during convalescence from 
acute diseases. Nervous deafness often yields to 
galvanisation or faradisation. 
The most striking effect on the auditory nerves is 
produced by applying the continuous current to the 
mastoid processes; but I generally do not resort to 
this mode of application, just on account of its in- 
fluencing the brain in too powerful a manner, as 
made evident by a feeling of giddiness and faintness 
which it causes. I therefore prefer the application 
of one pole to the membrana tympani, and of the 
other to the ganglion cervicale superius. The appli- 
cation should be intermittent, systematic use being 
made of voltaic alternatives. 
Case 52.-A married lady, aged 46, who had lived much 
in the tropics, consulted me in March 1867. Five years 540 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
ago she had suffered, from small-pox, and when she was 
convalescent her attendants noticed that she had become 
completely deaf in both ears. She gradually recovered her 
health, but not her hearing. She had consulted a number 
of eminent aurists, who had given their opinion that there 
was no discoverable lesion of the organ of hearing, but that 
the deafness was due to a torpid condition of the auditory 
nerves. A great variety of remedies had been used, both 
externally and internally, but without effect. I advised the 
use of the continuous current. Twenty cells produced no 
sounds, and only a very slight pricking sensation. Thirty 
cells produced a stronger sensation, but no sounds. Voltaic 
alternatives were employed. After a fortnight's treatment, 
the patient heard a slight sound, when the positive pole 
was in the water filling the meatus, at the moment that the 
current was broken, while, if the negative pole was used, 
there was a faint singing noise on making the circuit and 
the whole time that the circuit remained closed, but nothing 
on opening it. These phenomena were more distinct in 
the right than in the left ear. A week afterwards the 
patient could faintly distinguish the sound of a bell and the 
musical sound of the hammer of an induction machine with 
the right ear. After five weeks she could hear the ticking 
of a clock distinctly with the right ear, and faintly with the 
left, and could follow conversation if loudly spoken to. 
The treatment had now to be discontinued, as the patient 
was obliged to leave London. I heard from her six months 
afterwards, when she informed me that the right ear had 
continued to improve, and that she could now hear well with 
it, while the left ear had remained in the same condition as 
before. 
On the whole, galvanisation is more useful in these 
cases than faradisation ; but that the latter also may- 
do good, is shown by the following case :- 
Case 53.-A married woman, of highly nervous consti- chap. v.] 
ANESTHESIA. 
541 
tution, aged 37, became deaf as far back as 1849, and the 
only cause she could assign for it was cold. She was always 
worse when she was excited or embarrassed. There had 
never been any inflammation of, nor discharge from, the 
ear ; nor was anything pathological in the ear discoverable 
when Dr. Henry G. Wright examined her at the Samaritan 
Free Hospital (December 1860). My examination of the 
patient's organ of hearing had the same negative result, 
and the case was therefore put down as one of nervous 
deafness. Faradisation of the membrana tympani did good 
at once ; the patient who, when she came to me, did not 
notice any questions I addressed to her, nor heard any 
sounds produced, heard, on leaving my house, a dog bark, 
and on turning into Oxford-street, she heard the whistle of 
an omnibus conductor. From that time she steadily im- 
proved, so that it soon became easy to converse with her. 
At the same time the catamenia, which had been very 
scanty, became more abundant and of a better character. 
M. Bonnafont * has recommended electro-puncture 
of the membrana tympani for cases of nervous deaf- 
ness. He illumines the membrane by means of a 
speculum, and then introduces a fine acupuncture 
needle towards the anterior part of it, until it meets 
with an impediment. A small piece of cotton-wool 
is then put into the meatus, in order to keep the 
needle in its proper position. After this, a silver 
canula is introduced into the eustachian tube, where 
it is fixed with a forceps; and a fine silver wire is 
then inserted into the canula, which is insulated 
everywhere except at its two ends, one of which 
serves as electrode, while the other receives one of 
* Traits theorique et pratique des maladies de 1'oreille et des organes 
de 1'audition. Paris, I860. 542 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
the conducting wires. Magneto-electric shocks are 
then sent through the electrodes. The proceeding 
looks very pretty on paper, but is probably not more 
effective than the ordinary application, which is a far 
readier one. 
2. Anaesthesia from imperfect Cerebral Nutrition. 
The following is an instance of central anaesthesia 
cured by the continuous current:- 
Case 54.-A gentleman, aged 64, widower, accustomed 
to generous living, suffered two years ago from a severe 
cold and indigestion, after which he was frequently troubled 
by an unpleasant sensation of numbness and coldness in 
the left thigh. Of late he had had the same feeling of cold, 
heaviness and numbness in the left side of the head, espe- 
cially after a chill; and walking had become rather trouble- 
some. The memory was good, and although the patient 
had given up active occupation, there was no deficiency in 
his power of application, whenever it seemed to be required. 
There was a well-marked arcus senilis, and the sense of 
smell was defective. My opinion on this case was requested 
by Dr. Allan, of Hyde Park Terrace, in July 1866. We 
agreed that the symptoms could only be due to want of 
cerebral power in the right hemisphere, and that the con- 
tinuous current should be used. I applied fifteen cells to 
the head, and thirty to the thigh, with voltaic alternatives. 
After four such applications, the sensation of numbness, 
heaviness and cold about the head was gone, and two more 
also relieved the anaesthesia of the thigh. 
3. Hysterical Anaesthesia. 
Hysterical women often suffer from a sensation of 
numbness, which is sometimes fixed in a limb, or CHAP. V.] 
ANAESTHESIA. 
543 
part of a limb, but in other instances migrates about 
the body. Cases of this kind are generally curable 
by faradisation. In November 1857, an hysterical 
woman, aged 36, was sent to me by Dr. Henry Gr. 
Wright; she complained of numbness in the nape of 
the neck, the dorsal spine, and both arms. I applied 
the induced current to the parts mentioned, and 
when I saw the patient the following day, she stated 
that she had nearly regained the normal feeling in 
them: three other applications effected a complete 
cure. In other instances, however, a longer treat- 
ment may be required. 
Case 55.-A. C., aged 28, married, was in July 1857 ad- 
mitted into Carlisle ward, St. Mary's Hospital, under the 
care of Dr. Alderson. Three years ago she had suffered 
from rheumatism. Fifteen months ago the first symptoms 
of her present illness appeared ; walking became difficult, 
she did not feel the ground, and suffered from a continual 
sensation of numbness in the back and the lower extremi- 
ties. She had never had cramps or twitches in the leg. 
She had been treated by cuppings, leeches, and blisters 
along the spine, strychnia, calomel, and galvanism. When 
I first saw her, soon after her admission, the skin of the 
face, neck, and arms was duly sensitive, but on the back 
there was complete anaesthesia from the seventh cervical 
vertebra down to the sacrum, and the same was the case 
with the lower extremities. In walking she staggered, and 
the muscles of the lower extremities responded very little 
to the faradic stimulus. There were no symptoms of 
disease of the womb, bladder, and rectum. In order to 
restore the lost vitality to the sentient nerves, I faradised 
the skin of the back and of the lower extremities with 
wire-brushes. While in the normal state of the nerves the 544 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
faradic stimulus is felt as soon as applied, tins patient did 
not feel it until it had been applied from five to six seconds. 
Such was the case on the back as well as on the lower ex- 
tremities ; but in the soles of the feet no sensation could be 
produced even by a most powerful current. I continued 
faradisation, and after six applications the sensibility of the 
back had become nearly normal. The sentient nerves of 
the lower extremities were more deeply impaired than those 
of the back, and it took a longer treatment to effect an im- 
provement in them. The patient walked much steadier 
when she left the hospital, although she had not quite 
recovered. 
4. Anaesthesia from Effusions, or Injury to Nerves. 
Case 56.-A gentleman, aged 62, unmarried, came under 
my care in November 1867. Three months ago he had had 
a sharp attack of gout in the right foot, which subsided after 
six weeks' treatment, when he first began to walk about 
with the aid of a stick. He then found that he had almost 
entirely lost the feeling in the sole of the foot, the ankle, 
and the knee-joint. He used liniments, and the leg was 
rubbed and shampooed, but with no effect. He now com- 
plained of a sensation of complete numbness and loss of 
power in the leg. The prick of a pin was not felt between 
the foot and the knee-joint, and even in the thigh it was 
felt less than in the thigh of the other side. There was 
still some tenderness in the big toe and the ankle, but no 
w'aste of muscular tissue. The leg was colder than the left, 
and the sense of temperature was completely gone. The 
patient had six applications of the continuous current 
intermittently to the nerves and muscles of the thigh and 
leg, after which he had recovered the sensibility and the 
use of the extremity. 
The following case, which was due to injury, oc- 
curred in Remak's practice :- chap, v.j 
ANESTHESIA. 
545 
A woman had injured the second phalanx of her left 
thumb with a hatchet. After the wound was healed, the 
top of the thumb remained insensible and numb. Within 
a twelvemonth the numbness progressed from the cicatrix 
to the back of the arm, along the course of the radial nerve, 
and in front along the course of the median nerve to the 
elbow; and it gradually thence crept up to the neck and 
the left cheek. On these latter places and on the back of 
the arm it disappeared again after a time, but increased in 
the course of the median nerve, and especially in the tips 
of all the fingers. A current of from fifty to seventy cells of 
Daniell's battery was applied to the cicatrix only, and the 
sensation in the thumb and the other fingers was restored 
after four such operations. 
5. Asphyxia. 
Hufeland * appears to have been the first to pro- 
pose electrifying the phrenic nerve in asphyxia of 
newly-born infants, by applying one pole to the 
cervical vertebrae, and the other to the pit of the 
stomach ('nt iter nervi phrenici sequamur'). The 
same proposal was made, sixty years later, by Dr. 
Marshall Hall; f but neither Hufeland nor Hall 
seem ever to have carried out their idea in practice. 
In 1848, Jobert de LambaUe and Ducros made a 
number of experiments on chickens, pigeons, and 
other animals, in which anaesthesia by ether or chlo- 
roform had been produced, and which were readily 
roused by the application of the induced current. 
Duchenne J recommended, in 1855, localised fara- 
* De usu viris electricse in Asphyxia. Gottingae, 1783. 
f On the Diseases and Derangements of the Nervous System. Lon- 
don, 1841. 
J De 1'electrisation p. 738. 546 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. V. 
disation of the phrenic nerves for the cure of as- 
phyxia ; but Ziemssen * was the first who, in 1856, 
used this method successfully. 
A servant-girl, aged 27, was found in her bed, early one 
morning, asphyxiated by charcoal-fumes. Counter-irritation 
of the skin proved unavailing in inducing respiration ; and 
when Dr. Ziemssen was called in, the pulse and respiration 
had nearly disappeared; the skin was getting pale, the 
temperature of the extremities low, and the rales in the 
trachea more marked. As soon as the phrenic nerves were 
rhythmically faradised, the thorax was dilated, the girl 
began to cough, the cheeks showed a faint flush, and the 
extremities became warmer. Faradisation was continued, 
with short interruptions, for two hours, when respiration 
was fairly re-established. Eleven hours after the first 
commencement of faradisation, respiration was perfectly 
regular, and the patient was quite well the next day. 
Friedberg f has recorded a case of asphyxia in a boy aged 
4, who was placed under the influence of chloroform in 
order to have a cyst of the eyelid removed. After a few 
inhalations the pulse suddenly became very small, the face 
livid, the eye glassy, the limbs relaxed; one short rale was 
heard, after which respiration ceased. Cold water was 
rapidly thrown on the face and chest, ammonia held under 
the nose, and the larynx tickled with a small sponge. 
After this had been done for two or three minutes, the 
pulse disappeared completely, the complexion became pale, 
the lower jaw dropped, the expression of the face was 
cadaveric, and the pupils dilated. Artificial respiration by 
methodical compression of the abdomen was then resorted 
to for three minutes, but likewise without any result. 
Dr. Friedberg now faradised the diaphragm by putting one 
electrode to the phrenic on the neck, and the other into 
* Die Electricitat in der Medicin,* 1st edition, 1857. p. 49. 
f Virchow's Archiv, 1859, vol. xvi. p. 527. CHAP. V.] 
ANAESTHESIA. 
547 
the seventh intercostal space, for one second at a time. 
After ten such applications, the first inspiration took place ; 
faradisation was then discontinued, and a second and third 
inspiration became perceptible. After the third, the radial 
pulse re-appeared, and further methodical compression of 
the abdomen was now sufficient for re-establishing respira- 
tion and the heart's action. After twenty minutes the 
child had fairly recovered. The operation was then per- 
formed, and the little patient slept for an hour; after 
which he appeared perfectly well, and no further effects of 
the chloroform were noticed. 
Ziemssen* has recorded four other cases in which faradi- 
sation of the diaphragm was successfully used; the asphyxia 
being due to poisoning with carburetted hydrogen gas, 
charcoal-fumes, and to freezing after alcoholic intoxication. 
In five other cases which have been under the care of the 
same observer, no result was obtained. A case of opium- 
poisoning recorded by Oppenheimer f was also unsuccessful, 
although faradisation of the phrenic nerves had been con- 
tinued for three hours. Mosier and Moller have likewise 
published unsuccessful cases. Pernice J has used faradi- 
sation in five cases of apparent death in newly-born infants ; 
in two of these no result was produced, while in three lite 
was restored. 
Ziemssen recommends to faradise not the phrenic 
nerves alone, but also the motor nerves of those mus- 
cles which act in combination with the diaphragm; 
that is, the branches which proceed from the cervical 
plexus to the trapezius, levator scapulae, and scalenus 
medius muscles; the nervus thoracicus anterior, 
which animates the pectoralis major and minor; and 
* Die Electricitat etc., 3rd edition, p. 180. 
t Lehrbuch dec physicalischen Heilmittel, Hefti, p. 157. 
$ Greifswalder mediciniscbe Beitrage, Band ii. p. 1. 548 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
the nervus thoracicus posterior and lateralis, which 
proceed from the brachial plexus to the scalenus 
medius, serratus anticus, and the rhomboidei. The 
electrodes should be placed there for about two 
seconds at the time, in order to produce a deep 
inspiration ; after which expiration is effected by an 
assistant pressing the abdominal parietes from below 
upwards. It has been proposed to promote expira- 
tion by faradisation of the abdominal muscles, but 
Ziemssen is not in favour of this proceeding, because 
he thinks it impossible to produce such a powerful 
compression of the contents of the abdomen by fara- 
disation as may be effected by mechanical pressure 
on the parietes, and by pushing the diaphragm 
upwards. The current should be powerful and 
rapidly-interrupted. If after the first few times no 
effect is produced, the intensity of the current must 
be further increased, as otherwise the excitability of 
the respiratory nerves might completely vanish. 
Onimus and Legros * think the continuous current 
preferable to faradisation. They have experimented 
on rats, mice, rabbits, and dogs, with ether, chloro- 
form, and nitrous oxide gas; and have found that 
after respiration had ceased, and the animals had been 
apparently dead for two or three minutes, a conti- 
nuous current applied to the digestive tract restored 
them to life. They recommend to place the negative 
pole into the mouth, and the positive into the rectum, 
and to apply the current continuatively, until respira- 
* Comptes rendus, etc., March 1869. HYPERAESTHESIA. 
549 
CHAP. V.J 
tion and tlie heart's action are quite re-established. 
A current of twenty cells would, according to them, 
be sufficient for man. 
V.-HYPERESTHESIA. 
Hyperaesthesia is due either to primary disease of 
some part of the nervous system, or to morbid condi- 
tions of remote organs which cause an irritation of 
the nerves; and it depends entirely upon the cause 
of the hyperesthesia whether it is amenable to elec- 
tricity or not. Where the cause cannot be removed by 
electricity, either no or only symptomatic relief can be 
afforded by the same; while a cure may result, where 
the cause of the hyperaesthesia yields to the electric 
influence. Thus, for instance, hyperaesthesia may be 
caused by inflammatory diseases of the uterus, ovaries, 
and kidneys, or by exostoses in the osseous canals 
through which the nerves pass in their course to the 
periphery, or to cancer, &c.; and in such cases we 
cannot, as a rule, expect electricity to do much good, 
as the irritation of the nerves, and consequently the 
hyperaesthesia, continue as long as the disease per- 
sists and progresses in those parts; yet even in such 
cases electricity sometimes produces temporary relief, 
where other anodynes have been used and failed. 
Professor Schwanda,* of Vienna, has recently related 
a case of cancer of the breast, in which, six weeks 
before death, the pain, spasms, and sleeplessness 
were so severe as to defy all the usual means for the 
* Zeitsehrift der Wiener Aerzte, March 1869. 550 
ELEC TRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. V. 
relief of those symptoms. The patient could not 
rest in bed, but had for three nights and days been 
without sleep, and c contracted with pain.' Professor 
Braun, under whose care the patient was, then ad- 
vised the use of electricity, and after two applications 
of the continuous current the patient felt so much 
relieved that she could assume the horizontal position 
in bed; the use of the current was continued up to 
the time of her death, and was the only thing which 
at all relieved her sufferings. In many instances, 
however, hypersesthesia is owing to impaired nutri- 
tion of nervous matter, unaccompanied with any 
severe structural lesions; and in such cases elec- 
tricity may not only temporarily relieve, but perma- 
nently cure the complaint. 
In the milder varieties of hypermsthesia all the dif- 
ferent forms of electricity may be usefully employed, 
but in the severer forms of it only the continuous cur- 
rent affords relief. Static electricity may be employed 
in the form of sparks and slight shocks. Induction 
currents may be used by means of the electric hand 
(p. 380), which is very useful in headache, or as an 
electric moxa, one wire-brush being pressed to the 
skin, while the other is held at a small distance 
from it, so as to cause sparks to pass from the skin 
to the wire-brush, or by means of moistened con- 
ductors applied to the trunk of the nerve. Whether 
electro-magnetism or magneto-electricity is used in 
such cases, appears to be indifferent. If the con- 
tinuous current be used, the positive pole should be CHAP. V.] 
HYPERESTHESIA. 
551 
placed, by means of a large conductor, to the suffering 
nerve, and the negative in the neighbourhood, the 
application being continuative for from one to five 
minutes. Finally, in obstinate cases of hypersesthesia 
which resist other means, galvano-puncture may be 
employed, which is a most effective, although un- 
pleasant, mode of using electricity. 
1. Neuralgia of the Face {tic douloureux).-There 
are two kinds of facial neuralgia, a mild one and a 
severe one. The former generally comes on after 
exposure to damp and cold, or after mental emotions, 
or is owing to caries of a tooth; it is not made 
worse by moving the face, and it occurs at all periods 
of life ; while the latter occurs generally without any 
apparent cause, is almost entirely confined to ad- 
vanced age, and is brought on or made worse by the 
least movement of the face. The former yields to 
many remedies, and amongst others to electricity; 
while the latter, as a rule, defies every medicinal 
treatment, and only appears to yield to neurectomy 
and the continuous galvanic current. The following 
case is one of the former kind, which readily yielded 
to faradisation :- 
Case 57.-A married lady, aged 28, had been in good 
health until May 1857, when, in consequence of having 
got wet through, she was seized by violent pains in the 
right side of the face, accompanied with fever and general 
indisposition. The latter symptoms soon subsided, but 
severe shooting pains continued to occur in paroxysms, at 
the end of which the patient was completely exhausted. 
For the first few weeks the attacks of pain came on irregu- 552 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
larly, about four or five times in the course of the day; but 
they gradually assumed an intermittent character, only one 
attack occurring every other day, between four and five 
o'clock in the afternoon. Large doses of quinine and 
arsenic had been given, but without producing any effect; 
the patient had also been treated by calomel, bichloride of 
mercury, iodide of potassium, and blisters. Her general 
health had much suffered, and she had become nervous and 
irritable. She now (October 1857) always had a warning 
that an attack was coming on, viz., a kind of tickling in the 
epigastrium, followed by a sensation of pins and needles in 
the face. Soon afterwards the pain begins to shoot through 
the zygomatic bone, the lower eyelid, the cheek and chin, 
is less violent on the nape of the neck, and spares the fore- 
head and temple. Such an attack usually lasts about half 
an hour, and then slowly subsides into a dull aching pain, 
which continues for three or four hours. The following 
day she is free from pain, but on the third day there is 
another paroxysm. Movements of the face do not increase 
the pain. On examination of the face, I found two puncta 
dolorosa, viz., on the zygomatic bone, where the temporo- 
malar, and on the infraorbital foramen, w'here the infra- 
orbital nerve emerges from the orbit: pressure on these 
two points caused a distinctly painful sensation in the free 
interval. I used faradisation, directing the electrodes 
alternately to these two points, by means of moistened 
conductors, conveying a rapidly-interrupted current to the 
suffering nerves. The first application made at the time 
when the attack had just commenced relieved the severity 
of the pain, but did not shorten the duration of the pa- 
roxysm. Two days after, another attack came on in due 
time, but was then much shortened by faradisation. On 
the third day after that, there were premonitory symptoms, 
as usual, but no attack. Next time a paroxysm came on 
which was Subdued in five minutes. Faradisation was 
used five times more, after which the patient appeared to 
be free from the disease. I saw her again in the beginning chap, v.] 
HYPERESTHESIA. 
553 
of June 1858, when she told me that up to that time she 
had been perfectly well. 
Cases of that severe form of facial neuralgia which 
Trousseau has appropriately termed epileptiform neu- 
ralgia, and which is also called Fothergill's disease, 
resist the influence of faradisation. They yield to 
excision of a piece of the suffering nerve, but are apt 
to return as soon as regeneration of the nerve has 
taken place ; and even before that time the neuralgia 
often invades neighbouring branches of the tri- 
facial, so that further surgical operations become 
necessary. I believe that in this affection the con- 
tinuous current is preferable to neurectomy ; in the 
first instance because it does not injure or destroy 
the nerves which are necessary for the proper nutri- 
tion of the face; and secondly, because it has the 
power of completely altering the nutrition of the 
affected nerves, owing to which it probably produces 
more permanent effects than neurectomy. The most 
important case of epileptiform neuralgia which has 
up to the present time been placed on record, is one 
which occurred recently in the practice of Professor 
Niemeyer, of Tubingen, and which has been pub- 
lished by Dr. Wiesner.* In this case surgery and 
electricity had both a fair trial. 
The patient was a huntsman, aged 64, accustomed to 
live in the open air and to ' rough it.' Five years before he 
came under Prof. Niemeyer's care, he first felt a 'painless 
shock ' through the left side of the head and face ; and such 
shocks returned at frequent intervals. After this had gone 
* Berliner klin. Wochenschrift, No. 17, 1868. 554 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
on for a twelvemonth, attacks of severe pain came on, 
which commenced at the angle of the left jaw, and pro- 
ceeded through the zygomatic arch right into the skull. 
Such attacks occurred at first about once in three "weeks, 
and were generally owing to some exciting cause, such as 
smoking, masticating, speaking, wiping the mouth, &c. 
Pressure neither increased nor diminished the pain, the 
fits of which gradually became more frequent. The shocks 
lasted only one or two seconds, but recurred twenty or 
thirty times in the course of the day in the third year of 
the disease. In 1864 the patient consulted Prof. Billroth, 
of Zurich, with the view of undergoing a surgical operation. 
The pain at that time never came on without touching or 
moving the left side of the face, and it never occurred 
during sleep; it affected the left cheek, the upper lip, the 
upper jaw, and the teeth. A few decayed teeth were now 
extracted, but this gave no relief whatever. A number of 
remedies, such as quinine, iron, arsenic, iodine, and vera- 
trine, were then given, with the same result; and it was 
only the subcutaneous injections of morphine which pro- 
duced temporary benefit. By the advice of the late Prof. 
Griesinger, four leeches were now put to the diseased side ; 
and this was repeated a week after, but the condition of 
the patient remained exactly the same. Prof. Billroth 
then excised a piece of the infraorbital nerve, one and a 
quarter inch long, from the infraorbital canal. The piece of 
the nerve which had been excised wras carefully examined 
with the microscope, but it appeared perfectly healthy. 
The patient only remained free from pain for a few days, 
after which the attacks reappeared, although not quite so 
frequently nor so severely. At that time the attacks were 
brought on by pressure on the left upper jaw; and the 
parts animated by the infraorbital nerve remained free 
from pain. The paroxysms, however, getting continually 
worse, Prof. Griesinger advised the removal of the painful 
parts of the alveolar process of the jaw by means of raspa- 
tories. The patient was not put under the influence of chap, v.j 
HYPERESTHESIA. 
555 
chloroform for this operation, as he had to state which 
parts of the bone were painful. The operation was exces- 
sively painful, but had a favourable result; the patient was 
discharged on May 27, 1864, being then quite free from 
pain. 
He was again admitted in February 1866, and reported 
that for some time he had been quite well, but that the 
attacks soon returned, and gradually became more frequent 
and severe. The patient urgently demanded a ' radical 
operation.' The left cheek was now free from pain, but 
all the other parts which are animated by the second branch 
of the fifth nerve were affected. Prof. Billroth then re- 
sorted to the osteo-plastic resection of the upper jaw, as 
practised by Von Langenbeck. He broke off the posterior 
wall of the antrum, and the posterior part of the lower 
portion of the orbit, dissected away the second branch of 
the fifth nerve up to the foramen ovale, and divided the 
nerve close to the foramen rotundum. The zygomatic and 
superior alveolar branches were then drawn out as far as 
possible, and likewise removed, and the infraorbital nerve 
was entirely taken away. The operation'was not followed 
by any bad symptoms, and the wound of the jaw healed 
well together. A careful microscopic examination of the 
nerve again showed no alteration whatever. 
This operation was successful for a time, but towards 
the end of March of the same year fresh paroxysms of 
pain occurred on touching the left upper lip. They soon 
became so severe, that Prof. Billroth excised on April 6, 
1866, the buccinatorius nerve which branches off from the 
third ramus of the fifth. This operation was rendered 
difficult by the numerous cicatrices consequent upon pre- 
vious operations ; the ductus Stenonianus was injured close 
to its point of exit from the gland, and erysipelas set in 
afterwards, but yielded rapidly to treatment. The pain 
was now quite gone, but a salivary fistula remained. In 
May the tic was again as bad as ever in the left side of the 
palate and the chin. On May 9, therefore, Prof. Billroth cut 556 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
away from the cavum oris through the lateral wall of the 
antrum, in order to excise the posterior dental nerves, and 
resected at the same time the mental nerve at its exit from 
the inframaxillary canal. On May 21 the salivary fistula 
was operated for, the anterior portion of the gland being 
removed, and the skin united by sutures. The parts did 
not heal, but suppuration set in, and the whole gland 
gradually sloughed away. In July 1866 the patient left 
the hospital free from pain, and also cured of the fistula. 
He did not, however, long continue in good condition. 
In December 1866 the attacks were again very frequent. 
He was readmitted in July 1867, when the pain was ex- 
cessively severe; it then proceeded from the dental process 
of the upper jaw, and radiated towards the nose, the lower 
eyelid, ear, and temple, from where it penetrated into the 
cavity of the skull. Prof. Billroth then advised the use of 
the continuous galvanic current; but as the patient believed 
that he could only be cured by a surgical operation, the 
Professor, on the urgent entreaties of the patient to do 
something for him, tied the left common carotid artery, 
just below the omohyoid muscle. During the first few 
days after this operation, a few feeble shoots of pain came 
on, but they soon ceased, and on the seventeenth day the 
patient left the hospital apparently well. But again the 
improvement was only temporary, and as Prof. Billroth 
had, in the meantime, left Zurich for Vienna, the patient 
went to Tubingen to consult Prof. Niemeyer concerning 
the applicability of galvanism. 
He was admitted into the hospital in December 1867. 
At that time he used every day eight grains of morphine 
for subcutaneous injections, this being divided into three 
doses. The shoots of pain came on twenty or thirty times 
during the day; their starting-point being the articulation 
of the jaw, whence the pain spread to the anterior side of 
the ear, and the left parietal bone. It came on chiefly on 
touching the left upper lip. The continuous galvanic cur- 
rent was now used, and with such beneficial effect that the CHAP. V.] 
HYPERzESTIIESIA. 
557 
patient was soon enabled to discontinue the subcutaneous 
injection of morphine. After three months' treatment, the 
current having been applied nearly every day, the patient 
left the hospital apparently cured. Whether the effect of 
the galvanism will be more permanent than that of the 
surgical operations, remains to be seen; but it is to be 
expected that, if a relapse should occur, the same remedy 
would again produce the same effect. The current was 
applied, by moistened electrodes, to the affected nerves, no 
regard being had to the direction of the current, and for 
five minutes at a time; sometimes both electrodes were 
directed to the skin, at other times one was directed to the 
skin and the other to the mucous membrane. 
Dr. Wiesner has recorded another case of a similar kind 
which occurred in a patient, aged 74 at the time he came 
under treatment, when he had already been a sufferer from 
the neuralgia for twenty-nine years. In this case a host of 
external and internal remedies had been used without 
effect; M. Nelaton had refused to perform an operation, and 
so had Prof. Bruns, of Tubingen. The induced current 
had been used as ' electric moxa,' but without producing 
any benefit. In July 1867, Prof. Niemeyer used the con- 
tinuous current, connecting the positive pole with a moist- 
ened conductor, and the negative with a wire-brush. After 
twenty such applications, the pain was gone, and only a 
slight increase of sensibility remained in the upper lip. 
Some months afterwards there was a relapse; but it 
yielded rapidly to galvanisation. 
The following case, which occurred seven years 
ago in my practice, is interesting on account of the 
disease occurring in a comparatively young patient, 
and yielding in a very short time to the influence of 
the continuous current, although it had lasted many 
years:- 558 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
Case 58.-A married lady, aged 41, came under my care 
in August 1862. She had, for the last twenty-five years, 
with few intermissions, suffered from Fothergill's disease, 
which attacked the left side of the face, and more especially 
the temple, cheek, and chin. The pain was most violent 
between six o'clock in the evening and two or three in the 
morning, and prevented sleep until then. It was worse in 
damp weather and when easterly winds prevailed, and was 
excited by the least movement of the face, especially the 
lips. Almost every narcotic had been used for relieving 
her, but generally with the effect that the pain was in- 
creased instead of diminished. This was chiefly the case 
with opiates, belladonna, and henbane : arsenic and quinine 
had also been given, but failed. I applied a continuous 
galvanic current of four cells of Bunsen's battery to the 
two inferior branches of the trigeminal nerve, and ordered 
at the same time the internal use of Spa water for improv- 
ing the general health. Three operations, which were very 
pleasant to the patient, wrere sufficient to cure her of a 
disease which had for twenty-five years embittered her life ; 
and up to December 1863, when I last heard from her, no 
relapse had taken place. 
Patients who are more advanced in years generally 
require a much longer treatment, and if this is pre- 
maturely discontinued, the benefit already gained 
may be lost again, of which the following is an 
instance:- 
Case 59.-A merchant, aged 64, widower, living in a 
manufacturing district, had for eight years suffered from 
epileptiform neuralgia in the right side of the face, which 
had first come on after a fatiguing journey undertaken in 
winter, and under anxious circumstances. Since then the 
neuralgia left him only occasionally; and when he came 
under my care in January 1869, he was not free from chap, v.] 
HYPER2ESTIIESIA. 
559 
attacks a single day. Shoots of pain came on after the 
slightest movements of the lips, chiefly during mastication, 
and in speaking, stooping, gaping, coughing, and sneezing. 
An intercurrent attack of dyspepsia, to which he was rather 
subject, always increased the severity of his sufferings. He 
was generally free from pain at night. The severity of the 
suffering was such as to drive him nearly mad ; and he had 
not known any enjoyment of life during the last eight 
years. When an attack came on, he could not help calling 
out or screaming, and he had not been to church for a long 
time, because he had sometimes been obliged to call out in 
the middle of the service. His general health was tolerably 
good, except that there was atheromatous degeneration of 
the valves of the heart, which gave rise to occasional bad 
attacks of dyspnoea. No puncta dolorosa could be found in 
the course of the trifacial nerve, the only objective symptom 
being a swelling in the mucous membrane of the right 
cheek, which was the principal seat of the pain. Digestion 
was good, but the patient was obliged to take his food 
minced very fine, because otherwise the act of taking it 
hurt him ' awfully.' He was also obliged to avoid anything 
hot, as this caused severe pain. No part of the right side 
of the face was quite free from the neuralgia, but the worst 
points were the temple and the cheek. It is unnecessary 
to mention the various remedies which had been used for 
the relief of the pain, as nothing seemed to have had the 
slightest beneficial effect. I now used the continuous gal- 
vanic current, applying at first the positive pole externally 
to the cheek and the temple, and the negative pole to the 
superior cervical ganglion. As this application, however, 
produced no perceptible effect, I introduced the next day 
an insulated metallic sound connected with the negative 
pole into the mouth, and touched with it the painful swell- 
ing in the mucous membrane of the cheek, the positive 
pole being alternately placed to the temple and the external 
surface of the cheek, altogether for five minutes. A current 
of ten cells was used. Immediately after the application 560 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
was over, the patient exclaimed: ' That has done good ! ' 
The next morning he was in high spirits, as he had been 
qnite free from pain during the remainder of the day, and 
had been able to masticate and eat his dinner without any 
trouble. He had had a good night, and it was only at 
breakfast that the pain had to some extent returned, 
although it was not nearly as bad as before. Within the 
next few days the patient had a bad attack of diarrhoea; 
nevertheless the pain remained in abeyance on masticating 
as well as on stooping. After the current had been applied 
a few more times, the inside of the cheek had become rather 
sore, and the treatment was therefore discontinued for a 
few days. The diarrhoea did not yield to the remedies used 
for it, and the patient consequently got very much below 
par; under these circumstances, about a fortnight after 
the commencement of the treatment, the pain returned 
much in the same manner as before. The patient then had 
another internal application, after which he was again 
much better. The next day, however, he was unfortu- 
nately seized by a bad attack of influenza, and the pain 
returned. When he had recovered from the influenza, he 
went to the seaside for change of air, and it appears that 
the neuralgia has since then continued in much the same 
manner as before. In this case galvanism was certainly 
used ' under difficulties; ' as the patient had, during the 
time he was under the influence of it, two acute affections 
which interfered considerably with his general health ; and 
I consider it highly probable that, if the galvanic treatment 
could have been continued for some time longer, and under 
more favourable circumstances, a cure would have been 
effected. 
2. Neuritis of the trifacial Nerve.-In neuralgia of 
the trifacial, whether it be mild or epileptiform, there 
are no structural alterations of the nerve or its sheath 
evident to our senses, even if these are aided by the CHAP. V.] 
HYPERESTHESIA. 
561 
microscope. There are, however, cases in many re- 
spects resembling neuralgia, but which are really 
due to neuritis, and in which the galvanism should 
be somewhat differently applied. We may distinguish 
neuralgia from neuritis chiefly by the difference in 
the sensitiveness of the patient to the galvanic cur- 
rent. In true neuralgia the patients actually relish 
the application of the continuous current, while in 
neuritis they dislike it. This is on the whole the 
most reliable diagnostic guide; yet we generally find 
that in cases of neuritis there are other symptoms 
besides the pain, viz., ansesthesia of the skin, tremor 
of muscles, and also local paralysis of certain muscles. 
In such cases the current used should be so gentle 
as to be hardly perceptible, and the length of appli- 
cation should under no circumstances exceed a 
minute, as long and powerful applications aggravate 
the symptoms. In epileptiform neuralgia, on the 
contrary, the current has generally to be used for 
about five minutes each time, and should be plainly 
felt by the patient. 
3. Headaches.-There are few headaches which 
resist faradisation by the electric hand, or a gentle 
continuous current; but we should at the same time 
enquire into any derangement of the stomach or 
other organs which may be present, and which are 
so frequently instrumental in producing headaches. 
Yet many cases occur where a judicious medicinal 
treatment entirely fails in relieving the headache, 
and where this is promptly cured by electricity. I 562 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
have seen a large number of such cases, in which 
either of the above-mentioned methods of applying 
galvanism proved successful. 
A frequent and peculiar form of headache is the 
sick headache (hemicrania). This generally resists 
not only medicinal treatment, but also faradisation 
by the electric hand; it yields however to the con- 
tinuous current, applied through the mastoid pro- 
cesses and the temples. 
4. Photophobia.-This troublesome symptom fre- 
quently accompanies diseases of the cornea and 
conjunctiva, and obliges the patients to keep their 
eyes closed. It often resists the ordinary treatment, 
but yields readily to the continuous current. Mr. 
Hewson has placed on record thirty-two cases of 
photophobia due to scrofulous inflammation of the 
cornea in children, which were all cured by the 
application of the continuous current. These children 
were between one and six years of age. The induced 
current made them worse, while from one to three 
applications of the continuous current completely 
relieved the affection. He placed the negative elec- 
trode to the supra-orbital foramen, and the positive 
to some part of the face. Other observers have 
obtained equally beneficial results. 
Case 60.-A married lady, aged 37, had suffered from 
glaucomatous inflammation of the left eye in the autumn 
of 1865. The cause of the affection was believed to have 
been rheumatic. She was seen by many oculists and phy- 
sicians, and underwent iridectomy, but without much 
benefit. When I first saw her, in May, 1868, I found her chap, v.] 
HYPERESTHESIA. 
563 
highly hysterical; she often suffered from convulsive attacks, 
dizziness, palpitations of the heart, and pain in the epigas- 
trium, back, and side. The most troublesome symptom, 
however, was intense photophobia, so that she would not 
leave her room, which had always to be kept dark. She 
was with some difficulty persuaded to have a gentle con- 
tinuous current applied to the eye. The positive pole was 
placed on the closed eyelid and the left to the superior cer- 
vical ganglion. She felt much better after the first applica- 
tion, and after three more the photophobia was quite gone. 
5. Tinnitus aurium- noises in the head.-The 
pathology of noises in the head consists at present, 
according to Mr. Hinton, of a few scraps of positive 
knowledge, with a great deal of conjecture. Mr. 
Hinton believes that this symptom has not any 
precise pathology in the sense of having any uniform 
cause, but that its pathology is like that of neuralgia. 
It generally appears as age advances, and is probably 
due to impaired nutrition of the fifth or the auditory 
nerve. I have found that it frequently yields to 
galvanisation, even when it has existed for many 
years. The current should be applied to the mem- 
brana tympani, and the cervical sympathetic, inter- 
mittently, with voltaic alternatives. 
6. Cervico-occipital Neuralgia.-This occurs in the 
sphere of the occipital nerves, which arise from the 
upper four cervical nerves, and has the same patho- 
logy as tic. It is curable by galvanisation, but great 
care is necessary in using the current, as it may do 
harm if the application is too long or too strong, or 
if the treatment is too long continued. 564 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
Case 61.-A lady, aged 49, had suffered from cervico- 
occipital neuralgia for the last twenty years when she came 
under my care (July 1869). No medicine had ever done 
her the least good, and the only thing which had for a time 
removed the pain was the actual cautery, which was applied 
by Mr. Paget in 1868. The pain, however, returned some 
time afterwards, and was now as bad as ever. The least 
touch 'drove her nearly wild,' and it was an ' agony ' to have 
her hair dressed. I applied the continuous current to the 
occipital nerves continuatively for two minutes, with the 
effect that the pain was very nearly gone after the applica- 
tion ; ' it seemed to have hardened her head; ' she had a 
comfortable day and night, and the hair had been dressed 
without causing inconvenience. The current was now used 
several times more ; but after the third application there was 
a considerable increase in the severity of the pain, together 
with great restlessness, sleeplessness, and general nervous 
disturbance. The treatment was therefore given up. In this 
case I believe that a cure might have been effected if only 
one or two applications had taken place; and I now make 
it a rule not to apply the current again when the pain has 
completely disappeared. It appears probable that in such 
cases the neuralgia is due to a faulty (peripolar or dipolar) 
arrangement of the electrical molecules of the nerve, which 
may be set right by one or two applications of the conti- 
nuous current, but may be again disturbed by further appli- 
cations, more especially in persons of such highly sensitive 
constitution as the patient whose case has just been 
described. 
7. Other forms of Neuralgia.-Cases of pain in the 
back and of inframammary pain are generally curable 
by electricity. Inframammary pain is in some in- 
stances dependent upon incipient lateral curvature of 
the spine, but more frequently exists without any 
apparent structural lesion. It is generally felt below chap, v.] 
HYPERESTHESIA. 
565 
the left mamma and at the margin of the ribs. I 
have seen a number of cases of this affection, some 
associated with amenorrhoea, others not. In those 
patients who suffered from amenorrhoea, the return 
of the catamenia and the disappearance of the pain 
were simultaneous. 
Intercostal neuralgia likewise often yields to gal- 
vanisation or faradisation. 
In the neuralgic stomach-ache (gastrodynia), which 
is to be traced to a functional derangement of the 
solar plexus of nerves, and where the pain is fre- 
quently confined to a small place on a level with 
the central ganglion, the continuous current is one 
of the most useful remedies at our disposal. The 
effect is, in most cases, immediate, and if the treat- 
ment be persevered in for some time, permanent. 
Sciatica.-In sciatica, faradisation as well as gal- 
vanisation generally prove successful. It is sometimes 
advisable to combine them with subcutaneous in- 
jections of morphia and atropia. 
Case 62.-A Scotch farmer, aged 35, came under my care 
in July 1857. He had never been in strong health, and 
suffered for a long time from acidity in the stomach. Eight 
years ago he had his left thigh amputated for tumor albus, 
and he wears now an artificial leg, which, being very 
heavy, exerts a great strain upon the left side of the pelvis. 
Three years ago, he first began to feel pain on the back of 
the right thigh, and the inside of the leg, down to the ankle. 
The pain was at first dull and heavy, but after a time 
became so acute that the patient was laid up by it. He 
thought it was brought on by his having taken too much 
exercise. He did not suffer from violent attacks of pain 566 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
followed by free intervals, but bad no rest whatever. He 
placed himself under the care of two of the most eminent 
practitioners of Edinburgh, and after some time was much 
relieved, the acuteness of the pain slowly but gradually 
subsiding. He then left Edinburgh ; but being still very 
bad, acupuncture was resorted to, from which he received 
immediate relief, but the pain never entirely left him, and 
was much about the same shortly after the operation. 
About two years afterwards he came to Town and consulted 
Sir James Clark, who sent him to me. The pain was ' a 
dull ache ' at that time ; it increased much on walking, even 
for a short distance, and in the first part of the night. 
Pressure had no marked influence upon the pain; but it 
rather relieved than increased it. The muscles of the leg 
twitched a good deal in the morning, but not much in the 
course of the day; these twitches were quite painless, 
and no doubt due to mal-nutrition of the limb. I used 
faradisation of the skin, by wire brushes, but as two such 
applications produced no effect, I applied the next day 
moistened electrodes, placing the positive one to the tu- 
berosity of the ischium, and the negative to the ankle for 
six minutes. Immediately after this application the pain 
was quite gone ; it returned three hours after the operation, 
but was not nearly so severe as it had been before, and 
the patient had a very good night's rest. I repeated the 
operation three times more; after the second, the pain 
went away till the following morning ; and, after the fourth, 
it was only slightly felt in walking, but not while in a 
quiescent position. The patient was then obliged to leave 
Town, and six weeks afterwards I received a note from him 
stating, that since faradisation was used, the limb had 
been a good deal better. He was, however, not totally free 
from pain when he walked to any distance; yet the pain 
went off sooner, was less severe, and not so liable to return 
as formerly. I therefore advised him to undergo another 
course of the same treatment. This the patient did some 
time afterwards. Faradisation was used six times more as CHAP. V.] 
HYPERESTHESIA. 
567 
above, and with such beneficial effects that he was no 
longer in pain, even when walking three or four miles at a 
time. 
Case 63.-A retired general officer, aged 50, came under 
my care in October 1867. With the exception of a bad 
attack of dysentery, which he had had in China about twenty 
years ago, he had always been in good health until about 
eighteen months ago, when he got wet through and was 
unable to change his clothes for some time. The next day a 
severe attack of sciatica came on in the left leg, which was 
treated by leeches and blue pill. About a month afterwards 
he was able to leave his bed, but the pain had continued 
ever since. It increased on walking, and was very trouble- 
some at night. Both thigh and leg were considerably 
wasted, there being a difference of two inches in the thigh, 
and three-quarters of an inch in the leg, compared to that of 
the other side. His weight had also considerably dimi- 
nished, being more than a stone less than before. There was 
incomplete anaesthesia of the skin from the hip downwards. 
The sense of temperature was considerably diminished, and 
there were fibrillary twitches in the muscles of the leg. 
Digestion was impaired and costiveness habitual. There 
was an excess of urates in the urine and the expulsive 
power of the bladder had become somewhat diminished. 
The patient often suffered from headache and restlessness 
at night. The pain was most severe about the inci sura 
ischii and the knee-joint; but it was also bad in the calf 
of the leg, especially after attempting to walk. I prescribed 
Vichy water for correcting the excess of acidity and applied 
the positive pole of the continuous current of 30 cells con- 
tinuatively, by means of a conductor of large surface (three 
inches' diameter) to those points of the nerve which were 
painful on pressure, the negative pole being placed in the 
neighbourhood. The wasted muscles were afterwards 
faradised. The pain was considerably less after the first 
application, and completely disappeared after six. The 568 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
current was now employed, intermittently for relieving the 
anaesthesia, and faradisation was continued. Within a 
month the thigh and leg had recovered their usual hulk; 
the patient was again able to take regular walking exercise, 
digestion was improved, and the excess of urates had 
disappeared from the urine. The patient called upon me 
in February 1869, and informed me that he had been quite 
well ever since. 
I conclude this section with a case of diffuse 
neuralgia, which was remarkable for its cause and 
rapid cure. 
Case 64.-A merchant, aged 30, of vigorous constitu- 
tion, and active habits, was a passenger by the Canadian 
steamer, which foundered at sea on the 4th of June, 1861, 
about 200 miles off the coast of Canada. Many of the 
passengers were drowned; but this gentleman, by means of 
a life-buoy, was enabled to float until, three-quarters of an 
hour afterwards, he was picked up by a boat which was 
passing. Life was then almost extinct. The water was 
at the time excessively cold, as large masses of ice were 
floating in it. The patient, however, soon rallied; but 
unfortunately he had to remain in his wet clothes for a 
considerable time; and, even when he landed, he could not 
at once obtain a change of dress. He did not at first expe- 
rience any bad effects from this accident; but, after some 
time, he began to feel severe burning pain in the arms and 
logs ; and when the pain subsided, he perceived numbness 
in the limbs and loss of muscular power. He soon after- 
wards returned to England, and was, during his passage, 
subjected to treatment by the ship-surgeon, who prescribed 
anodyne applications of opium and aconite to the arms, and 
general tonics; but he derived no benefit whatever from 
the remedies used. On his arrival in this country, he 
consulted Mr. Snape, of Bolton-le-Moors in Lancashire, 
who thought that faradisation would be the best means of CHAP. V.] 
IIYPERjESTIIESIA. 
569 
restoring him, and sent him to me. On examination, I found 
the following morbid symptoms:-1st, as regards the sentient 
nerves : there was a burning neuralgic pain, especially in the 
fore-arms and thighs, which increased very much towards 
evening and in the night; so that the patient was prevented 
from sleeping, and in consequence became much exhausted 
in the morning. There was also anaesthesia, especially in 
the right hand and fore-arm, where the prick of a pin could 
not be felt; while, on other parts, it was only obtusely felt, 
and not as a prick, but as a mere touch. The sense of touch, 
especially in the right hand, was much diminished. Finally, 
there was a semi-paralytic condition of the arms ; the 
patient could move them, but he had no power over the 
muscles; he could not grasp anything with force, and ex- 
perienced great difficulty in writing. The contractility of 
the muscles was not diminished, as they answered readily to 
an electric current of moderate power, only the influence 
of volition over them had considerably decreased. The 
flexor muscles of the fore-arm were most affected. The 
general health of the patient was good, notwithstanding the 
loss of rest, and the wear and tear consequent upon great 
suffering. I used faradisation of the skin and the suffering 
muscles, with excellent results. The pain, which was very 
severe at the time the patient came to me, disappeared 
during the first application ; and he slept soundly the 
following night. The pain returned in the morning, 
although in a less degree ; and, after a few more applica- 
tions it was entirely subdued. The anaesthesia also yielded 
rapidly to the means employed. After three operations, 
the patient was again able to feel distinctly, not only the 
prick of a pin, wherever I applied it, but also the mere 
touch of blunt instruments ; and when he left town, after 
having been under my care for six days, he was quite free 
from pain, the anesthesia was gone, the sense of touch 
was again normal, and the muscular power had returned. 
I have not seen him since ; but Mr. Snape has written to 
me to say that the effects of the treatment have been per- 570 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
manent; and that the patient returned to Canada some 
time afterwards in perfect health. 
VI.-PROGRESSIVE LOCOMOTOR ATAXY. 
Sufficient evidence has now been brought together 
for enabling us to say that nitrate of silver, espe- 
cially when given in combination with some prepara- 
tion of phosphorus, has curative effects in many 
cases of progressive locomotor ataxy. But where 
these remedies should fail, or be slow in their action, 
galvanisation should be employed. Recent cases of 
the affection are often cured by the continuous 
current, while such of old standing only receive 
temporary benefit from its use. Galvanisation may 
be often usefully combined with a gentle hydro- 
therapeutic treatment. 
The following case of ataxy occurred in Benedict's 
practice :- 
An artisan, aged 39, who had exceeded in drinking and 
sexual intercourse, was, five years before he came under 
treatment, seized with lancinating pains, and soon after- 
wards with weakness in the legs. All four extremities 
were numb, and there were frequent involuntary evacua- 
tions of the urine and faeces. He had the feeling of a 
tight band round the stomach. He was admitted into 
Oppolzer's Clinique in February 1863. He could not then 
stand for one instant with his eyes closed without falling; 
on turning round he staggered. Going up and down 
stairs was very difficult. The memory was bad ; there was 
double vision, owing to weakness of the right rectus exter- 
nus muscle ; the lower portion of the dorsal spine was 
sensitive to pressure; he suffered from spasms and vertigo. CHAP. V.] 
SPINAL WEAKNESS. 
571 
The patient was treated with the cord- and cord-nerve-cur- 
rent, and was, three months after the commencement of 
the treatment, quite free from every symptom of ataxy. 
Onimus,* who has likewise obtained good results 
from the galvanic treatment of ataxy, lays stress 
upon the necessity of using an inverse current to the 
spine, and to omit galvanisation of the extremities 
altogether. As the natural tendency of ataxy is to 
travel upwards in the spinal cord, the proposition of 
Onimus appears judicious. I have however found 
that where the affection is confined to the lower por- 
tion of the cord, the direct current answers equally 
well as the inverse, and in some cases even better. 
VII.-SPINAL WEAKNESS. 
Atony of the spinal cord not unfrequently occurs 
without any structural disease, and is often not 
recognised, because many medical practitioners look 
upon the complaints of these patients as the mere 
offspring of a disordered imagination, and, therefore, 
class them under the convenient name of hypochon- 
driasis, in the male sex ; and of hysteria, if occurring 
in women. The illness of such patients, however, 
is not imaginary, but real, and they suffer quite 
as much as if they were affected by some organic 
disease. One form of spinal weakness has, as chief 
symptoms, weakness and irritability of the nervous 
system (commonly called nervousness), together with 
* Gazette des Hopitaux, 1868. No. 116-118. 572 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
imperfect digestion, and increased elimination of 
urea by the urine. Of this form, which I have 
reason to believe to be very frequent, the following 
is a good example :- 
Case 65.-F. S., aged 42, a gentleman actively engaged in 
speculative business, had to do unusually hard work, and to 
undergo considerable anxiety during the autumn of 1865. 
He had felt nervous and irritable for a long time previous 
to this ; but the first symptom of real illness which super- 
vened was sleeplessness, which commenced in November 
1865, and gradually got worse until March 1866. He 
either did not go to sleep at all on getting into bed, or if 
he dropped asleep from utter weariness, he woke up again 
in about half an hour, and lay restless during the remainder 
of the night. Besides this he complained of a feeling of 
great exhaustion, total disinclination to work, and to bodily 
exercise of any kind ; of weakness in the back, and pain at 
the nape of the neck. He was easily excited and worried 
by little things, and extremely intolerant of noise, or of 
being asked any questions. He was frequently troubled 
with a sense of vague alarm, and distressing sensations in 
the head. He disliked his meals, and generally suffered 
from heaviness on the chest, flatulence and acidity, which 
seemed to be quite independent upon the quality or quan- 
tity of the food taken, and which came on chiefly after 
mental emotions or excitement. He was also much incon- 
venienced by frequent calls to pass the urine, especially in 
the morning, after breakfast. The analysis of the urine 
showed at once the nature of the morbid condition, as I 
found it to contain a considerable excess of urea. I now 
examined the urine daily for some time, and found that 
this excess of urea was not accidental, but constant. The 
body-weight of the patient was eleven stone three pounds, 
and the daily quantity of urea excreted by him should 
therefore have been about 550 grains. It was, however, CHAP. V.] 
SPINAL WEAKNESS. 
573 
continually several hundred grains in excess of this, as 
shown in the following table :- 
Date 
Number of 
Fluid Ounces 
of Urine 
passed in 
24 Hours 
Specific 
Gravity of 
Urine 
Quantity of 
Urea in 
Grains 
Morbid 
Excess of 
Urea in 
Grains 
Treatment 
March 
17 
58 
1027 
808 
258 
18 
not noted 
not noted 
not noted 
not noted 
19 
5 ) 
'« 
20 
56 
1027 
780 
230 
Galvanism 
21 
52 
1027 
724 
174 
22 
57j 
1027 
801 
251 
Galvanism 
23 
46 
1026 
638 
88 
24 
52 
1026 
721 
171 
25 
not noted 
not noted 
not noted 
not noted 
26 
57 
1026 
790 
240 
Galvanism 
27 
52 
1025 
718 
168 
28 
48 
1025 
662 
112 
Galvanism 
29 
47 
1025 
649 
99 
30 
49 
1024 
671 
121 
31 
44 
1024 
603 
53 
Galvanism 
April 
1 
not noted 
not noted 
not noted 
not noted 
2 
,, 
Galvanism 
3 
42 
1023 
557 
7 
4 
46 
1023 
611 
61 
Galvanism 
5 
43 
1022 
554 
4 
This patient was treated with nothing but the applica- 
tion of the continuous galvanic current, as cord- and cord- 
nerve-root-current, with voltaic alternatives. The influ- 
ence of each application in diminishing the excretion of 
urea is well shown in the table; and the improvement in 
the general health went pari passu with this. The patient 
had three hours' uninterrupted sleep after the first applica- 
tion of galvanism, and that most troublesome symptom, 
sleeplessness, which had resisted morphine, was soon 
entirely removed. After three weeks' treatment the patient 
felt like another man, being able to exert himself both 574 
ELECTRO-TIIERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
mentally and bodily, to enjoy his meals, and to take an 
interest in the concerns of daily life. 
The case just related, to which I might add many 
more, shows in a striking manner how much the 
functions of digestion and urinary secretion are under 
the influence of the nervous system. Patients of this 
class have no disease of the stomach or the kidneys, 
as they are often inclined to believe, but suffer from 
spinal weakness, a functional disorder of the spinal 
cord, which, in my opinion, consists chiefly of a 
deficiency or perversion of the current of animal elec- 
tricity, which Professor Dubois-Reymond, of Berlin, 
has shown to pass through the cord in its normal 
condition. Dr. Ranke,* of Munich, has proved by 
experiments on frogs, that, if the current proper of 
the cord is deficient, these animals suffer from a 
morbid increase of reflex excitability, and are often 
in a miserable and wretched state of health. He 
also found that this morbid reflex excitability could 
be removed by the application to the cord of a con- 
tinuous galvanic current. Even in healthy frogs, a 
sufficiently powerful current sent through the cord 
will, for the time being, completely inhibit reflex 
action, which is another proof of the fact that the 
mechanism of living ganglion cells is accessible to 
physical influences. The systemic current which, in 
the healthy animal, streams inversely through the 
cord, most probably constitutes a contrivance for the 
* Zeitschrift fur Biologie, 1867. Vol. ii. p. 398. CHAP. V.] 
SPINAL WEAKNESS. 
575 
inhibition of reflex movements; and a pathological 
increase of reflex excitability is therefore probably 
dependent upon the diminution of the inverse current 
streaming through the cord. 
I have Observed that in patients suffering from 
nervousness, dyspepsia, and increased elimination of 
urea, the most effective treatment is the application 
of the cord- and cord-nerve-root-current. No doubt 
patients of this class often derive great benefit from 
rest, change of air, mineral acids, arsenic, nitrate of 
silver, and other nerve-tonics; yet in almost all cases 
which I have had under my care, some remedies of 
this kind had already been employed without much 
or any result; and I am satisfied that none of them 
equal in efficacy and quickness of effect, the continu- 
ous galvanic current. If applied in the manner 
described above, the current has no direct effect on 
the stomach, and yet it cures dyspepsia; it has no 
immediate action on the kidneys, and yet it checks 
the morbidly-increased elimination of urea; it has 
however a powerful influence on the molecular condi- 
tion of the ganglion-cells of the spinal cord, and 
chiefly on the current of animal electricity to which 
I have just alluded. In strengthening this current, 
where it is weak; in correcting it where its direction 
may be perverted, it not only does away with the 
weakness and morbid excitability more immediately 
depending upon the pathological condition of the 
cord, but it also indirectly removes symptoms on the 
part of remote organs, such as the stomach and kid- 576 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
neys, which are due, not to a disease of their own 
structure, but to a perverted and diminished nervous 
supply, which prevents them from properly fulfilling 
their functions in the human economy. 
Spinal weakness likewise occurs in young persons 
who have grown unusually fast; and is then gene- 
rally associated with deficiency or imperfect assimila- 
tion of phosphorus in the system. It is, therefore, 
only natural that nervous and osseous matter, which 
cannot be properly formed without a plentiful supply 
and proper assimilation of phosphorus, should suffer 
under these circumstances. In the commencement 
of the complaint, I have found that an artificial 
supply of phosphorus is sufficient for a cure; but 
when the affection has lasted for some time, the con- 
tinuous current should also be used, as it considerably 
accelerates recovery. 
Case 66.-A young lady, aged 22, very tall and of sallow 
complexion, came under my care in February 1866. She 
had grown very rapidly, especially between her seventeenth 
and nineteenth year, and had been ailing ever since. All 
the symptoms were referable to imperfect nutrition of the 
spinal cord and osseous system, and had lately increased to 
such an extent as to cause her parents much uneasiness. 
Being of an impulsive and highly gifted nature, she would 
take a passionate interest in certain things, and devote 
many hours of hard work to mastering a subject which 
attracted her imagination ; after which she would be com- 
pletely exhausted and prostrated for days or weeks, and be 
unable to do anything whatever. She often suffered from 
excruciating pains in the lower part of the spine, especially 
on making a sudden movement. She was almost entirely chap, v.] 
BASEDOW'S DISEASE. 
577 
incapacitated from taking any active exercise, partly by 
pain and partly by weakness. The bones were sore and 
tender, and there was an excess of phosphates in the urine. 
Her appetite was very fanciful, her digestion weak, and 
the bowels habitually costive. The catamenia were regular, 
but pale and scanty. She had already taken a great many 
medicines, amongst which was phosphoric acid in combina- 
tion with iron. I prescribed phosphorus in the form of the 
hypophosphite of lime, and used the continuous current as 
cord- and cord-nerve-root-current three times a week for a 
month. The patient was, in about a fortnight from the 
commencement of the treatment, able to walk out and 
take active exercise. Her digestion gradually improved, 
the morbidly-increased elimination of phosphates by the 
urine was checked, the catamenia became of a healthy 
character, and the bones became less sensitive. She took 
the hypophosphite altogether for three months, after which 
she appeared perfectly well. She had become stouter, and 
could walk for miles without fatigue. The beneficial effects 
of galvanisation were very strikingly shown, inasmuch as 
at first the patient could only walk on those days when the 
galvanism had been applied, but not on the other days. 
The pain which she used to feel in the spine disappeared 
after two applications of the galvanism, a circumstance 
which could not be ascribed to the medicine she was taking, 
as this has a very slow and gradual action in the system, 
while the effect of galvanisation is generally immediate. 
This lady was married in June, 18G7, and has continued in 
excellent health. 
VIII.-BASEDOWS DISEASE, EXOPHTHALMIC 
GOtTRE, GRAVES'S DISEASE. 
This disease, which occurs chiefly in female patients 
between twenty and thirty years of age, and the prin- 
cipal symptoms of which are palpitations of the heart, 578 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap, v, 
enlargement of the thyroid body, and exophthalmus, 
is probably always due to disease of the cervical 
sympathetic, resulting in granular disintegration of 
nervous matter, and proliferation of connective tissue. 
A purely medicinal treatment rarely does much good, 
and galvanisation of the sympathetic (p. 321) appears 
to be the most rational remedy for it. Dr. Wietfeld* 
and others have used it successfully in several cases, 
but a more extended trial of it appears requisite 
before we can form any definite notions about the 
actual value of the current in Basedow's disease. 
IX.-PROGRESSIVE MUSCULAR ATROPHY, WASTING 
PALSY, CRUVEILHIER'S DISEASE. 
The pathology of this affection is still unsettled, 
for while some physicians believe it to be a primary 
disease of the muscular substance, others look for its 
seat in the grey matter of the anterior columns of 
the cord, and some again accuse the cervical sympa- 
thetic. I hold the latter opinion, and therefore 
strongly advise to treat the complaint from the first 
by galvanisation of the cervical sympathetic. 
There are two forms of this disease, the partial and the 
general form. The general form begins either in the upper 
or in the lower extremities, and, as it almost always spreads 
to the trunk, threatens life. The partial form is not 
Usually fatal, but it may pass into the general form, and 
thus ultimately cause death; it begins either in the hand 
or in the shoulder, generally of the right side, and may 
* Medical Times and Gazette, November 1868. chap, v.j 
PROGRESSIVE MUSCULAR ATROPHY. 
579 
destroy many muscles of the upper extremity, while in the 
general form all the voluntary muscles throughout the body 
may suffer, with the exception only of those of the eyeball 
and of mastication. 
When the disease begins in the hand, the muscles of the 
thumb are generally the first to become attacked ; the thenar 
eminence becomes replaced by a flattened hollow space 
between the first and second metacarpal bones ; afterwards 
the interossei and lumbricales and the hypothenar eminence 
become affected. From the hand the disease spreads to 
the fore-arm, the extensors of which are especially liable to 
become affected, so that the fingers are slightly bent; but the 
flexor muscles may also be destroyed, and in this case the 
two last phalanges cannot be bent, so that the patient is 
unable to grasp or seize anything with the hand. In other 
instances wasting palsy first invades the muscles of the 
shoulder, attacking with preference the trapezius, the ser- 
ratus magnus, the rhomboidei, and other muscles which 
unite the scapula to the trunk ; the scapula is consequently 
displaced and twisted round its axis, its upper angle is 
depressed by the weight of the arm, while its lower angle 
is raised, and projects one or two inches from the surface 
of the thorax. From the shoulder the disease spreads 
towards the arm, destroying the deltoid and biceps; owing 
to which the acromion and coracoid process become pro- 
minent under the skin, and serious functional disturbances 
follow. Although the patients generally learn in the 
course of time to manoeuvre very cleverly, so as to compel 
muscles which have escaped destruction to do the work of 
those which are wasted, they are at last no longer able to 
raise the arm nor to bend the elbow-joint; they can neither 
dress nor feed themselves, and experience considerable 
difficulty in putting on a hat or drawing a handkerchief 
from the pocket. If the muscles of the lower extremities 
are attacked, walking becomes difficult; and at length 
paralysis follows. The muscles of the chest, chiefly the 580 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
pectoralis major, become affected in their turn ; the chest 
appears shrunk, especially beneath the collar-bones. 
A certain sign that the disease will shortly prove fatal is 
destruction of the facial muscles ■ the physiognomy loses 
all expression; the saliva flows involuntarily ; articulation 
becomes slow and difficult; and finally, the muscles of 
deglutition and the diaphragm lose their power. This 
generally closes the scene, as the slightest impediment to 
respiration which may supervene produces asphyxia. 
No medicinal treatment appears to do the least good in 
progressive muscular atrophy, and it is exclusively to the 
continuous galvanic current that we have to look for the 
cure of the affection. Faradisation has been fairly tried 
during the last fifteen years by many observers, but has 
been found wanting, more especially in the general form of 
the disease; while, if the continuous current is used with 
perseverance, the patients may recover even after the 
disease has reduced them to utter helplessness. A local 
application of the current to the muscles is useless, and 
the cervical sympathetic only should be acted upon. 
Dr. Neumann,* of Magdeburg, has published a most 
instructive case of this affection, which had proceeded 
to paralysis of all four extremities, and yet completely 
yielded to the use of the continuous current. The 
patient was a youth, aged 19, who had had the measles in 
July 1866, and, after recovering from them, had felt unable 
to do the same amount of physical work as before. He 
went on comparatively well, however, until he over-exerted 
himself considerably one day, after which symptoms of 
atrophy and paralysis supervened rapidly, the patient 
becoming completely paralysed within a month. He came 
under treatment in October 1866, when he could move 
neither his arms nor his legs. There were the usual 
fibrillary twitches, but no anaesthesia. The diagnosis was 
rendered certain by harpooning a piece of muscle, and ex- 
* Berliner kltnisehe Wochenschrift, September 14, 1868. chap, v.] 
PROGRESSIVE MUSCULAR ATROPHY. 
581 
amining it microscopically, when the diameter of the mus- 
cular fibres appeared diminished ; there were plenty of fat- 
globules of different size, and the transverse stripes were 
mostly gone. In December, 1866, the patient was not 
able to make any movement except to flex the fingers very 
slightly, to nod his head, to breathe, and to masticate and 
swallow his food. The expulsive power of the bladder and 
rectum remained normal. Electro-muscular contractility 
was considerably diminished, but the appetite, digestion, 
and sleep were excellent. 
At first the induced current was applied to the muscles, 
but as the patient got worse under its use, the continuous 
current of twenty cells of Daniell's battery was directed to 
the sympathetic, the positive pole being on the neck, and 
the negative on the throat, five minutes to each side, for 
three months every day, and then the negative pole was 
applied to the upper cervical ganglion, and the positive to 
the lower ganglion, likewise for five minutes each time. 
After a week's treatment he felt more power in the ex- 
tremities ; and in a few weeks more a real increase of 
power could be ascertained, at first in the legs, and then in 
the arms. In May, 1867, he could walk, although still in 
an awkward manner. In September, 1867, the muscles 
were again examined, and still found in a state of fatty 
degeneration. In October, 1867, the patient could put a 
piece of bread in his mouth. From January, 1868, the 
improvement began to progress rapidly, and in April the 
galvanism was discontinued. In May the muscles were 
again examined ; it was found that the transverse stripes 
had re-appeared, and that there were only very few oil-glo- 
bules, but that the transverse stripes were not yet quite 
so distinct as they were in health. The intra-muscular 
nerves were found perfectly healthy. 
This case was remarkable by its rapid progress, as the 
disease became fully developed in two and a half months, 
the paralysis being proportionate in degree to the atrophy, 
and both corresponding in extent to the degree of electro- 582 
ELEC PRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
muscular contractility. The fact that the peripheral 
nerves were found healthy, speaks against the origin of the 
disease in the brain, cord, or spinal nerves, while the result 
of the treatment supports the view that progressive mus- 
cular atrophy is a disease of the sympathetic system of 
nerves. 
X.-DIABETES. 
Whatever may be the nature and causation of 
diabetes, there can be no doubt that the parts forming 
the floor of the fourth ventricle, and more particu- 
larly the roots of the pneumogastric nerve, play a 
considerable part in its production and continuance. 
It is likewise certain that the continuous galvanic 
current, when applied to the pneumogastric, is trans- 
mitted to the floor of the fourth ventricle, and galva- 
nisation of the vagus seems therefore to be a rational 
remedy for diabetes. 
Signor Mariano Seminola* has found that electrisa- 
tion of the vagus, both by the continuous and induced 
current, causes, in diabetic patients, constantly a 
diminution of the quantity of sugar excreted, and 
sometimes also of the quantity of the urine. The 
effects of the proceeding are either temporary or per- 
manent, and may lead to a cure. In those cases in 
which the effects are permanent, he believes the 
diabetes to be an idiopathic neurosis ; but where they 
are temporary he suspects the presence of structural 
lesions in the fourth ventricle. 
* Comptes rendus, 1861. Vol. liii. p. 399. VHAP. V.] 
RHEUMATISM. 
583 
XL-RHEUMATISM AND SEROUS EFFUSIONS. 
In acute and chronic rheumatism of the muscles, 
both faradisation and galvanisation, when properly 
employed, are invaluable remedies. I have frequently 
cured cases of very long standing, and in which the 
patients themselves had almost despaired of a cure, 
by one or two applications. Rheumatic effusions in 
the joints are likewise amenable to faradisation, 
which must in this instance be continued somewhat 
longer than is necessary for the relief of muscular 
rheumatism. If, however, the effusions are consider- 
able, galvanisation is preferable to faradisation; and 
both remedies may be used together, if muscular 
contractions are present. These contractions, which 
frequently resist a purely medicinal treatment, are 
readily cured by a proper use of the continuous and 
induced current. 
Case 67.-T. C., a musician, aged 31, had, during a tour 
in Scotland, in the summer of 1859, contracted severe 
rheumatism in the right shoulder and arm, which prevented 
him from following his occupation. He had followed 
various courses of treatment, and taken large quantities of 
nitre, bicarbonate of soda, iodide of potassium, and guajac. 
The pain was relieved after a time, but it never entirely 
left him, and a considerable contraction of the flexor mus- 
cles, both of the arm and fore-arm, remained, for which all 
remedies proved useless. He consulted me in September, 
1861, when I found the arm in the following condition:- 
There was a certain degree of anaesthesia in the arm, for 
the patient did not feel the prick of a pin, nor could he 584 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
distinguish the two points of the aesthesiometer when held 
at the usual distance. He complained of a dull aching pain, 
which at times became acute, and was very severe when 
he got into bed. The fingers were very numb. The biceps 
and brachialis internus muscles were so contracted that the 
arm was flexed in an angle of about 65°, and could not be 
extended; the flexor digitorum communis was also rigid, 
although in a less considerable degree, and the interossei 
and lumbricals were so much wasted, that the hand was 
nearly useless. The bulk of both arm and fore-arm was 
considerably diminished, being only ten and a half inches 
at a point eight inches downwards from the acromion, and 
only nine inches at a point three inches downwards from 
the olecranon; the corresponding numbers for the left arm 
being thirteen and ten and a quarter. The general health 
of the patient was tolerably good, but the appetite was 
indifferent, and the urine was loaded with urates. I pre- 
scribed Vichy water to be taken internally, and faradisation 
and galvanisation of the right arm. The result of this 
treatment was most satisfactory. In the course of a week 
the pain disappeared. Soon afterwards, the rigidity of the 
muscles began to subside, sensation was re-established, and 
the right arm increased so much in bulk, that after three 
weeks it equalled the left. In the meantime the urine had, 
by the use of Vichy water, become quite clear, and the 
appetite was much better. The interossei and lumbrical 
muscles were most stubborn, and only showed signs of im- 
provement at the end of the third week. They then 
rapidly regained power, and when the patient discontinued 
the treatment, after having been under my care for five 
weeks, he was in every respect in excellent health, and able 
to resume his avocation. 
Case 68.-Rheumatism in the Shoulder. 
Dr. T., aged 47, had been a sufferer from rheumatism in 
the left shoulder for more than seven years, when he came chap, v.] 
RHEUMATISM. 
585 
under my care (1857). He had tried almost every means 
for the relief of the pain, which, especially in autumn and 
winter, became very troublesome; he bad also used gal- 
vanism, applied in the old-fashioned way of sending the 
current through both arms, but without any beneficial effect. 
Faradisation of the skin was resorted to, and, after two 
operations, the pain was gone and has not since returned. 
Case 69.-Rheumatism in the Knee-joint. 
An officer, aged 34, came under my care in February 
1867. He had been a long time in India, and had for the 
last three or four years severely suffered from rheumatism 
in the knee. Six months ago he had a course of the waters 
of Aix-la-Chapelle, which, however, did him no good ; and 
a large number of other remedies both internal and external 
had been used and found wanting. The right knee-joint 
was somewhat enlarged, and there was incomplete anae- 
sthesia in front of the joint. The positive pole of forty-five 
cells was applied to the knee for five minutes, the negative 
pole being placed alternately to the thigh and the leg. 
After the first application the pain went away completely 
for six hours, and after the second the patient remained 
free from pain for a whole day. The applications were 
continued every other day, and after the patient had been 
under my treatment for a month, he had completely re- 
covered. 
Rheumatic gout yields to the continuous current, 
but the treatment must be persevered with for a 
considerable time. 
Hydrarthrosis.-M. Van Holzbeck has recorded two cases 
of dropsy of the knee-joint, which were cured by him with 
electro-puncture. He put two needles in the sac, connected 
them with the poles of an induction machine, and sent the 
current through the knee for a quarter of an hour. Tho 586 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
effusion was at once diminished, and next morning the 
swelling had disappeared. He now put a bandage on, 
repeated the operation once more, and in a few days the 
cure was complete and permanent. 
In mild cases the external application of the 
continuous current is sufficient; while in severe cases 
either farado-puncture or the electrolytic treatment 
is preferable. The magneto-electric current is, in 
this disease, more effective than the electro-mag- 
netic. 
M. Tripier * has published a case of hydrarthrosis of the 
knee, of six weeks' duration, in which there was considerable 
effusion in the joint. A continuous current of forty-four 
small cells of protosulphate of mercury was applied by large 
moistened electrodes to the sides of the knee, for twenty 
minutes. After two such applications the liquid had dis- 
appeared. 
Dr. Lange f has recorded the following case of 
oedematous swelling of the feet, which was cured by 
the continuous current:- 
A printer, aged 32, complained, after a long walk, of a 
burning sensation in both feet. Being obliged to work in 
a standing position, severe pain at last came on, and the 
joints became so swollen as to be twice their usual size. 
He used Russian baths, local vapour baths, blisters, colchi- 
cum, iron, quinine, and iodide of potassium, without much 
benefit. He could only walk by the aid of two sticks. He 
continued in this state for three years. The joints were 
then still double their normal size; they were tender and 
stiff. The general health was tolerably good. A con- 
tinuous current of thirty cells was now sent for twenty 
* Manuel d'Electroth&rapie, p. 282. Paris, 1861. 
t Deutsche Klinik, Mai 9, 1868. chap, v.] 
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 
587 
minutes continuatively through the left foot. The next 
day the foot was less painful, and the patient could step 
out more easily. Each foot was now galvanised for fifteen 
minutes at a time, and intermittent galvanisation of the 
muscles of the leg combined with it. A rapid improvement 
followed. The pain and swelling diminished from day to 
day ; after ten days the joints were freely movable. After 
three weeks the swelling and pain were entirely gone, and 
the patient could walk quite as well as before. 
XII.-DISEASES OF THE EYE. 
I have already spoken of the electric treatment of 
paralysis of the motor nerves and muscles of the eye 
(p. 492), of amblyopia, amaurosis, and weakness of 
sight (p. 534), and of photophobia (p. 562). A few 
words now remain to be said on the use of electricity 
in opacities of the cornea, and in cataract. 
1. Opacities of the cornea.-The slighter kinds of 
opacities, which are termed nebulce, yield readily to 
the application of the continuous current, while 
thick opacities (leucoma') are more obstinate. These 
are due to more or less severe inflammatory changes 
in the corneal and epithelial cells. Opacities which 
are due to cicatricial hardening are incurable. A 
host of local remedies has been recommended for the 
cure of opacities, and amongst them electricity. In 
1844, Signor Isiglio, of Corfu, treated some cases 
successfully with • it. Signor Quadri, of Naples, 
M. Willebrand, of Helsingfors, and Dr. Tiirck, of 
Strasbourg, followed in his steps, and Prof. A. Von 
Graefe states, that in a case where both corneae were 588 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
opaque, he employed electricity on one eye, and 
nitrate of silver or laudanum on the other, and that 
electricity was more rapidly successful than the 
chemical irritants. Mr. Soelberg Wells* says that 
electricity was formerly in vogue for the cure of these 
affections, but has now fallen into disuse. No doubt 
there are many other means by which these opacities 
may be removed; but I am inclined to think that 
electricity is in some cases more useful than chemi- 
cal or mechanical irritation. The treatment of 
opacities by the induced current is no doubt tedious, 
but the continuous current is more rapidly successful; 
and it is well known that oculists have not yet given 
a fair trial to the continuous current in this affection. 
It may be applied, either to the closed eyelid, by 
means of a moistened sponge, or by a blunt gilt or 
silver conductor directly to the cornea. In the latter 
instance a very gentle current should be used, and 
the application must be short. Where the current 
is applied externally, the operation may be longer 
and stronger. 
Case 70.-H. T., aged 19, received in May, 1862, a 
violent blow on the left temple from a cricket-ball. He 
was at first quite stunned, and felt great pain in the head 
for several days afterwards. The conjunctiva and cornea 
of the left eye then became inflamed, for which the patient 
was put on a course of mercury ; but although his system 
was much affected by that drug, the eye did not get better. 
Mercury was therefore given up after a time, and other 
treatment resorted to. The inflammation gradually sub- 
* Loc. cit. p. 126. CHAP. V.] 
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 
589 
sided, but a considerable opacity remained, which covered 
the whole extent of the cornea, and was thickest in the 
lower portion of that membrane. Vision was almost entirely 
prevented by it. Mr. White Cooper, whom the patient 
consulted in July, 1862, thought that electricity would be 
the best means of promoting the absorption of the opacity, 
and sent him to me. I combined faradisation with gal- 
vanisation, the negative pole being directed to the closed 
eye, and the positive to the temple, so as to stimulate the 
influence of the first branch of the trigeminal nerve upon 
the nutritiv9 processes in the eye. The patient quickly 
improved undei' this treatment; and when he discontinued 
it, after having had twenty-four applications, there only re- 
mained a very thin film on the cornea, which was but per- 
ceptible on close examination, and impeded vision scarcely 
at all. A complete cure would probably have resulted, if 
the patient, who did not live in Town, had been able to 
pursue the treatment a little longer. 
2. Cataract.-Crussel and Lerche * have made 
some experiments on the dissolution of cataract by 
the aid of electricity. They found that if the zinc 
pole of a voltaic pile is applied to a lens, this is 
rendered opaque; and that the opacity disappears if 
the copper pole is afterwards directed to it. Hence 
they concluded that it might be possible to dissolve 
cataract by the application of the negative pole of 
the pile to the eye. Matteucci f asserts that cataract 
cannot be dissolved by electricity; but we have the 
authority of Dr. A. von Graefe J for the contrary. A 
few cases of cataract have been treated by Crussel 
* Medizinische Zeitung des Vereins etc. 1841. 
t Cours d'Electrcphysiologie. Paris, 1858. 
| Deutsche Klinik, 1852, p. 445. 590 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
with galvano-puncture,but the operation was followed 
by inflammation of the chorioidea, iris, and retina, 
and destruction of the eyeball, and is therefore 
unjustifiable. 
XIII.-DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 
1. Ozcena.-In cases of ozsena which resist a con- 
stitutional treatment, and washing out the cavity of 
the nose, a combination of electrolysis with faradi- 
sation may be usefully employed. By electrolysis 
the clots of congealed mucus which plug up the 
nostrils are melted and removed, while faradisation 
affords a healthy stimulus to the mucous membrane, 
and enables it to return to its normal condition. 
Constitutional remedies, however, should not be 
neglected while the electricity is being used. 
2. Pleuritic effusions and empyema.- Serous effu- 
sions may, as a rule, be cured by anything that 
causes an alteration in the secernent function of the 
serous membranes. It may therefore be supposed 
that electrolysis (p. 334), which can effect such an 
alteration mechanically by the hydrogen which is 
developed, chemically by the free alkali which appears 
at the negative pole, and dynamically by its special 
action on the vasomotor nerves, will in course of 
time prove of the greatest value in obstinate pleuritic 
effusions. Whatever may be said by the supporters 
of the operation of paracentesis of the thorax for 
pleuritic effusions and empyema, it is certain that -hap. v.] 
DISEASES OF DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 
591 
the profession, as a whole, look with considerable 
distrust upon that proceeding. It cannot be denied 
that the sudden withdrawal of a large quantity of 
fluid sometimes induces collapse, and the introduction 
of air into the pleural cavity is also frequent enough. 
Moreover, suppuration generally takes place after 
the operation, and the patient may sink from ex- 
haustion and pyaemia. I may perhaps be allowed to 
recall here the remarks made ten years ago on this 
operation by a great master, the late Dr. Addison,* 
wTho had, from the numerous cases seen every year at 
Guy's Hospital, come to the conclusion that para- 
centesis of the thorax was one of the worst and most 
deceiving operations in general practice. ' A serous 
cavity ' (Dr. Addison said) ' is almost invariably 
changed into a cavity pouring out purulent matter 
by the first operation, and the thick leatherlike false 
membranes lining the pleura soon make the operation 
one of great difficulty and danger.' I therefore 
hope that the electrolytic treatment of these effusions 
will soon be carried into practice. 
XIV.-DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 
I have already spoken of the galvanic treatment 
of loss of taste (p. 539), and difficulty of swallowing 
(p. 506); and now. proceed to mention some other 
affections of the digestive tract in which an electric 
treatment may be of service. 
* The Lancet, November 17, 1855. ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
592 
[chap. 5 
1. Stricture of the oesophagus.-This disease ha 3 
hitherto offered insuperable impediments to other 
remedies, and generally led its victims through a 
terrible series of sufferings to death from starvation. 
I hope that in such cases electrolysis may eventually 
prove successful. The instrument described on p. 389 
should be introduced to the seat of the stricture, 
and be connected with the negative pole of the 
battery, while the positive electrode may be placed 
on the chest or the back. Five minutes would 
probably suffice to destroy a stricture of moderate 
size. From twenty to thirty cells should be used. 
2. Dyspepsia.-In most forms of dyspepsia fara- 
disation of the stomach and intestines, and galvani- 
sation of the cervical sympathetic, are useful, but 
more especially in that form which is called ' nervous 
indigestion.' A special form of dyspepsia, which is 
connected with increased elimination of urea, has 
already been considered (p. 572). 
A bad case of indigestion owing to over-eating, 
and successfully treated by faradisation, has been 
recorded by M. Bonnet:-■ 
He was called to see a girl who had eaten an enormous 
quantity of figs, and became convulsed the night after. 
Her pupils were dilated, the pulse small and rapid, the jaws 
firmly clenched, the abdomen hard and full, and conscious- 
ness lost. Cold fomentations to the head and three purga- 
tive enemas had produced no effect. M. Bonnet then 
introduced the positive electrode of an induction apparatus 
into the rectum, and placed the negative on the abdomen. 
The muscles of the abdominal parietes immediately began CHAP. V.] 
SEA-SICKNESS. 
593 
to contract; after two or three minutes the positive elec- 
trode was hurled out of the rectum, together with an 
enormous quantity of undigested figs and faecal matter. 
The girl at once recovered her consciousness, and was 
quite well on the following day. 
3. Vomiting.- Obstinate vomiting, from whatever 
cause, is often promptly relieved by faradisation. 
M. Popper * has published the case of a girl who had for 
a long time suffered from vomiting immediately after her 
meals, and was likewise troubled with meteorism. The 
abdomen was extremely sensitive to pressure, and the 
bowels habitually costive. After a great many remedies 
had been used without avail, M. Popper resorted to faradi- 
sation, placing both electrodes on the stomach, and keeping 
up the action for five minutes. The girl was then allowed 
to eat, and retained her food. Twelve more applications 
were made and a complete cure effected. 
4. Sea-sickness.-Although sea-sickness is pro- 
bably a disorder of the nervous system, it may find a 
place here, on account of its principal symptom being 
sickness and vomiting. 
Dr. Dwinelle f has given an account of M. Le Coniat's 
mode of treating sea-sickness by faradisation of the stomach. 
He first applies a solution of sulphate of atropine (a grain 
to the ounce) over the skin of the stomach ; but it is not 
said how this solution is applied, or how much of it is used. 
After this he puts the negative electrode of an induction 
apparatus terminating in a flat disc, over the skin corre- 
sponding to the pyloric end of the stomach; and he then 
passes the positive electrode terminating in a moist sponge, 
* Oester. Zeitschrift fur practiscbe Heilkunde, 1865, p. 365. 
t New York Medical Journal, 1869, p. 390. 594 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
across the skin from the cardiac to the pyloric orifice, 
when the muscles are seen to contract vigorously. The 
effects are soothing and refreshing, and generally accom- 
panied with drowsiness, followed by refreshing sleep. M. 
Le Coniat claims to cure by this proceeding, at least ninety 
per cent, of the patients suffering from sea-sickness ; and 
believes himself able to control the vomiting and sickness 
of pregnancy by the same. Dr. Dwindle mentions the 
case of a lady, who crossed over from Brest to New York, 
and who suffered from the worst form of sickness, the 
vomiting and violent retching having, on the second day, 
been followed by convulsions and extreme prostration. By 
one application of atropine and electricity the sickness was 
completely arrested; the lady began to eat with a relish, 
and kept perfectly well until her arrival at New York. 
Most of the passengers by the same steamer suffered from 
sea-sickness, and were completely freed from it by one or 
two applications. M. Le Coniat's theory is, that sea-sick- 
ness is induced by electric disturbance throughout the 
system, and that faradisation reverses the abnormal condi- 
tion, and restores the electric equilibrium. The atropine 
is probably quite ineffective, as no mention is made of 
subcutaneous injection, and the unbroken skin would not 
absorb the solution. 
5. Constipation.-In cases of constipation caused 
by insufficient peristaltic motion of the contractile 
fibre-cells of the intestines, and by loss of power in 
the abdominal muscles, electricity may be very use- 
ful, especially if the affection occurs after protracted 
diarrhoea and the abuse of aperient medicines. In 
such cases a total abstinence of laxative medicines is 
generally imperative, and even simple enemata some- 
times do mischief; on the contrary, by faradisation 
powerful peristaltic movements of the intestines may chap, v.] 
HABITUAL CONSTIPATION. 
595 
be induced, and more tone be given to the mucous 
and muscular coat of the alimentary canal. 
Case 71.-An unmarried lady, age 43, tall, of sallow com- 
plexion and sedentary habits, consulted me in February, 
1866, for a ' nervous affection,' from which she had suffered 
for many months past. She complained of a constant dull 
headache, of giddiness on rising in the morning, a wearying 
feeling of mental depression, and frequent flushings of the 
face and ears. Her hands and feet were habitually cold. 
Her sleep was unrefreshing, being disturbed by unpleasant 
dreams; and too short, for she slept on the average only 
two or three hours a night. Her intellect and memory 
were as good as ever, but she found it difficult to fix her 
attention on any subject, and felt a distressing sensation of 
pressure on the head after reading or writing. The latter 
circumstance annoyed her a good deal, as she had been a 
zealous supporter of various philanthropic undertakings 
which required a considerable amount of correspondence. 
She was sometimes troubled with palpitations of the heart: 
the heart's sounds were weak ; the pulse small and feeble. 
The breath was generally short; the chest otherwise healthy. 
The tongue was dry, and covered with a yellowish white 
coat. The appetite was feeble, and digestion tedious and 
painful. For many years past the patient had suffered 
from obstinate constipation, for which she habitually took 
purgatives. If she attempted to do without any, she felt 
great pelvic distress, especially in walking and standing, 
and considerable increase of all the head symptoms. She 
had chiefly taken cremor tartari, aloes, nux vomica, 
colocynth, scammony, and podophyllin. The evacuations 
were hard and ill-formed. The urine "was generally 
scanty and turbid, and she had often a scalding sensa- 
tion in passing it. She had a small fibroid tumour of the 
uterus, for which she had consulted several obstetric 
physicians, who had advised that it should be let alone. 
At the time of the catamenia her sufferings increased very 596 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
much indeed. Purgatives then seemed to augment the 
menstrual flow to an alarming extent; it often, in fact, 
amounted to true menorrhagia, which lasted for ten or 
twelve days. She therefore generally took much smaller 
doses of purgatives during that time ; with the effect that 
the loss of blood was not so copious, while, on the other 
hand, 'the pain and discomfort about her head were so 
dreadful that she often thought she would lose her senses. 
Her habitual dose of purgatives was now two teaspoonfuls 
of cream of tartar twice a day, and ten grains of compound 
colocynth pill at bed-time. 
As she had lived too exclusively on meat diet, I ordered 
her to take boiled fruit and saccharine vegetables ; to dis- 
continue the cream of tartar entirely; to take five grains 
of compound colocynth pill at bed-time, and a tumblerful 
of Marienbad water twice during the day ; and finally to 
take as much exercise in the open air as possible without 
fatigue. 
February 25th.-Has found great relief from the change 
in her diet, and from the Marienbad water. Last period 
was more comfortable than it had been for many months 
past. Has not been able to take much exercise, because 
it brought on palpitations of the heart. Ordered to go 
on as before, but to take the colocynth pill only every other 
night. 
March 18th.-Has been worse for the last week or ten 
days. The Marienbad water seems to have lost its effect. 
Has been obliged to take ten grains of colocynth pill 
daily for the last few nights. Head most uncomfortable ; 
extreme depression of spirits. I now substituted Friedrichs- 
hall for Marienbad water, and allowed her to take five 
grains of colocynth pill every night. 
April 20th.-The last period was just as bad as ever. 
The Friedrichshall water only relieves constipation when 
taken in large doses, which she believes to be lowering, and 
is ineffectual as soon as the dose is reduced. I now proposed 
to the patient the application of galvanism for inducing a CHAP. V.j 
HABITUAL CONSTIPATION. 
597 
healthier action of the bowels ; and as she consented at 
once, I sent a current of moderate power for fifteen minutes 
through the intestines. The patient did not complain of 
any pain or discomfort from the application, but said she 
felt more exhilarated and hopeful than she had done for a 
long time. 
24/7;.-She came to me in high spirits, saying that since 
the faradisation was used she had every day had a better 
motion than for many months past. I ordered her now to 
discontinue the colocynth pill entirely, and merely to take 
a wineglassful of Friedrichshall water twice a day. 
From that time forward the patient made an uninter- 
rupted recovery. Faradisation was continued twice a 
week for a. month, after which neither medicines nor min- 
eral waters nor the galvanic stimulus were any longer re- 
quired. The head symptoms disappeared gradually in pro- 
portion as the action of the bowels was restored ; and when 
I last saw the patient (July 1867) she was perfectly well, 
excepting the somewhat too copious menstruation, which 
was now the only trouble she experienced from the fibroid 
tumour of the uterus. 
Case 72.-A hard-working merchant, aged 38, first con- 
sulted me in June 1865, for a troublesome form of dys- 
pepsia, from which he had suffered for many years past. 
He complained of a feeling of heaviness and oppression 
after meals, especially after breakfast, coupled with eructa- 
tions and flatus, which latter gave rise to acute pain until 
they were discharged. The bowels had been habitually 
costive since a journey the patient had undertaken to the 
west coast of Africa, in 1857, where he had suffered from a 
bad form of dysentery. Ever since that time he had been 
obliged to ' assist the bowels ' with purgatives. He had 
also used enemata of various kinds, but the rectum seemed 
to resent them, and the patient had taken a great dislike to 
their use. The tongue was dry and furred. The patient 
had lost flesh lately, in consequence of being compelled to 598 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
restrict his food to the smallest possible quantity. The 
urine was clear; the motions dark, hard and ill-formed. 
I carefully regulated the diet, and prescribed a tumbler- 
ful of Eger water night and morning, and five grains of 
carbonate of bismuth twice a day after meals. Digestion 
and defecation soon improved under this treatment, so 
that the patient was able to take iqore food than before, 
and he felt and looked much healthier and stronger than he 
had done for a considerable time past. About two months 
after I first saw him, business obliged him to return to Africa, 
and I did not see him again till March 1866, when he was 
very much worse than he had ever been before. He had been 
obliged in the interval to take strong purgatives habitually, 
for ensuring a sufficient action of the bowels. Indigestion 
and costiveness were now more troublesome than ever. 
The patient was emaciated and exhausted to the last de- 
gree. He was unable to do any work or take any exercise, 
and refused all nourishing food, so that his family were 
extremely alarmed about his condition. Under these cir- 
cumstances, an energetically tonic plan of treatment 
appeared indispensable. I prescribed liquor arsenicalis, 
with vinum ferri, a dose of pancreatic emulsion in rum and 
milk twice a day, a compound rhubarb pill, with the 
twenty-fourth part of a grain of strychnia at bedtime, and 
faradisation of the bowel twice a week. Under the influ- 
ence of this treatment the patient rallied wonderfully. The 
beneficial effects of faradisation in inducing a healthy action 
of the mucous and muscular coat of the bowel were well 
shown by the circumstance, that there was always a very 
good motion in the evening after the application of the 
electricity, while on those days where it was not applied 
the action was rather sluggish. At the end of a month 
the aperient pill was discontinued; the arsenic was taken 
for another fortnight, and the emulsion for a month more. 
Faradisation was discontinued at the end of three months, 
when digestion and defecation were normal. Ever since CHAP. V.] 
TYMPANITES. 
599 
that time the patient has been in good, health, and taken 
no medicine whatever. 
6. Tympanites and flatulency.-Tympanitic disten- 
sion of the abdomen is owing to intestinal atony, and 
loss of power in the abdominal muscles; the intes- 
tines therefore meet with no resistance, and become 
considerably distended. This condition is frequently 
observed in hysterical women; after partaking of 
indigestible food; in acute diseases, especially typhus, 
pneumonia, small-pox, puerperal fever, peritonitis, &c. 
If the tympanites is very severe, it threatens life, as it 
may produce asphyxia by paralysis of the diaphragm, 
and compression of the lungs. A. purely medicinal 
treatment often fails to relieve it, and faradisation or 
galvanisation should therefore be employed if the 
tympanites does not yield readily to other remedies. 
Various methods of applying electricity have been 
resorted to. M. Becquerel has tried the effect of the 
induced current, placing the positive electrode in 
the mouth, and the negative in the rectum; and has 
never seen any benefit from it. This method is 
therefore not to be employed, as it is both inconve- 
nient and useless. Dr. Cumming has proposed 
placing one electrode on the spine, and the other on 
the abdominal parietes, but the best way is faradisa- 
tion or galvanisation of the rectum (p. 327 and 383). 
Case 73.-Extreme meteorism after ovariotomy. 
A married woman, aged 37, mother of one healthy child, 
twenty-two months old, came from Aberdeen to London, in 600 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
April 1863, in order to consult Mr. Spencer Wells for a 
large ovarian tumour, which had begun to form in July- 
1862, and had rapidly increased after August of the same 
year. The patient had a dark and rather sallow com- 
plexion, and had become much emaciated during the last 
two months. The tongue was clean, the appetite pretty- 
good, the bowels were naturally open, but she complained 
of troublesome flatulence. The breathing was only slightly 
affected; there was no cough and no expectoration. The 
catamenia had ceased in September, 1862. The pulse was 
at 120. The girth at the umbilical level was forty-nine 
inches. She had been tapped seven times, but had always 
refilled rapidly. Mr. Wells performed ovariotomy upon 
her on April 29. There were strong and extensive parietal 
adhesions, both anteriorly and laterally; thirty-three 
pints of fluid were removed, and the cyst and solid matter 
taken away weighed thirteen pounds thirteen ounces. 
Without going further into the details of the case, I will 
only say that the patient went on fairly, excepting the 
immense distension of the stomach and bowels by gas, 
which was so great as to threaten life. After the most 
efficacious medicines had been taken without improvement, 
Mr. Wells believed that faradisation was necessary, and 
requested me to see the patient. I saw her on May 18, 
when the flatulent distension was so great that the left 
lung was almost entirely compressed, the heart being dis- 
lodged to the right side, and there being tympanitic sound 
in the second intercostal space. I performed faradisation, 
after whioh the patient had a considerable discharge of 
flatus. On May 19, I repeated the operation, and the 
patient then had two motions, one of them solid. I ope- 
rated upon her four times more, after which the lung had 
again expanded to its normal volume, and the patient 
being nearly well, I discontinued the treatment. On May 
26 she went on board the steamer which was to sail the 
day following for Dundee. The patient died at home in 
the commencement of August from malignant disease, chap, v.] 
FLATULENCY. 
601 
which had very rapidly formed; but both Mr. Spencer 
Wells and Sir William Jenner, who had also seen her, 
were of opinion that if she had not been faradised, she 
would have died in London from the effects of the meteorism. 
Habitual Flatulency. 
Case 74.-A gentleman, aged 46, had dysentery fifteen 
years ago, and had ever since suffered from flatulency, 
which was extremely troublesome. He was otherwise in 
good health, but the flatulency never left him even for one 
day, and was so bad after meals, that he was obliged to lie 
down for an hour or two afterwards. The examination of 
the abdomen showed no tumour or obstruction, but merely 
a considerable accumulation of gas in the large intestines. 
He had used a great many remedies without success, 
especially charcoal and belladonna. I galvanised the 
bowel with a current of twenty-five cells, the positive pole 
being in the rectum, and the negative electrode being passed 
over the abdominal parietes. The patient felt very com- 
fortable for some hours after the first application, and the 
flatulency only returned in the afternoon. After four 
more operations he passed a whole day without feeling 
troubled with flatulence; and after three weeks he was 
quite free from it. 
7. Incarcerated hernia. 
M. Delaux, of Toulouse, has described the case of a 
woman suffering from femoral hernia, and which became 
incarcerated after a violent exertion. She refused to con- 
sent to an operation. After three days, when she was 
rapidly getting worse, he first faradised the hernia itself, 
and afterwards put one electrode into the rectum, and the 
other upon the hernia. The tumour now began to move, 
and disappeared in a very short time. Within a few days 
the patient was perfectly well. 602 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
8. Ileus, stenosis, volvulus, invagination, intussuscep- 
tion.-Dr. Mac Cormac, of Belfast, has kindly sent me 
the particulars of the following cases of ileus which 
have been under his care, and which I give in that 
gentleman's own words :- 
' The first case was that of a brewer. He had been three 
days ill of ileus, and was sinking rapidly. The pain was 
great, there was feculent vomiting, and I had tried, in 
large successive doses, vainly, calomel, compound extract 
of colocynth, castor oil, opium, turpentine, and linseed oil 
injections. The pulse was wretched, the expression of 
the countenance miserable, and the sufferer had been three 
days without any sustenance. It then occurred to me to 
resort to galvanism, which I did with the least possible 
delay. I stripped the patient, and applied the moistened 
negative pole or conductor to the spine, while I prome- 
naded the other pole here and there over the abdominal 
surface, but preferably in the lines of the great intestines. 
The patient, who was standing all the time, winced a good 
deal. But after the lapse of from about two to three 
minutes, a sound of flatus in motion could be heard in the 
course of the tract of the great arch of the colon. The 
patient called out for the close stool, when he had an 
enormous evacuation of feculent matters with prompt and 
permanent relief. He had been previously under my care 
for an attack of hepatitis, and was of very indifferent 
stamina. I have not the slightest doubt that galvanism, in 
this instance, brought about the resolution of the disease, 
and by stimulating into normal activity the peristaltic 
action of the bowels, saved the patient's life. 
' The second case was that of a very much younger man, 
but was otherwise, although not of so long standing, equally 
severe as the preceding case. The usual means were 
resorted to, both by Dr. Archibald Dunlop, under whose 
charge the patient was before I was called in, and by my- CHAP. V.] 
ILEUS. 
603 
self, but in vain. There was this additional feature of 
severity, too, that large quantities of blood were passed by 
stool, which, coupled with the ileus, was rapidly exhausting 
the patient's strength. In this conjuncture of affairs, I 
proposed galvanism, to which my colleague at once assented. 
It was very effectively resorted to, and in the course of the 
afternoon, not so speedily as in the first instance, though 
not less effectively, the patient evacuated a large amount 
of faeces with speedy relief and a lasting recovery.' 
Dr. Clemens,* of Frankfort, recommends that in 
these cases one or two tablespoonsful of metallic 
mercury should be given, and a continuous current 
then sent through the abdomen; the negative elec- 
trode by means of a large conductor to be applied to 
that part of the abdomen where the seat of the 
obstruction is supposed to be, while the positive is 
in the rectum. Voltaic alternatives should be used, 
and the current closed and opened three or four 
times in one minute. The mercury accumulates at 
the seat of the volvulus, where therefore the effect of 
the galvanic discharge is more thoroughly expe- 
rienced than in other parts of the intestinal canal. 
Dr. Clemens says that he has cured a case of invagi- 
nation by this means; but Dr. Mac Cormac's cases 
show that electricity alone, without the mercury, is 
able to overcome this affection. 
9. Ascites. Signor Solfanelli has recorded the case 
of a man, aged 50, who suffered from cirrhosis of the 
liver, and ascites; many remedies were employed for 
the ascites, but without result; the urine was very 
* Deutsche Klinik, March 3, 1866. 604 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
scanty and oedema of the legs at last set in. Faradi- 
sation of the abdomen was now used, and after four 
such applications the ascites had disappeared. 
The electrolytic treatment would appear preferable 
to faradisation in cases of ascites, and might prove 
curative in cases where the ascites is owing to weak- 
ness or malarial cachexia, and not to incurable disease 
of the heart, liver, or kidneys. 
XV.-DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF CIRCULATION. 
1. Diseases of the heart. Dr. Fliess, of Berlin, has 
used galvanisation of the sympathetic and pneumo- 
gastric, for affording symptomatic relief in cases of 
valvular disease of the heart, and has been to a great 
extent successful. I have already mentioned Eulen- 
burg and Schmidt's experiments (p. 254), which 
have shown that by galvanisation of the sympathetic 
the heart's action is powerfully influenced ; and the 
proceeding therefore may be resorted to in those 
numerous cases of heart disease where the usual 
remedies fail to give relief to the sufferings of the 
patient. 
2. Diseases of the arteries. Aneurism has been 
frequently treated by galvano-puncture, but although 
some favourable results have thereby been obtained, 
the number of failures is much larger than that of 
the successes, so that at present the operation of 
galvano-puncture is, by the best authorities, pro- 
claimed to be an unsafe and unreliable proceeding. chap, v.] 
ANEURISM. 
605 
Sir William Fergusson, in his ' Manual of Surgery,' 
curiously enough ignores it altogether. Mr. Erichsen 
condemns it in unqualified terms. Professor Pirrie 
remarks that ' the operation is founded on the prin- 
ciple of the galvanic current having the power of 
coagulating the blood; and that this principle is not 
sound, as stratified fibre is the substance by -which 
we desire to solidify an aneurism, and not coagulated 
blood; that the proceeding is also very painful, and 
not unattended with danger, and the results are not 
encouraging.' Mr. Ernest Hart, in his article on 
aneurism in Holmes's ' System of Surgery,' says 
(Vol. III. p. 432), that galvano-puncture is inherently 
uncertain, liable to cause relapse by the melting of 
the coagulum, or inflammation by its too sudden 
deposition, and that it appears at present to deserve 
to rank only as an exceptional expedient, when the 
surgeon is called upon to treat either aneurisms at 
the root of the neck, or internal aneurism which can- 
not be reached by digital or mechanical compression, 
and some forms of varicose and cirsoid aneurism 
seated superficially. 
M. Broca, and many other eminent foreign sur- 
geons, entirely coincide in this view, and it may be 
said, therefore, that the proceeding has not estab- 
lished a footing in surgery; nor ought we to be sur- 
prised at this fact, since it is evident that the mode 
of applying galvano-puncture for aneurism has hither- 
to been faulty. If anything is well established in the 
pathology of aneurism, it is the fact, that clots, which 606 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
have been rapidly produced and made to block up 
the sac, can be easily discussed or washed away by 
the current of blood; that they often give rise to 
consecutive inflammation, suppuration, and gangrene, 
and are unstable in the highest degree. These clots 
are red and soft, like currant jelly; they consist of 
coagulated albumen, fibrine, and blood-globules; 
while active clots are firm, tough, more or less devoid 
of colour, and consist merely of lamellated fibrine, 
resembling so many layers of differently-coloured 
chamois-leather. It is quite true that in a few cases 
quick coagulation has been followed by permanent 
consolidation. Such cases have occurred in the prac- 
tice of M. Petrequin and other surgeons; but on ana- 
lysing these observations, we can have no doubt that 
in the cases which have thus turned out successful, 
there existed a peculiar condition of the blood highly 
favourable to the deposition of lamellated fibrine, and 
that this is so exceptional a circumstance as only to 
prove the rule, which is, that passive clots are rather 
prejudicial than otherwise. Immediate coagulation 
should therefore be entirely eschewed, instead of which 
we should endeavour to obtain a slow deposition of 
layers of fibrine, whereby the sac may be permanently 
obliterated. For this purpose it is necessary that 
circulation should be merely diminished and retarded, 
but not altogether interrupted in the sac. As soon 
as any deposition of fibrine has taken place, this has 
the tendency to attract fresh fibrine from the blood, 
whereby its bulk is gradually increased, until the chap, v.] 
ANEURISM. 
607 
whole sac is filled up. The wall of the aneurism is 
thus strengthened, and it is enabled to resist the 
action of the heart, until the time when the cavity 
is finally obliterated. 
That this can be accomplished by electrolysis I am 
convinced from experiments on rabbits, in which I 
have by that means gradually obliterated the femoral 
artery. But there is also a curious case recorded in 
a recent treatise on medical electricity, by Dr. Fromm- 
hold, of Pesth, which bears out my assertion. This 
author, whose acquaintance with the physical aspects 
of electricity is very limited, thought to do the right 
thing, when having a case of aneurism to operate 
upon, by putting the positive electrode into the sac, 
and the negative one outside, in order to produce 
coagulation ; but not knowing which was the positive 
and which the negative, as is evident from the details 
of his description, he used the negative where he 
meant to use the positive ; and the proceeding proved 
entirely successful. There was no immediate coagu- 
lation ; but the tumour gradually became harder after 
the operation, and it seems that the sac was at last 
completely obliterated. 
' Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.' 
Dr. Frommhold's case is, for all that, not the less 
interesting, because it is the first case of aneurism 
which has been (although accidentally) cured by the 
negative pole, and thus goes far to prove the correct- 
ness of my principle, that it is to the use of this pole 
that we have to look for the cure of aneurism. 608 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
The gas that is developed in the aneurismal sac 
by the electrolytic process cannot prove dangerous, 
as it is intimately mixed with liquid, and moreover 
appears in excessively small bubbles, some of which 
have only a diameter of 0*005 millimetre. 
Many observers think it of importance to protect 
the textures perforated by needles from the action of 
the galvanism by an insulating layer, as, in their 
opinion, otherwise inflammation and fatal conse- 
quences might follow. But this fear is evidently 
exaggerated, as, unless the application is very pro- 
longed and very powerful, no such effects ever seem 
to occur. The difficulty of insulating the needles is 
very great. Sealing wax is totally useless, as it 
becomes semi-liquid at the temperature of the body, 
and is, as it were, peeled off from the needle by the 
skin, at the moment of introduction. Drs. Duncan 
and Fraser* have constructed a needle insulated with 
vulcanite, and which may be employed by timid 
operators. I believe a slight action on the skin in 
cases of this kind rather useful than otherwise, 
because it promotes shrinking of the sac, and likewise 
prevents haemorrhage on removing the needles. 
The pain of galvano-puncture has generally been 
described as excruciating; and Dr. Duncan has there- 
fore in one of his cases placed the patient under the 
influence of chloroform during the operation. This 
however is not necessary, for the pain may be almost 
completely avoided by introducing the tumour gradu- 
* Edinburgh Medical Journal, 1868, p. 115. CHAP. V.J 
ANEURISM. 
609 
ally into the galvanic circuit. An operator who 
commences with the full galvanic power he intends 
to use, causes unnecessary suffering. The proper 
way to proceed is, first to apply the ether spray to 
the skin, and then to introduce the needles into the 
tumour, connecting them afterwards with the lowest 
galvanic power that is at hand. If the patient does 
not feel any galvanic sensation, the next degree 
should be had recourse to; and so on, until the full 
power is gradually reached. 
With regard to cirsoid aneurism, the following words of 
Dr. Duncan * may be aptly quoted :-'For cirsoid aneurism 
electrolysis seems to be the safest, simplest, and most 
certain method of treatment. Ligature of large arteries, 
like the carotid, is extremely dangerous and has been singu- 
larly unsuccessful. Out of eighteen cases seven died and 
only two were permanently cured. The perchloride of 
iron, though it has been successfully injected, is also liable 
to failure, and has, moreover, certain well-known risks 
attending it. Extirpation, ligature and incision have been 
tried, but hold out little inducement to repeat them. Gal- 
vanism, however, has been successful in the only two cases 
in which it has been used, and though several operations 
were required in each, not the slightest accident happened 
in either.' 
I now subjoin some cases of aneurism in which 
the application of the positive pole, or of both poles 
together, has proved successful:- 
Dr. Duncan has treated the case of a cirsoid aneurism on 
the left side of the head of a labourer, aged 21, having the 
shape and size of the half of a large Jersey pear, and which 
* Loe. cit. p, 110. 610 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chaf. v. 
was cured by four applications. Both poles were put into 
the sac, the application lasted for twenty minutes each 
time, and was made with four cells of Bunsen's battery. 
Each operation produced a hard core in the tumour, where- 
by the latter was gradually obliterated. 
Meyer * has given the details of a case of a male patient, 
aged 52, who suffered from an aneurisma racemosum of the 
left knee, which had gradually come on after an accident; 
there was distinct pulsation at different points of the 
patella, and the temperature was considerably increased. 
He introduced three needles, connected with the positive 
pole of the battery, into those places where pulsation was 
most marked, while the negative conductor was applied to 
the thigh. Twenty cells were used, and the needles left in 
the tumour for fifteen minutes. The operation was nearly 
painless, and no bleeding took place when the needles 
were removed. A digital compression of the femoral artery 
was then resorted to for twenty-four hours after the 
operation, and galvanopuncture repeated four times more at 
intervals of six or eight days, compression being again 
resorted to after each application. The pulsation in the 
tumour gradually became less and the clots in the interior 
of the tumour became so hard, that at last it was found 
extremely difficult to introduce the needles. A small ab- 
scess of the cellular tissue was formed at the lower portion 
of the patella, which had to be opened, but which healed 
within a week. The tumour shrank very considerably and 
only a small portion remained. The abscess might have pro- 
bably have been prevented if, instead of the positive pole, 
the negative had been used for internal application. 
Ciniselli f has recorded a case of aneurism of the de- 
scending aorta cured by galvanopuncture. The patient, 
aged 4G, had a round, pulsating tumour on the right side of 
* Loe. cit. p. 398. 
t Gazette des Hopitaux, 1868, No. 134. CHAP. V.] 
ANEURISM. 
611 
the sternum, in the third intercostal space; it was six cen- 
timetres wide and almost equally long, and was elevated 
about one and a half centimetres above the level of the walls 
of the thorax. Ciniselli believed it to be an aneurism of 
the lateral portion of the aorta descendens thoracica, and 
used for its cure, three steel needles one millimetre thick, 
which were introduced into the third intercostal space, one 
being about two centimetres distant from the other. The 
positive pole was first connected with one of the needles, 
and the negative with a spongeholder applied to the skin 
in the neighbourhood of the tumour. He then connected 
the positive pole with the second needle, and the negative 
with the first where the positive pole had already acted &c., 
until each needle had been in contact with both poles. 
The application lasted forty minutes; the skin had become 
reddened and swollen. After a few days these local symp- 
toms abated; there was no general reaction. Sixty-six 
days after the operation the patient was completely cured. 
A curious case of aneurism of the external iliac artery in 
which not the continuous, but the induced current was 
used, is recorded by Mr. Eyre.* There was a pulsating 
tumour in the left groin, of the size of a fowl's egg ; the 
pulsation was very strong, and accompanied with a bruit 
which could be traced two inches above the tumour ■ the 
limb was swollen and painful. Needles connected with the 
poles of an induction apparatus were introduced into the 
sac, and a current sent through it for some time. Alarming 
signs of inflammation supervened, and it was not until 
seventeen days after the operation, that the tumour felt 
harder, and the pulsation became fainter. In this case 
electricity acted merely as an excitant, and the sac was 
closed in consequence of irritation and adhesive inflamma- 
tion, but not by chemical action. As suppuration may 
easily supervene in such cases, the employment of induction 
* The Lancet, July 1853. 612 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
currents for the cure of aneurisms is, generally speaking, 
not justifiable. 
3. Diseases of the veins.-I have treated several 
cases of varicose veins of the extremities, and of 
varicocele, by electrolysis, with apparently good re- 
sults ; but sufficient time has not yet elapsed to enable 
me to say whether the results have been permanent. 
XVI. DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 
1. Stricture of the Urethra.-Crussel and Wert- 
heimber were the first to attempt the cure of this 
affection by galvanism, but to Messrs. Mallez and 
Tripier,* the merit is due of having proposed an 
intelligible method of applying it. They recommend 
electrolysis of the stricture, by introducing an in- 
sulated sound with a metallic point to the seat of the 
obstruction, and connecting it with the negative pole 
of twelve pairs of the bisulphate of mercury battery; 
the positive electrode, which should be well moistened, 
being fixed on the inner surface of the left thigh. 
As soon as the circuit is closed, the patient feels a 
slight pricking sensation, which, however, diminishes 
in proportion as the eschar is formed. The metallic 
point is then pushed forward, so as to cauterise the 
different parts of the stricture ; and when the im- 
pediment is destroyed, the sound is pushed forward 
beyond the point of the wire. A catheter can then 
* De la guerison durable des retrecissements de 1'urethre par la gal- 
vanocaustique chimique. Paris, 1867. 2nd edition, 1870. chap, v.] 
STRICTURE. 
613 
be easily introduced into the bladder, showing that 
the stricture has disappeared. Messrs. Mallez and 
Tripier have treated thirty-one cases by this method 
in a public dispensary, with satisfactory results. It 
is true that one of these patients died a week after 
the operation of urethral fever; but he had already 
once before nearly died of that after urethrotomy. The 
authors of the operation do not consider that their 
proceeding should be made responsible for this fatal 
result, as death has occasionally occurred after simple 
catheterism, in persons who were either in bad gene- 
ral health, or suffered from disease of the kidneys. 
In the patient alluded to, the immediate effects of the 
operation had been satisfactory. One operation is 
generally sufficient, and nothing further need be 
done; but the catheter is introduced from time to 
time, in order to see whether the result of the treat- 
ment has been permanent. A curious circumstance 
is, that the size of the urethral canal, instead of 
diminishing, increases for a week or two after the 
operation, which is probably due to the absorption 
of peri-urethral effusions, which have been brought 
under the influence of the negative pole. The fol- 
lowing is one of Mallez and Tripier's cases : - 
A custom-house officer, aged 62, had had gonorrhcea at 
the age of twenty, and passed his urine with difficulty for 
the last ten years. For. the last eighteen months there had 
been incontinence, which obliged the patient to wear a 
urinal, and he was unable to follow his employment. On 
May 2, 1864, the urethra was explored with an elastic 
bougie, which encountered an obstacle at the end of the 614 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
spongy portion of the urethra; and rectal examination 
showed the existence of hypertrophied prostate without 
deformity. For twenty minutes it was tried to introduce 
a bougie No. 3 into the bladder, which caused a few drops 
of "blood to appear. On May 6, a bougie No. 3 was intro- 
duced after patient trials of three-quarters of an hour; and on 
May 9 the stricture was electrolysed to the extent of half an 
inch. The application lasted five minutes; immediately after 
the operation, a bougie No. 19 and 20 could be introduced 
without the least difficulty, and the patient passed his 
urine in a full stream. No fever supervened. The inconti- 
nence ceased, so that the patient was no longer obliged to 
use the urinal. He was seen several months afterwards, 
when he was in excellent health, and there was not the 
least return of the stricture. 
In most cases operated upon by Messrs.. Mallez 
and Tripier, one application of the continuous current 
was sufficient for the cure of the stricture; in a few 
others from two to five were necessary. In only one 
case did the patient complain of pain during the 
operation, and in a few only was there slight haemor- 
rhage afterwards. Some of these cases have remained 
under observation for more than three years, and 
have shown no relapse ; so that the results of electro- 
lysis for stricture seem to be superior to those of 
many other operative procedures. 
2. Paralysis and atony of the Bladder.-Paralysis 
of the bladder occurs in consequence of an injury to 
the spine, and also as a symptom of certain diseases 
of the nervous centres, such as myelitis, atony, &c. 
In such cases, the local application of electricity to 
the bladder can have no beneficial effect; but galvani- CHAP. V.] 
THE BLADDER. 
615 
sation of the spinal cord often cures the affection of 
the bladder, along with the other symptoms of the 
principal disease, of which the affection of the bladder 
is merely a symptom. In other cases the muscular 
fibres of the bladder become atrophied, and lose their 
expulsive power, the bladder itself being a thin 
flaccid bag. This occurs when persons have been 
obliged to retain the urine for a long time, and is 
also a symptom of the general malnutrition of ad- 
vancing age. In such cases, faradisation of the 
bladder (p. 383) is the best remedy, which has proved 
successful in the hands of Dr. Russell Reynolds, 
Dr. Fraser, and my own. Paralysis due to injury of 
the bladder not unfrequently comes on after labour, 
and has then the same pathology as paralysis of 
motor nerves from pressure (p. 489). In such cases, 
faradisation is likewise of the greatest service, as 
shown by the observations of Dr. Goodwin and 
Radford. 
Mr. Ta of Anerley, has recorded a case of paralysis 
of the female bladder after forceps delivery, and in which 
the ordinary remedies had been used without any effect. 
He then introduced an insulated electrode into the bladder 
after the organ had been emptied, and applied faradisation. 
As two such applications, however, produced only little 
effect, he next faradised the full bladder, when, under the 
influence of the electric current, the organ forced the 
urine out by the side of the instrument, and on the same 
day the patient wras able to pass urine voluntarily. Faradi- 
sation was repeated once more, after which the patient 
had regained her full control over the bladder. 
* The Lancet. Vol. i. Feb. 1868, 616 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. V. 
Difficulty of urination in consequence of chronic 
inflammation of the prostate, has already been dis- 
cussed (p. 478). Where senile hypertrophy of the 
prostate is the cause of the impediment, probably no 
form of electricity would do much good, although the 
continuous current deserves a trial for the cure of 
this otherwise irremediable affection. In such cases 
the positive electrode may be placed in the rectum, 
and the negative in the prostatic portion of the 
urethra. 
3.-Dissolution of urinary calculi. 
As far back as 1801, M. Bouvier de Mortier proposed 
using galvanism for the dissolution of calculi. In 1803, 
Mongiardini and Lando, and in 1813, Gruithuisen again 
recommended it for such purposes, but it was only in 1823 
that the first successful experiments on this subject were 
made, by Messrs Prevost and Dumas.* They thought it 
best to destroy the state of aggregation by which the 
molecules of the calculus are bound together; for they 
argued that if once it was made friable, it would easily pass 
out. They did not, therefore, subject the calculus to 
direct chemical action, but utilised the mechanical action 
of torrents of gases in order to alter its texture, and reduce 
it to a fine powder. They first submitted a fusible human 
calculus to the action of a voltaic pile of 120 pairs, for 
twelve hours consecutively. The pile was recharged every 
hour. Platinum wires serving as electrodes were placed at 
two opposite points of the calculus which was immersed in 
a vessel filled with water. After a time a fine powder was 
precipitated. At the commencement of the experiment the 
calculus weighed 92 grains, and at the end of it only 80 
grains. After having been subjected once more to the 
* Annales de Chimie et de Physique. Paris, 1823. Vol. xxiii. p. 202. chap, v.] 
URINARY CALCULI. 
617 
action of the pile for 16 hours, the calculus became so 
friable that the slightest pressure reduced it to small 
crystalline grains ; the largest fragments were scarcely the 
size of a lentil, and the canal of the urethra would not 
therefore have opposed their exit. Prevost and Dumas 
made a similar experiment on a living bitch. A fusible 
calculus fixed upon a sound was introduced into the bladder 
of the animal, and the electrodes so arranged that they 
touched the calculus on opposite points. Warm water 
having been injected into the bladder, the electrodes were 
connected with the poles of the pile. The calculus was 
left for an hour in this state, and when taken out showed 
unequivocal signs of decomposition. The same process 
was repeated every morning and evening for an hour each 
time, on six successive days ; after which the stone was so 
friable that the experiment could not be continued. A few 
days afterwards the bitch was killed and the bladder ex- 
amined ; it was then observed that its tissue had in no 
way been injured by the operation. 
In 1835 M. Bonnet, of Lyons,* succeeded in dissolving 
calculi by the direct chemical action of the voltaic pile. 
He placed different calculi between platinum electrodes 
immersed in a solution of a drachm of nitrate of potash in 
four ounces of water, and dissolved them by directing a 
continuous current to their texture. Stones of oxalate of 
lime were the only ones which resisted the action of the 
galvanism, while calculi of every other description were 
dissolved more or less rapidly. The point established by 
the researches of M. Bonnet is, that we may convey to the 
stone acids and alkalies, merely by the electro-chemical 
decomposition of a saline solution, without these powerful 
substances being diffused in the urine contained in the 
bladder. Most urinary calculi are dissolved either by 
nitric acid or by potash; but these substances cannot be 
* Bibliothfcque universelie de Gen&ve, 1835. Vol. Iviii. p. 391. 618 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
introduced into the bladder without cauterising its tissue. 
If, however, a solution of a neutral salt, such as nitre, is 
injected into the bladder containing the calculus, and the 
electrodes connected with the poles of the pile are made to 
touch opposite surfaces of the stone, the solution of nitre 
is decomposed, nitric acid being attracted in very small 
quantities to the positive pole, and potash to the negative 
pole. One of the sides of the calculus will, therefore, 
be subjected to the action of nitric acid, and the other to 
that of caustic potash. If the stones be composed of phos- 
phates, it will be dissolved on the acid side ; while if it be 
composed of uric acid, or urate of ammonia, it will be dis- 
solved on the alkaline side. But while this process of dis- 
solution is going on, the calculus and the mucous mem- 
brane of the bladder are in contact with a neutral solution. 
If the action of the current be kept up, the electrode 
gradually penetrates to the interior of the stone, but 
always on one side only. In this way stones of phosphate 
of ammonia and magnesia, phosphate of lime, ammonia, 
and magnesia, urate of ammonia and uric acid, are capable 
of being dissolved. If the texture of the stone be very 
dense, the solution will be confined to the point touched by 
the electrode, but if the stone be formed of layers which 
are only feebly connected with each other (as is the case 
with such of urate of ammonia, and triple phosphates), or 
if it be porous, when formed of phosphate of ammonia and 
magnesia, the calculus will soon become friable, and the 
layers separated from each other. The dissolved part 
does not remain in solution in the liquid, but is precipitated 
in the bladder as a fine powder of subphosphate, or of 
uric acid. 
In the course of his experiments, M. Bonnet several 
times changed the saline solution in which the calculi 
were immersed, using the phosphate, the hydrochlorate, 
and the borate of soda, and the fluate of potash, instead of 
nitre; but he found that none of these salts had such a 
general and powerful action as the nitrate of potash. chap, v.] 
URINARY CALCULI. 
619 
Similar experiments were made in 1853, by Dr. Bence 
Jones,* who confirmed nearly all the results previously 
obtained by M. Bonnet, but found that calculi of oxalate 
of lime, which had been pronounced indissoluble by M. 
Bonnet, could be dissolved, although only slowly. 
The only author who affirms having dissolved calculi 
in the human bladder by galvanism, is Dr. Melicher,f of 
Vienna. But as he has not described the instruments 
used, nor given his cases in full detail, his statements are 
devoid of value. 
The mechanical effect of electric discharges has also 
been recommended for disintegrating calculi. It is well 
known that electricity of high tension is able to destroy 
the molecular structure of imperfect conductors; thus 
lightning will break and pulverise stones, panes of glass, 
and other similar bodies which it cannot traverse without 
destroying them. Proceeding from these facts Mr. Robin- 
son has endeavoured to reduce stones to a fine powder by 
discharging a Leyden jar through them, and has succeeded 
in pulverising phosphatic, mulberry, and lithic acid calculi, 
which were previously placed in a bladder or in vessels of 
glass or earthenware filled with water. No effect was 
produced if the surrounding medium was air. He recom- 
mends the introduction of two conducting wires by means 
of an elastic catheter into the bladder, the wires being 
connected separately with the inner and the outer coating of 
the jar, and their free extremities being separated in order to 
grasp the stone. However ingenious all these ideas and 
experiments may be, it is not likely that electricity or gal- 
vanism will ever supersede lithotrity for the treatment of 
small stones, nor lithotomy for that of large ones. 
* Philosoph. Transactions, 1853, p. 201. 
f Oesterreichische medicinische Jahrbiicher, 1848, p. 153. 620 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. V. 
XVII.-DISEASES OF THE MALE ORGANS OF 
GENERATION. 
1. Impotency.-Electricity has often been recom- 
mended and used for the cure of impotency. Dr. 
Westring,* a Swedish physician, has recorded the 
case of a man, aged 36, who had become impotent in 
consequence of debauchery; erection was imperfect, 
ejaculation took place too quickly, and without any 
pleasurable sensation. The patient was treated with 
the continuous current of a voltaic pile applied by 
means of metallic conductors, and had within a 
fortnight quite regained his virile power. M. Stac- 
quez f cured a case of impotency by shocks from a 
Leyden jar; his patient was an officer aged 35, who 
had been completely impotent for several years. 
M. Duchenne J has been successful with faradisation 
of the testicles and spermatic cord ; and M. Schultz § 
and M. Roubaud || have likewise seen good results 
from the galvanic treatment of such cases. 
Want of erectile power is a frequent cause of im- 
potency, and curable by electricity, unless it is caused 
by malformation or other serious pathological changes 
in the male organ. In such cases faradisation of 
the ischio-cavernosus and bulbo-cavernosus muscles, 
* Journal du galvanisme et de la vaccine, 1803. Vol. i. p. 297. 
f Archives beiges de militaire, 1849. 
| De 1'Electrisation localisEe, etc., p. 764. 
§ Wiener medizin. Wochenschrift, 1857. No. 10. 
|| Traite de 1'impuissance et de la sterilite chez 1'homme et chez la 
femme. Paris, 1855. Vol. ii. p. 685. chap, v.] 
IMPOTEXCY. 
621 
which preside over erection, is useful. The same 
application may be resorted to in cases of sexual 
hypochondriasis, where patients, for some reason or 
another, imagine that they are impotent, but where 
virile power is not really impaired. In anaesthesia 
of the skin of the sexual organs, faradisation of the 
skin of the organs may be resorted to. 
Case 75.-In June 1858, Mr. Curling sent to me a gen- 
tleman, aged 26, who had completely lost his virile power 
after gonorrhoea, for the cure of which he had been advised 
to make caustic injections. Faradisation of the ischio- 
cavernosus and bulbo-cavernosus muscle, and of the penis, 
restored his energy in a short time. The power was sub- 
sequently lost again, but returned for good after a second 
course of faradisation, in August 1859. 
Where impotency is caused by general malnu- 
trition, diabetes, syphilis, lead-poisoning, or the 
habitual use of opium and hasheesh, excessive tea or 
coffee-drinking, by over-study and similar causes, a 
general treatment should be combined with the 
application of electricity. In such cases the con- 
tinuous current, applied to the lumbar spine con- 
tinuatively, and to the penis and testicles inter- 
mittently, is superior to faradisation. Where the 
virile power is lost from disease of the spinal cord, 
galvanisation of the cord frequently restores the 
sexual energy, without any local application to the 
sexual organs having been made. 
2. Sterility.-Mr. Curling* has shown in an ex- 
* A Practical Treatise on the Diseases of the Testes, and of the 
Spermatic Cord and Scrotum. London, 1866. Third edition, p. 433. 622 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
cellent paper on this subject, that there may be 
capacity for sexual intercourse, but at the same time 
inability to procreate ; and that this inability in man 
arises from malposition of the testicles, obstruction 
in the excretory ducts of the testicle, impediments to 
the escape of the seminal fluid, and aspermatismus. 
Whether deficient secretion of semen may be 
improved or cured by electricity is at present not 
known. It does not appear impossible that it should 
be so, for electricity has considerable effects in rousing 
the activity of the vaso-motor nerves in general. 
By electrifying the skin, we may produce erythema 
and papular eruptions; in cases of amenorrhoea 
electricity is often instrumental in promoting normal 
menstruation; in paralysed limbs which have been 
cold and flabby, animal heat may be restored by its 
use; a deficient secretion of cerumen may be im- 
proved, and lacteal secretion in women after parturi- 
tion may be excited by it; and the secretion of tears, 
of nasal mucus, and of saliva, is stimulated by the 
application of electricity. It therefore appears, a 
priori, not unreasonable to expect that the secretion of 
semen may be restored or improved by galvanising 
the testicles; provided, of course, that the want of 
secretion is due to paralysis of the vaso-motor nerves 
of these organs, and not to the results of inflamma- 
tion, cancer, tubercle, or other pathological processes 
which destroy the texture of the testicles, and there- 
fore render any secretion of semen impossible. Ob- 
servations on this point are as yet wanting, but in CHAP. V.] 
SPERMATORRHOEA. 
623 
the absence of other remedies for the condition just 
mentioned, electricity, and more especially the con- 
tinuous current, deserve a trial. 
3. Spermatorrhoea.-Excessive spermatic discharges 
may occur both during sleep and in the day-time, 
and are generally the consequence ' of the passions 
being excited without an opportunity being afforded 
for their gratification.' * In nine cases out of ten, 
spermatorrhoea comes on after masturbation has 
been practised for some time, and constitutes a very 
troublesome complaint, which is generally attended 
by symptoms pointing to a profound disturbance of 
the central nervous system. Mr. Curling recom- 
mends the application of nitrate of silver to the 
prostatic portion of the urethra, in those cases which 
do not get well by a constitutional treatment, and 
the occasional introduction of bougies; and his suc- 
cess appears to have been very marked. Galvanisation 
of the prostatic portion of the urethra (p. 327) may 
likewise be employed. It has the advantage that it 
can be readily adapted to the special sensibility of 
each patient, and that it causes no distress during 
or after the application, if this be judiciously per- 
formed. 
Case 76.-A gentleman, aged 26, consulted me in Janu- 
ary 1868. He had been in good health until he began to 
masturbate five years ago, which habit he had continued 
for three or four years. Within the last three years he had 
suffered from extremely frequent seminal emissions at night, 
* Curling, loc. cit. p. 453. 624 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
in consequence of which he had become very much debili- 
tated ; at present not a single night passed without an 
emission, and there were sometimes three in one night. The 
memory was bad, the patient felt unable to work, and 
complained of heaviness about the head, great despondency, 
and pain and weakness in the back. I prescribed mineral 
acids, and applied the negative pole of fifteen cells for two 
minutes to the veru montanum by means of an insulated 
metallic conductor, the positive pole being placed to the 
perineum. The galvanism was afterwards applied to the 
parts externally, three times a week. The patient now had 
no emission for fifteen nights consecutively. He had one 
in the sixteenth night, and galvanisation of the urethra 
was then repeated. After this he went sixteen nights until 
he had another emission; and the one he had then was the 
last he had while he continued under my care (three 
mpnths). His general health had at the same time become 
much better, and the despondency of mind had given 
place to his natural cheerfulness. 
4. Hydrocele.-Dr. Ruschenberger, of the united 
States' Navy, Prof. Petrequin and M. Scoutetten 
have cured obstinate cases of hydrocele by galvano- 
puncture, both electrodes being introduced into the 
sac. Dr. Lehmann and M. Tripier have used farado- 
puncture, and have also been satisfied with the 
result. Dr. Friedlaender of Vienna, and Mr. Powell 
of Dublin, have successfully used the method first 
recommended by me, viz. to direct the negative pole 
only to the liquid, and to place the positive outside, 
Two needles and fifteen or twenty cells appear to be 
generally sufficient. Care should be taken that the 
points of the needles should project into the fluid, 
as, if they were merely passed into the subcutaneous CHAP, v.] 
AMENORRIKEA. 
625 
cellular tissue, or the tunica dartos, the current 
would only act upon these membranes, but not upon 
the liquid accumulated in the sac of the tunica 
vaginalis. The operation should last for five or seven 
minutes, and at the same time gentle pressure be 
made upon the tumour. After the operation, the 
scrotum appears puffed, and the quantity of fluid in 
the sac is diminished. If electrolysis is used, one 
application is sufficient, while for farado-puncture 
three or four operations are generally required. 
w 
XVIII.-DISEASES OF THE FEMALE ORGANS OF 
GENERATION. 
1. Amenorrhoea.-Electricity has been frequently 
employed for the cure of amenorrhoea, and generally 
with satisfactory results. Dr. Golding Bird * ex- 
presses his belief that electricity is the only really 
direct emmenagogue we possess, and that it always 
excites menstruation where the uterus is capable of 
performing this function. It appears indeed that 
every form of electricity has an almost specific 
stimulating influence upon the vasomotor nerves of 
the ovaries and the uterus. Dr. Bird has cured 
twenty out of twenty-four cases of amenorrhoea, by 
the application of static electricity. The mode in 
which he applied it was to transmit a dozen shocks 
from an electric jar holding about a pint, through 
the pelvis, one conductor being placed over the 
* Lectures on Electricity and Galvanism in their Physiological and 
Therapeutical Relations. London Medical Gazette, 1847, p. 705. 626 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
lumbo-sacral region, and the other just above the 
pubes. Cases of amenorrhcea cured by the applica- 
tion of the continuous current have been recorded by 
Drs. Westring and de Molle ; and Sir James Simpson 
has seen good results from the use of his intra-uterine 
galvanic pessaries, which are composed of copper and 
zinc. The induced current has proved beneficial in 
the hands of Duchenne, Schulz, Baierlacher, and my 
own. Even a lightning stroke has, according to 
Dr. Le Conte,* brought back the menstrual function 
in a negress seventy years of age, in a plantation in 
Georgia: in this person the period had ceased for 
more than twenty years; but after she had been 
struck by lightning, the menses were completely re- 
established, and continued with the utmost regularity 
for more than a year after the accident; at the same 
time the mammae had become enlarged. 
Electricity is especially valuable as an emmena- 
gogue in young women, where the menstrual func- 
tion has not yet been fully established in conse- 
quence of a torpid state of the vasomotor nerves of 
the ovaries and the uterus; and also when the cata- 
menia have been lost, after labour, or in consequence 
of cold, shock, or mental anxiety. Where amenor- 
rhoea is caused by structural diseases of the ovaries 
and the uterus, the prognosis is not so favourable. 
I have taken some trouble to determine the most 
effectual way of administering electricity in amenor- 
rhcea. Duchenne has recommended faradisation of 
* New York Journal of Medicine, 1844. CHAP. V.] 
AMENORRIICEA. 
627 
the womb, which is certainly very effective, but not 
applicable to unmarried women. Experience has 
shown me that in many cases the catamenia are 
brought on, whatever part of the body may have 
been faradised ; but that the most effectual way after 
faradisation of the womb, is to apply one electrode 
to the abdominal parietes, and the other to the 
lumbar spine. It has frequently happened in cases 
under my care that the catamenia appeared after 
one or a few applications, when the faradic treat- 
ment was employed for another complaint; thus, for 
instance, in a lady suffering from aphonia, I guided 
a mild current along the course of the recurrent 
nerve; a few hours afterwards the catamenia, which 
had not been expected for a week, appeared. In 
another lady I faradised the drum of the ear for 
nervous deafness and noises in the head; soon after 
the operation, the patient felt a general sensation 
throughout her body, and the courses, which had 
before been tardy in their appearance, had come on 
a week too soon. 
I subjoin a case of amenorrhcea which presents 
some interest partly on account of the advanced age 
of the patient, and partly because electricity was not 
used with the intention of effecting a return of 
menstruation:- 
Case 77.-A married woman, set. 48, was admitted as an 
out-patient at the infirmary for epilepsy and paralysis, 
under my care, on May 5, 1866. Six years ago she had a 
paralytic stroke which took away the use of the left side. 628 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
She was then so ill for three months that her life was de- 
paired of. She had had many miscarriages, and several 
children, but none of them were now living. Shortly 
before she had the attack, the courses stopped away, she 
being then 42 years old; when she first missed them, she 
had a great deal of pain in the back, and suffered from 
sick headaches. She had never seen a sign of them since. 
She had now nearly recovered the use of the arm, but 
there was almost complete anaesthesia of the left leg from 
the knee downwards, and walking was very troublesome. 
I resorted to faradisation of the skin of the anaesthetic leg; 
and after this had been done seven times, the patient in- 
formed me she had been very much astonished by the period 
having returned. It came twice more, at a month's inter- 
val each time, after which I lost sight of the patient. 
2. Chronic metritis.-French surgeons frequently 
employ faradisation in inflammatory conditions of 
the womb; and to M. Tripier * great merit is due 
for having improved the method of applying electri- 
city in such cases (p. 387). Messrs. Beau and Fano 
have been equally successful with the faradic treat- 
ment of uterine disease as M. Tripier. I have like- 
wise had a few cases of it under my care, in which the 
results have been so satisfactory, that I feel justified 
in recommending a more extended use of faradi- 
sation to obstetric physicians. 
The influence of faradisation in uterine disease is easily 
understood if we consider the minute anatomical structure 
of the womb and its appendages, and the pathological 
nature of the principal diseases to which this organ is liable. 
The substance of the uterus consists of three different layers 
of organic muscular fibre-cells, which are intimately con- 
* Manuel d'Electrotherapie. Paris, 1861, p. 548. chap, v.] 
CHRONIC METRITIS. 
629 
nected with one another, and pervaded by a considerable 
mass of nucleated connective tissue, with which the mus- 
cular fibres are so interlaced that it is almost impossible to 
isolate the several structural elements. The broad liga- 
ments by which the uterus is kept in its proper position, 
contain a continuation of these muscular fibres. Now, the 
chief morbid changes which occur in the tissue of the 
uterus and broad ligaments consist of atrophy of the con- 
tractile fibres, with effusions, and relative or absolute in- 
crease of connective tissue ; and faradisation acts bene- 
ficially by inducing contractions of the muscular fibres and 
strengthening their tone, while at the same time it pro- 
motes the absorption of effusions, and checks the undue 
proliferation of connective tissue. 
Chronic inflammation occurs after child-birth, repeated 
miscarriages, and mechanical injury to the parts, or from 
disturbances of the abdominal circulation, cold, mental 
emotions, sedentary habits, habitual constipation, and ex- 
cessive sexual indulgence. Its chief anatomical feature 
consists, according to Scanzoni, of an excessive growth of 
connective tissue, which is formed by the organisation of 
the lymph effused between the muscular fibres of the womb, 
causing compression or even obliteration of the blood- 
vessels in some parts, and dilatation of the same in others. 
Enlargement of the uterus without inflammation occurs 
after child-birth, in consequence of defective involution of 
that organ, and its symptoms are similar to those which 
are due to true chronic inflammation, viz., a sensation of 
weight, fulness, and dragging about the pelvis. Standing 
and walking are shunned, and if a little more exercise than 
usual is taken, severe pain is felt in the hypogastrium, the 
inguinal and sacral regions. The catamenia are mostly 
scanty, irregular, and .painful; a leucorrhoeal discharge is 
either permanently present, or occurs a few days previous 
to the period. Digestion is tardy and imperfect, there is fre- 
quently sickness, habitual constipation, and tenesmus about 
the bladder and the rectum, and ana?mia and a weak and 
irritable condition of thenervoussystem follow in due course. 630 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
Case 78.-A married lady, aged 36, had three children 
very quickly after one another, She had her last confine- 
ment four years ago, and directly after that began to feel 
very ill. Her medical attendant told her that she would 
most likely have no more children, as there had been 
inflammation of the womb after the confinement. She lost 
all energy, and felt unable to superintend her household. 
Even writing and reading were troublesome to her. The 
period was regular, but pale and scanty. Digestion was 
tedious, and the bowels habitually costive. Walking and 
standing were so painful that she passed her life chiefly in 
bed and on the sofa. Whenever she attempted to walk, 
she had a bearing-down sensation, as if the womb were 
going to be expelled. She habitually suffered from fulness 
and heaviness in the pelvis, and also from chills along her 
back, which came on every evening. These latter were so 
constant that she had been treated for ague, and taken 
quinine and arsenic, without any effect. She had, how- 
ever, never had real ague. She had been subjected to a 
variety of local treatment, but nothing had seemed to have 
any beneficial influence on her condition. 
The lips of the os were indurated and enlarged, the os 
dilated, and the body of the womb nearly twice its normal 
size. A somewhat copious secretion took place from the 
cervical canal, but there was no ulceration. Faradisation 
wras now had recourse to (June 1867), and the first appli- 
cation of it did good, as the patient felt less heaviness and 
fulness in the pelvis, and could walk and stand without 
being so much troubled by bearing-down sensations. 
After six applications, the patient could walk a mile with 
comparative comfort. The uterus had then already con- 
siderably contracted, and the lips of the os had become 
softer and smaller. The period came on after the sixth 
application. It was of a better character, and not nearly 
so painful as before. The patient had fourteen more appli- 
cations, and I then discontinued the treatment, as she had 
conceived, and further applications might possibly have led CHAP. V.] 
CHRONIC METRITIS. 
631 
to abortion. The patient was, when I last heard of her, 
advanced in pregnancy, and had all the time been able to 
take active exercise. Her general health was very much 
better, and she had never been obliged to have recourse to 
opening medicines, since faradisation was first used. 
Dr. G. Murray * lias used Sir J. Simpson's galvanic 
pessaries for the relief and cure of sub-involution of 
the uterus, where the organ is heavy, larger than 
natural, and flabby to the touch; the os uteri open, 
or readily admitting the point of the forefinger; the 
anterior, posterior, or both lips thickened or elon- 
gated ; and where there is an offensive discharge from 
the cavity of the womb, and an excess of menstrual 
flow. In one case of this kind, where the organ was 
also retroverted, and Hodge's pessary had failed to 
remedy the diseased condition, Dr. Murray suc- 
ceeded, by the introduction of the galvanic pessary, 
in reducing, in the course of a fortnight, the large 
flabby uterus nearly to its normal and healthy con- 
dition. 
3. Displacements of the Womb.-The treatment of 
displacements of the womb by the introduction of 
the uterine sound is often unsatisfactory, as the 
sound cannot always remain in the organ, and 
the moment it is withdrawn the body of the uterus 
falls back into its old position. The plan of intro- 
ducing pessaries for rectifying the position of the 
uterus, was a considerable improvement, as they not 
merely give mechanical support, but also tend to 
* The Lancet, vol. ii. 1868. 632 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
alter the tissue of the womb, so as to make it con- 
tract. Yet pessaries frequently give rise to great 
irritation and inflammation, which is chiefly due to 
the difficulty experienced in adapting a really weU- 
fltting pessary to the individual case, and to the 
mischief which results if the pessary does not fit. 
The annoyance and inconvenience caused to the 
patient by wearing a pessary is also considerable; 
so that, if more extended experience should prove 
that faradisation is of substantial value in these 
conditions, a considerable therapeutical improve- 
ment would be effected. 
a. Anteversion and Anteflexion of the uterus are 
generally owing to prolonged congestion, or the 
presence of a tumour, and connected with engorge- 
ment or hypertrophy of the anterior wall of the 
uterus. Such displacements are a very frequent 
cause of sterility, for in 250 cases of sterility ob- 
served by Dr. Marion Sims, no less than 103 patients 
had anteversion. If faradisation is used in such 
cases, we ought to act chiefly on the posterior portion 
of the womb, the positive electrode being introduced 
into the vagina, and the negative into the rectum. 
The latter should be moved about, during the appli- 
cation, so as to increase its exciting effect on the 
contractile substance of the womb. 
b. Retroversion and Retroflexion occur chiefly after 
labour or miscarriages, when the uterus is large and 
lax, and.its ligaments longer than usual, and it is, 
therefore, easily twisted and displaced. It may also CHAP. V.] 
RETROVERSION. 
633 
occur where the menstruation has been unusually 
profuse, and the womb enlarged and congested from 
other causes. For these cases M. Tripier recommends 
Fig. 62. 
first to introduce an air-pessary into the rectum, in 
order to raise the fundus uteri, and then to put the 
negative pole to the os, and the positive into the 634 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
bladder. Where it should not be convenient to 
introduce an electrode into the bladder, a moistened 
sponge-conductor may be placed to the abdominal 
parietes. In unmarried women, M. Tripier recom- 
mends to have one electrode in the bladder, and a 
bifurcated sponge-conductor for both iliac regions. 
c. In Prolapsus of the Womb, bi-inguino-uterine 
faradisation is, according to M. Tripier, a useful 
auxiliary, although when used alone, not able to cure 
the prolapsus. 
4. Irritable Uterus.-The irritable or neuralgic 
condition of the uterus occurs without displacement 
or inflammation, and is generally considered in- 
curable. Patients of this kind live on their sofa for 
years, being compelled to assume the horizontal 
position by a constant pain in the uterus, which 
becomes worse on sitting or walking. Faradisation 
or galvanisation of the womb would probably cure 
this tedious affection. 
5. Menorrhagia.-Faradisation has often been suc- 
cessfully used for arresting haemorrhage from the 
uterus, and it appears certain that the organ may be 
rapidly and thoroughly contracted by it. The ulti- 
mate effect must, of course, depend upon the cause 
of the disease, which has to be treated according to 
the requirements of each individual case. 
6. Stoppage of the Lacteal Secretion.-In women 
after parturition, where the secretion of milk is tardy, 
either from a sluggish state of the mammary nerves, 
or from malnutrition and atrophy of the glands ; or CHAP. V.J 
LACTEAL SECRETION. 
635 
where the flow has been suppressed through fright 
or depressing mental emotions, faradisation ■ of the 
mammae with moistened conductors is useful. Messrs. 
Aubert and Becquerel were the first to put this 
treatment into practice. I have myself treated seve- 
ral cases of this kind with good results. Dr. Skinner,* 
of Liverpool, also thinks faradisation beneficial 
where the milk is absent from the effects of mammary 
inflammation or abscess, or where it has been inad- 
vertently stopped by the administration of certain 
medicines. The following is one of Dr. Skinner's 
cases:- 
In August, 1861, he was consulted by a lady, aged 36, 
on account of vaginal irritation and other morbid symp- 
toms resulting from anasmia. The lady had been lately 
confined of her fifth child under the care of an experi- 
enced accoucheur, and she was at the time suckling her 
infant. She was ordered moderate doses of tincture of iron 
thrice daily, but this medication was followed, in a few days, 
by a complete stoppage of the milk in both breasts. The 
right breast had never been used for suckling since an 
attack of mammary abscess some years before, so that he 
only applied the current to the left breast. At the time of 
the application the patient told him that she felt a distinct 
sensation as of ' a rush of milk to the breast.' On the 16th, 
the patient reported, that within a few hours of the fara- 
disation a copious supply of milk was permanently estab- 
lished in the left breast. He was then asked by the lady 
if he could do any good to the breast which had been so 
long useless as regards the function of lactation. He made 
the attempt, having little faith in the wished-for result, but 
* The Galactagogue Properties of Faradisation, in Transactions of 
the Obstetrical Society of London, 1864. 636 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
was agreeably disappointed to find that, after two brief 
sittings of little more than five minutes each, the right 
breast became as well supplied with milk as the left. 
XIX.-TUMOURS. 
Four different methods of applying electricity 
have been recommended and used for the removal 
of tumours. These are faradisation by moistened 
conductors (Meyer) ; the galvanic cautery (Heider 
and Middeldorpff); the external application of gal- 
vanic chains (Maurice Collis) and electrolysis (the 
author). 
a. Faradisation by moistened Conductors has, in the 
hands of Dr. Moritz Meyer,* succeeded in con- 
siderably reducing glandular tumours of large size, 
and in which surgical operations were inapplicable. 
The method is, however, excessively tedious, as 
hundreds of applications are required for powerfully 
influencing the nutrition of the tumour. It is 
possible that farado-puncture might be somewhat 
quicker in its action. 
One of Meyer's cases was that of a young lady, aged 25, 
who suffered from a tumour on the right side of the neck, 
which had within four weeks of its first appearance increased 
so rapidly, that it had assumed the size of an adult's head. 
Various remedial measures were adopted, such as the internal 
and external use of iodine, the baths of Kreuznach, &c.; but 
as no effect was produced, and an operation was inadmissible, 
Professor Langenbeck advised the use of electricity. At 
* Loc. eit. p. 407. CHAP. V.] 
TUMOURS. 
637 
that time the tumour filled up the entire space between the 
lower jaw, the mastoid process and the linea semicircularis 
inferior of the occiput; then proceeded posteriorly towards 
the vertebral column, which was displaced to the left side, 
terminated anteriorly in the middle of the throat, and 
reached inferiorly below the shoulder blade, the movement 
of the latter towards the spine being considerably impeded. 
The tumour did not appear to adhere to the bones, but was 
excessively hard, especially in its lower portion. The cir- 
cumference of the left side of the neck was six inches, and 
that of the right side fourteen inches. The right sterno- 
cleido-mastoid muscle could notbemadeout, andthe clavicula 
was completely covered by the tumour, and the head turned 
towards the left side ; the least lateral motion towards the 
right side being impossible. The induced current was now 
sent straight through the tumour by means of metal plates 
covered with moistened sponge, for an hour or an hour 
and a half each time. After fifty-six such applications the 
bulk of the tumour had been reduced to one half its pre- 
vious size, and the upper part of it was much softer. 
After 144 applications the size of the tumour was only one 
third its original size. The circumference of the right side 
of the neck was then only ten and a half inches. The 
sterno-cleido-mastoid muscle could be plainly felt, the head 
was straight and could be turned slightly towards the right 
side, and the spine was no longer displaced towards the 
left. Altogether 273 applications were made. The im- 
provement was steady but did not progress, when the 
treatment was interrupted. At the end of the treatment 
the difference in the circumference of the two sides of the 
neck was only two inches, and the head could be easily 
turned towards the right side. 
b. The galvanic cautery is a most powerful agent, 
by means of which many forms of tumour may be 
rapidly removed. It is chiefly applicable to super- 638 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
ficial tumours and polypi, but has the drawback of 
generally leaving unsightly scars. The following are 
a few cases which have been recently operated upon 
by Mr. Bryant* :- 
Cutaneous noevus over chest.-Alice C , aged four 
months ; naevus involving the skin on the left side of the 
chest, the size of a crown-piece. On January 8, 1869, it 
was cauterised deeply with the porcelain cautery, brought 
to a white heat by a coil of platinum wire. The whole 
growth was completely destroyed, and in two weeks, when 
the eschar had separated, perfect cicatrisation had taken 
place. 
Large epithelial cancer of the perineum removed by cautery ; 
recovery.-Eliza L , aged fifty-nine, was admitted into 
the hospital, under the care of Dr. Oldham and Mr. Bryant, 
with an epithelial cancer, the size of a crown-piece, occu- 
pying the perineum, and involving the anus and portion of 
the recto-vaginal septum. It had been growing for two 
years. On November 13, the patient being under the in- 
fluence of chloroform, Mr. Bryant isolated the base of the 
growth by passing three large pins beneath it into the 
healthy tissues. He then passed round the base of the tu- 
mour beneath the pins a strong platinum wire, and fixed it 
to the ecraseur, screwing it home. Junction was then made 
with the galvanic battery, and with a few carefully applied 
screws of the instrument the growth was removed, no drop 
of blood showing itself. A white ash-coloured surface was 
left. Rapid recovery followed the operation, the patient 
leaving the hospital well on December 15. 
Mr. Bryant remarked that this case illustrated very beau- 
tifully the use of the cautery, for the removal of a tumour so 
situated with the knife would have been very difficult, and 
must have been attended with severe and troublesome 
haemorrhage. 
* The Lancet, May 1, 1869. chap, v.] 
TUMOURS. 
639 
Spreading lupus of the face, cured by the cautery.- 
Eliza T , aged 30, came under Mr. Bryant's care 
with a spreading lupus, involving the whole of the nose 
and upper lip. It had existed for four years, and, in spite 
of all treatment, had steadily progressed. On November 
6, 1868, it was freely cauterised. By the 19th the scab 
was coming away, a healing surface remaining. By the 
26th the whole eschar had fallen off, and the wound was 
closing. By December 8 the woman was well. She was 
seen on April 10, when it was difficult to make out the 
seat of the former disease, the cicatrices being so indistinct, 
and the skin natural. 
c. External application of Galvanic Chains.-The 
late Mr. Collis, of Dublin, has used small batteries 
of zinc and copper wire wound on cylinders or 
plates of wood covered with felt, and rendered active 
by immersions in a weak solution of sulphuric acid. 
The negative pole is brought into contact with a 
plate of zinc, copper, or silver foil, laid over the 
tumour, and the positive pole is connected with a 
plate of copper laid somewhere on the general surface, 
with a preference to the spinal region. He has 
succeeded, by a prolonged application of these chains, 
in removing or considerably reducing glandular and 
some other kinds of tumours. 
d. Electrolysis.-The electrolytic treatment appears 
to be the most universally applicable method of 
electrisation for the cure of tumours, although it is 
not nearly so rapid as the galvanic cautery, espe- 
cially where the tumours are large. Its effects are 
essentially slow in all tumours except those with 
serous contents; and it tends rather to a profound 640 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
modification of the nutrition of the parts involved, 
than to a sudden destruction of the morbid growths. 
Electrolysis may therefore be described as a physiolo- 
gical rather than a mechanical remedy. The kinds of 
tumour in which electrolysis has hitherto proved 
chiefly successful, are nsevus, bronchocele, sebaceous 
tumours, hydatid tumours of the liver, and cancer. 
Case 79.-Naevus of the eye-lid; electrolysis', cure. 
In July, 1866, Mr. White Cooper requested me to see 
with him a lady, aged 28, who had a congenital naevus of 
the right lower eyelid, of the size of a pea, which it was 
thought desirable to remove. I gave the opinion that this 
might be safely done by electrolysis, without haemorrhage, 
and without subsequent inflammation, suppuration, or 
sloughing ; and we therefore met on July 23, in order to per- 
form the operation. As the patient was of a highly sensitive 
constitution, chloroform was administered by Dr. Allan, of 
Hyde Park Terrace, the ordinary medical attendant of the 
lady. As soon as she was fairly under the influence of it, 
Mr. White Cooper introduced a needle connected with the 
negative pole of ten cells of the battery into the right half 
of the tumour, and I closed the circuit by placing a mois- 
tened electrode connected with the positive pole to the skin 
of the neck. The current was then allowed to pass for 
two minutes, after which the needle was withdrawn. Not 
a drop of blood was lost on withdrawing the needle. The 
patient recovered well from the chloroform, and said that 
she felt no pain in the part that had been operated upon, 
but merely a slight stiffness. The right half of the tumour 
appeared shrunk and shrivelled up, while the left half had 
not been altered in any way. This was an interesting cir- 
cumstance, as it showed that even in so small a tumour as 
the one described, the action of the current could be limited 
to that portion of it which was in contact with the needle. CHAP. V.] 
N.EVUS. 
641 
We met again on July 26, when the same operation was 
performed on the other half of the tumour ; but this time 
the patient objected to the use of chloroform, and bore 
the trifling pain of the galvanism quite well without it. I 
have not seen the patient since; but received on October 
13 a note from Dr. Allan, in which he expressed himself as 
follows :-' Mrs. is in the country, but last time 1 
heard from her, she said that the naevus had disappeared. 
A dozen years ago I wished it to be removed ; but no one 
would do it; and the able and esteemed oculist whom she 
then consulted, deprecated all interference. At length I 
persuaded her to have another opinion (that of Mr. White 
Cooper). The result was your employment of galvanism, 
with the happy effect of complete obliteration of the evil.' 
Case 80.-Ncevus of the orbit ; Electrolysis ; cure. 
A male child, aged 7 months, -was sent to me by Dr. 
Schulhoff in December, 1867, with a congenital naevus at 
the angle of the right eye, part of it being intra-orbital. It 
had the size of an almond and was highly vascular. When 
the child was 5 weeks old, the tumour was on three different 
occasions cauterised with nitric acid. This (according to 
the parents) only took the colour out of it, but did not 
diminish the size of the tumour. At 2 months of age the 
child was vaccinated in the naevus, which for a time checked 
its growth ; but it soon afterwards began to increase again. 
It was then twice more cauterised with nitric acid, but as 
this had no effect, Mr. Nunn, who was then consulted, 
advised the use of electrolysis. After five applications the 
tumour seemed entirely destroyed, and a scab was formed, 
which came off within two weeks. The tumour had a con- 
siderable tendency to reproduce itself, and it was therefore 
again electrolysed from time to time. When I last saw 
the child (October 1869), no trace of the tumour was left, 
but only a slight induration of the cellular tissue, for the 
removal of which I recommended the local application of 
the tincture of iodine. 642 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
Case 81.-Papillary Growth in the Arm-pit; Electro- 
lysis ; cure. 
A lady, aged 27, consulted me on November 21st, 1866, 
on account of a small papillary and highly vascular growth 
which had first appeared in the right axilla since the com- 
mencement of 1865, and had somewhat rapidly increased in 
size during the last few months. It was one-third of an 
inch long, and one-fourth of an inch wide in its widest part. 
I introduced a needle connected with fifteen cells of the 
battery into the base of the tumour, and allowed the current 
to pass for three minutes. No chloroform or ether spray 
was used. The current had not acted many seconds when 
a peculiar change was observed in the tumour, which lost 
its flesh-colour, and became quite white, as if it had been 
frozen. When the needle was withdrawn, circulation in 
the tumour had evidently quite ceased. There was scarcely 
any pain during the operation, and none at all afterwards, 
nor was any blood lost. 
November 23.-Tumour entirely shrivelled up, looking 
like a thin brown leaf just adhering to the skin. The 
operation was therefore not repeated. 
December 20.-The eschar fell off about a week after 
the operation. There is now no sign that there ever was a 
tumour; no scar nor even redness of the skin being per- 
ceptible. 
Case 82.-Sebaceous Tumour of the Nose ; Electrolysis ; 
cure. 
A young lady, of considerable personal attractions, was 
sent to me by Mr. White Cooper, in April, 1867, for a 
sebaceous tumour, which she had on the right side of the 
nose, near the eye, and which had existed for the last three 
years. The tumour did not give rise to any inconvenience, 
but spoilt her appearance, and she was therefore anxious to 
have it removed. A gentle current was used four times CHAP. V.] 
GOITRE. 
643 
within ten days, after which the tumour had disappeared. 
1 saw this lady again in October, 1867, when not the slightest 
scar, or even redness of the skin, was perceptible on the 
place where the galvanism had been applied. 
For goitre (bronchocele, Derbyshire neck) the electro- 
lytic treatment is also most valuable, because any 
other surgical interference with such tumours is so 
dangerous to life that few surgeons are willing to 
operate. In most of the cases which have been 
under my care, Mr. Prescott Hewett, Mr. Paget, Sir 
William Fergusson, Mr. Csesar Hawkins, and other 
eminent surgeons, had been previously consulted, 
and pronounced any of the ordinary operations to be 
inadmissible. All these tumours were solid, and of 
very large size, and on that account required a long 
continuance of the treatment; but I believe that all 
cases of bronchocele, however large, may be cured by 
electrolysis, if the treatment be persevered in for a 
sufficient time. The cystic variety is, of course, 
much more rapidly curable with it than the solid. 
Dr. Morell Mackenzie, to whom we are indebted 
for so much additional knowledge in the pathology 
and treatment of diseases of the throat, has kindly 
given me, in the following lines, his experience with 
electrolysis in cases of goitre :- 
' I have used electrolysis as recommended by 
Dr. Althaus in several cases of goitre with a fair 
amount of success. In one instance in particular, 
the treatment was rapidly followed by most satis- 644 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
factory results. The following are brief notes of the 
case. 
1 Adelina Cr., age 17, a native of Savoy, came under 
my care at the Hospital for Diseases of the Throat on 
June 14,1867, on account of a goitre which had been coming 
on for two years. The swelling affected both lobes ; each 
of which appeared about as large as a moderate-sized 
orange. The hypertrophied tissue seemed to be of mode- 
rate density, uniformly distributed and not nodular. The 
neck measured eighteen inches round, when the tape was 
carried over the prominences of the thyroid gland. 
Treatment by electrolysis was at once commenced, two 
needles being introduced into the enlarged lobes and kept 
in for about ten minutes. This operation was repeated on 
the 16th and again on the 19th, on which day there did 
not appear to be any change in the form or size of the 
thyroid glands. On the 22nd the patient was seen again, 
and as she stated that she was sure that the throat was 
much smaller, it was measured again and found to be 
reduced to seventeen inches. The reduction had princi- 
pally taken place in the right lobe. A week later the left 
side was much smaller, the throat only measuring sixteen 
and a quarter inches. On July 5 it was reduced to fifteen 
and a half inches, and on July 11 it measured only fifteen 
inches. As there was now no apparent enlargement, the 
treatment, which had been carried out for less than one 
month, was discontinued. The patient had been previously 
treated by an English practitioner who had given her 
medicine and tincture of iodine to apply externally. Neither 
had done her any good, and when she came to the Hospital, 
treatment had been altogether suspended for three months. 
During the time that the electrolytic treatment was being 
carried out, no other remedies either external or internal 
were employed. 
So remarkably successful was the treatment that an 
Italian gentleman well acquainted with the case called at chap. v.J 
HYDATID TUMOURS. 
645 
the Hospital, some months afterwards, in order to procure 
a battery of the same kind for use in the village in Savoy, 
whence Adelina G. had come. Although he informed me 
that there were many other similar cases in the same 
village, I did not recommend him to use electrolysis except 
under the direction of a medical practitioner. 
' In several other cases under my care, benefit resulted 
from electrolysis. In one very dense hypertrophy, the 
results were negative. I consider that electrolysis is very 
useful in cases of moderate duration-six months to two 
years-and of yielding consistence.' 
I will only add to this statement, that in the solid 
variety a more powerful current is required than in 
the cystic (viz. from thirty to forty cells instead of 
ten or fifteen). 
Hydatid tumours of the Liver.-Messrs. Durham and 
♦Cooper Forster* have, at Guy's Hospital, and the Royal 
Infirmary for Children, Waterloo Road, successfully electro- 
lysed large hydatid tumours of the liver. In one patient, 
who was under the care of Dr. Hilton Fagge, and who was 
operated upon by Mr. Durham, in June 1868, the dulness 
in the hepatic region measured seven inches vertically, the 
ribs on that side were bulged, and the intercostal spaces 
prominent. Two needles were introduced into the most 
prominent part of the swelling, one piercing the space 
between the eighth and ninth costal cartilages, and the 
other about two inches behind it, between the ninth and 
tenth ribs. The needles were passed into a depth of two 
or three inches. One of them was then evidently free in 
fluid, for it could be moved about and rubbed against the 
other. The posterior needle doubtless passed through the 
diaphragm, as it was jerked about by the respiratory move- 
ment. Both needles were connected with the negative 
* The Lancet, July 18, 1868. 646 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
pole of ten cells of the battery freshly charged. The 
positive pole, connected with a moistened conductor, was 
placed between and near the needles. The current was 
allowed to pass for twenty-five minutes, and during this 
time there was a crackling feeling under the finger, as of 
emphysema, owing to the development of hydrogen from 
the liquid of the cyst. After the operation there was some 
pain for four or five hours. In the evening the tempera- 
ture was 100'9°, and the patient did not sleep well that 
night. Next day the temperature was 99'6°, and on the 
morning after it had risen to 101 '2°. At this time the 
hypochondriacal tumour had greatly disappeared, and the 
man expressed himself as feeling quite well. On examining 
the right side of the chest, however, Dr. Fagge was a 
little startled at finding absolute behind, up to the 
fourth or fifth dorsal vertebra; and over this extent of 
thorax there was loss of vocal vibration, marked tubular respi- 
ration, and segophonic character of the voice, which afforded 
conclusive evidence of a large effusion of fluid. There 
was very slight pain about the points where the punctures 
had been made, but no pleuritic pain. The man lay on his 
back and felt quite comfortable. The liquid had evidently 
been squeezed through the puncture in the diaphragm into 
the pleural cavity. The man went on perfectly well, and 
the chest symptoms disappeared rapidly. Twenty days 
after all traces of the abdominal tumour had disappeared. 
The ease with which this patient recovered from 
the accidental effusion of decomposed hydatid liquid 
into the pleural sac, adds one to the many instances 
which I have myself observed of the extraordinary 
tolerance of the system with regard to electrolytic 
operations in which only the negative pole is em- 
ployed internally. If that needle which in Dr. Fagge's 
patient passed through the diaphragm, had been CHAP. V.J 
CANCER. 
647 
connected with the positive pole, the life of the 
patient might have been placed in great jeopardy, as 
it would have introduced irritant metal salts into the 
cavity of the pleura. 
Mr. Durham has informed me that eight cases of 
hydatids of the liver have been successfully electro- 
lysed at Guy's Hospital. At the Royal Infirmary 
for Children, Waterloo Road, Dr. Phillips and Mr. 
Cooper Forster have used the same treatment in a 
child, aged 13, which had one tumour in the epigas- 
trium, and the other at the lower border of the liver 
-one electrolytic operation was sufficient to cure it. 
In this case there was quite a gradual diminution of 
the tumours, without any untoward symptoms. In 
about a week no margin could be felt; and in ten 
days the liver could be clearly made out. 
Cancer.-In my paper ' on the electrolytic treatment 
of tumours and other surgical diseases' (1867), I 
expressed myself as follows concerning the value of 
electrolysis in cancer:-' A larger experience than I 
command at present is necessary to decide the ques- 
tion, whether the electrolytic treatment will eventually 
supersede the methods now in use for the removal of 
cancer. . . . Electrolysis, however, may be applied to 
every variety of cancer, and it seems to be. of little 
consequence whether or not the tumour adheres to 
the bones; a circumstance which often renders removal 
by the knife difficult or impossible. I believe that 
in this disease the electrolytic method will be found 
generally useful, not merely by removing the present 648 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
tumours, but also by so modifying the nutrition of 
the parts concerned, that no relapse is likely to take 
place there; and it may thus indirectly help towards 
the eradication of the cancerous diathesis. It is a 
curious fact that the peculiar lancinating pains of 
cancer generally seem to disappear, or at least to 
diminish considerably, soon after the commencement 
of the electrolytic treatment, and long before the 
whole tumour has disappeared.' 
I have successfully electrolysed several cases of 
cancer; but as I do not wish to relate any cases in 
this section which have not been seen by at least two 
medical practitioners, I prefer to give the details of a 
bad case of cancer which has been recently put on 
record by Dr. Neftel,* of New York. 
Dr. Neftel used in his case the ' serres-fines con- 
ductor,' described in my paper on the treatment of 
tumours by electrolysis, which appeared in the 
' Medical Times and Gazette ' for May 2, 1868 (vide 
p. 341 of the present treatise). 
The patient was a member of the American Congress, 
and aged 56. In 1868 he consulted a number of eminent 
surgeons, both in London and Paris, who were unanimous 
in their opinion concerning the cancerous nature of the 
tumour, which occupied the left mammillary region. They 
all refused to operate, as the case was even then looked 
upon as one of general infection of the system with the 
cancerous poison, and it was therefore thought that a 
surgical operation would only accelerate the inevitably fatal 
result. The tumour was however eventually excised by 
* Virchow's Archiv, November 1869, p. 521. CHAP. V.] 
CANCER. 
649 
Dr. Marion Sims, in Paris. Soon after the wound had 
healed, the axillary glands of the left side began to enlarge 
and formed in January, 1869, a hard swelling of the size of 
a fist. The patient and Dr. Marion Sims were both at 
that time in New York, and the same surgeon again 
excised the tumour, which was exhibited at a meeting of 
the Pathological Society of New York, and microscopically 
examined by competent histologists, who pronounced it to 
be cancerous. Diffuse erysipelas set in after the second 
operation, with fever and severe constitutional disturbance ; 
the temperature rose to 106°, and there were rigors and 
delirium. The patient rallied after a time, but the wound 
afterwards healed very slowly. Cicatrisation was hardly 
completed when a fresh tumour began to develop itself in 
the right mammillary region. This grew rapidly, and soon 
attained the size of an orange. 
Further surgical procedures now appeared inadmissible, 
especially as the general health of the patient had given 
way. Dr. Neftel therefore proposed to employ the electro- 
lytic treatment. He introduced on three several occasions, 
in April and May, 1869, at first two, then three, and at 
last four gilt needles separately into the tumour, and con- 
nected them, by means of the serres-fines conductor, with 
the negative pole of a Daniell's battery, the positive elec- 
trode being placed on the skin in the neighbourhood of the 
tumour. He began with a current of ten cells, which was 
gradually increased to thirty. The first operation lasted 
two, the second five, and the third ten minutes. The 
needles were removed without any haemorrhage taking 
place. Immediately after the operation the tumour ap- 
peared considerably larger, from the hydrogen which had 
become evolved in it, but it was softer and more elastic to 
the touch. No fever or any other unpleasant symptoms 
supervened; on the contrary, the patient, who had been 
very feeble, anaemic and cachectic, became stronger from 
day to day, and the tumour gradually began to shrink. 
Two months after the first application, it had almost 650 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
entirely disappeared; and three months after, no trace of it 
was left. The general health of the patient had improved 
pari passu, and was, when last seen, excellent. No fresh 
tumours had appeared anywhere. 
Dr. Neftel is inclined to believe that electrolysis produces 
remote constitutional effects, by altering the condition of 
the protoplasm of the cells in which the poison of the cancer 
is contained, and by the propagation of which the disease 
becomes constitutional. As soon as the protoplasm has, 
by the electrolytic process, lost its specific contagious quali- 
ties, the cancer is prevented from reproducing itself, and 
gradually disappears through the process of absorption. 
Lipoma.-Fat being a very imperfect conductor of 
electricity, lipomas offer more resistance to the elec- 
trolytic treatment than other tumours. They may, 
however, be completely removed by it in course of 
time. Free alkali being, by the action of the nega- 
tive pole, developed from the bloodvessels and the 
connective tissue in which the fat is imbedded, the 
tumour is gradually changed into an emulsion, which 
is absorbed into the general circulation. 
Slight bleeding may sometimes occur on removing 
the needles, if the tumour is highly vascular, the 
galvanic power employed very low, and the needle is 
too rapidly taken out; but it can always be stopped 
by again applying the negative pole to the puncture. 
As a rule, however, there is not the slightest appear- 
ance of blood, if the operation is carefully performed. 
In leaving this subject I must lay stress on the 
importance of having a perfectly satisfactory action 
of the battery, as insufficient galvanic power has in 
such operations, to my knowledge, been a cause of CHAP. V.] 
WOUNDS AND ULCERS. 
651 
disappointment. As regards the number of cells to 
be employed, we must be guided by the nature of the 
tumour. For cysts and tumours with soft contents 
less power is required than for hard swellings. Solid 
bronchoceles and scirrhus will resist ten or fifteen cells, 
but yield to thirty or forty. 
XX.-WOUNDS AND ULCERS. 
Faradisation is useful where ulcers are slow to heal; 
and after amputations, where the stump is in a bad 
condition. Some years ago, I treated by this means 
a patient upon whom Mr. Spencer Wells had per- 
formed amputation of the forefinger. Cicatrisation 
had been very tardy, and although the wound healed 
at last, the stump remained livid, very soft, was 
exceedingly sensitive to touch, and bled easily. 
Under the influence of faradisation, it became much 
firmer, acquired a healthier colour, was less sensitive 
to touch, and never bled again. Mr. Mitchell Henry 
has informed me that he has, in patients who were 
under his care in the Middlesex Hospital, found the 
same means very beneficial for improving the secre- 
tion of ulcers ; and Dr. Ruschenberger, of the United 
States' Navy, has successfully used the induced cur- 
rent for the cure of unmanageable decubitus. Mr. 
Nunn, of the Middlesex Hospital, has also adopted 
this mode of treatment for the sequelae of mammary 
abscess, in sinus of the breast, and the painful oedema, 
which is so apt to remain after the more acute phe- 652 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
nomena of inflammation have subsided. In several 
instances, Mr. Nunn has seen, after one application, 
the indolent edges of the fistulous opening assuming 
a healthy appearance, and the dull red colour of the 
infiltrated skin giving place to a tint peculiar to 
resolution. In all these cases, faradisation acts by 
stimulating the vasomotor nerves, in consequence of 
which the activity of the bloodvessels is increased, 
and the absorption of exudation-products is pro- 
moted. 
The continuous current is likewise valuable in such 
cases. Mr. Spencer Wells,* who has used it a good 
deal, has come to the conclusion that there is no 
means so capable of producing a rapid growth of 
healthy granulations as the continuous current, and 
that often a very beneficial change is effected in the 
condition of ulcers within twenty-four hours. Mr. 
Wells found that if two slight excoriations, two 
ulcers or suppurating surfaces on a limb or any part 
of the body were subjected to the action of a single 
galvanic pair, the zinc being applied upon one and 
the silver upon the other, the surface beneath the 
silver rapidly cicatrised, while that beneath the zinc 
was in two days converted into a superficial eschar. 
To insure the passage of the current it is not necessary 
to denude, but only to moisten the cuticle. If the 
plates be still kept applied, the eschar extends to the 
subcutaneous cellular tissue, and presents all the 
* Appendix to Dr. Golding Bird's Lectures on Electricity and Gal- 
vanism. London, 1849. chap, v.] 
DEFORMITIES. 
653 
characters of a slough produced by caustic potash, 
except that the dead tissues are a little less compact. 
After the separation of these sloughs cicatrisation 
under ordinary applications is very tardy, but sets in 
at once if the silver plate be applied, zinc being fixed 
on some neighbouring part. 
Professor Schwanda* has used static electricity for 
the treatment of primary syphilitic sores which did 
not heal under the usual applications, and seen them 
heal rapidly after the electricity had been used. 
XXI.-DEFORMITIES. 
1. Club-foot.-In some forms of club-foot, where 
the deformity is caused by a semi-paralytic condition 
of the tibial muscles, faradisation of the latter has 
done good. In pes planus, where the sole has lost 
its normal arch, M. Duchenne has recommended 
faradisation of the peronseus longus muscle. 
2. Curvature of the Spine.-Dr. Briicknerf has 
recommended the use of electricity in cases of 
scoliosis. In order to diminish the lumbar curvature, 
the lumbar portion of the left latissimus dorsi muscle 
should be faradised. The motor point of the nervus 
subscapularis longus, which animates this muscle, is 
situated at the edge of the muscle, by the arm-pit; 
the negative pole should be applied to this point, 
* Wochenblatt der k. k. Gesellschaft der Aerzte in Wien. February 
10, 1869. 
f Berliner kl'.nische Wochenscbrift, 1809, No. 46. 654 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
while the positive is placed alternately to the left side 
of the lumbar vertebrae, and to the right serratns 
major, and between the vertebral column and the 
scapula. The elbow should, during this application, 
rest on the edge of the chair. At the same time the 
continuous current should be applied to both con- 
cavities for about five minutes. After three weeks of 
this treatment Dr. Bruckner lets the patient wear a 
supporting apparatus with a steel-belt, and crutches 
under the arm-pits. 
XXII.-INTRODUCTION OF DRUGS INTO THE SYSTEM 
BY THE AID OF ELECTRICITY. 
Fabre-Palaprat * has thought it possible to introduce 
drugs into the human body by the aid of electricity. He 
fixed a compress, moistened with a solution of iodide of 
potassium, and covered by a platinum disc connected with 
the negative pole of a voltaic pile of thirty pairs of plates, 
on one of his arms, and another compress, moistened with 
a solution of starch, and covered by a platinum disc con- 
nected with the positive pole of the battery, on the other 
arm, after which the current was allowed to pass for some 
time. He says that after a few minutes the starch acquired 
a blue tinge, showing that the iodine had travelled from 
one arm to the other. From this and other observations he 
concluded that medicinal substances might by the galvanic 
current be introduced into the system, and then ad libitum. 
either be allowed to remain in it, or removed from it after 
having traversed the body. 
Our present physiological knowledge enables us to say 
that it is impossible, by any contrivance, to prevent the 
elimination of medicinal substances from the body; and 
* Archives generales de Medecine, vol. ii. p. 432. Paris, 1833. CHAP. V.J 
VOLTAIC NARCOTISM. 
655 
one of Fabre-Palaprat's propositions may therefore a priori 
be eliminated from the inquiry. The other proposition, 
viz., that electricity may serve to introduce drugs into the 
system, is likewise untenable, as those who have repeated 
Palaprat's experiments have never been able to perceive 
any passage of iodire from the negative pole of the battery 
through the human body to the positive pole. We must 
therefore conclude that Fabre-Palaprat's observations have 
not been made with sufficient care, and that he was conse- 
quently led to erroneous deductions. Perhaps he was 
hardly fit for making such observations, as, according to 
his own account, he suffered from ' ecstatic spasms ' about 
the time when he worked on this subject. 
In 1846, Dr. Klenke * announced that he had cured a 
number of more or less intractable diseases by the galvanic 
introduction of medicines into the system. For struma 
he introduced iodide of potassium, for syphilis mercury, &c. 
Dr. Hassenstein f has likewise published an abstruse memoir 
on this subject; but neither Klenke nor Hassenstein have 
been able to satisfy the profession of the accuracy of their 
observations. 
Voltaic narcotism.-In 1859 Dr. Richardson * proposed 
to induce anaesthesia by a combination of electricity with 
narcotics. For this he used Pulvermacher's chains, and a 
solution of equal parts of tincture of aconite and chloro- 
form. He experimented on dogs and rabbits, and after- 
wards on men ; and produced anaesthesia to such an extent, 
that severe operations could be performed with little or no 
pain. The expectations which were at first entertained of 
this new mode of inducing anaesthesia have, however, not 
been realised. Dr. Waller has shown that the application of a 
mixture of equal parts of tincture of aconite and chloroform 
alone produces loss of vascularity and nearly complete 
* Zeitschrift Wiener Aerzte, Mai 1846. 
t Chemiseh-electrische Heilmethode. Leipzig, 1853. 
f Medical Times and Gazette, February 12, 1859. 656 
ELECTRO-TIIERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
anaesthesia in the human skin in ten or fifteen minutes; 
that electricity neither retards nor accelerates this process; 
that the anaesthesia is limited to the spot to which the nar- 
cotising mixture is applied, and that it is caused by the 
local absorption of the mixture; that this absorption may 
produce death in animals, and might be dangerous in 
infants and children; and that the action of the narcotic 
mixture with or without electricity, when applied to the 
healthy skin, is followed by a severe local inflammation of 
an obstinate character, which would be a bad complication 
in surgical operations. 
Dr. Richardson has since then given to the profession a 
far readier means of producing local anaesthesia in the ether- 
spray ; and he has thus made ample compensation for any 
disappointment which may have been caused by the failure 
of voltaic narcotism. 
XXIII. -EXTRACTION OF METALLIC SUBSTANCES 
FROM THE HUMAN BODY: THE ELECTRO-CHE- 
MICAL BATH. 
In 1855 M. Poey stated in a paper which was read before 
the French Academy, that it is possible to extract various 
metallic substances from the human body by the aid of 
electricity; whether they have been taken as remedies, or 
have become absorbed into the system of persons occupied 
in the different arts and trades in which their employment 
is required. He relates that an electro-plater, at Havana, 
who had frequently immersed his hands into solutions of 
nitrate and cyanide of gold and silver, became affected with 
a bad ulcer which resisted every treatment. On one occa- 
sion, while preparing a bath for electro-plating, he immersed 
his hands into the liquid, before the object to be plated had 
been in it, and noticed that the negative wire became 
covered with a metallic coating. From this it was con- 
cluded that these deposits came from the hands of the chap, v.] 
ELECTRO-CHEMICAL BATH. 
657 
electro-plater, who was advised by M. Poey to repeat the 
operation in order to extract any particles of metal which 
might be remaining. The result was that his hand was 
completely cured. 
The ' electro-chemical bath ' consists of a large copper tub 
filled with water, and insulated from the ground; and the 
patient sits in the tub on a wooden seat, which is likewise 
insulated. If mercury, silver, or gold is to be extracted, 
the water in the tub is acidulated with nitric or hydro- 
chloric acid ; if lead is to be extracted, sulphuric acid is 
added. One end of the tub is connected by means of a 
screw with the negative pole of a battery of thirty pairs ; 
while the positive pole is held by the patient in the right 
and the left hand alternately. The positive electrode is 
made of iron, and covered with moistened linen. The gal- 
vanic current now enters the body by one of the arms ; it 
circulates, according to M. Poey's graphic description, 
everywhere, from head to foot, traverses all the internal 
organs, and even the bones, seizes every particle of metal 
which it meets on its journey, restores it to its primitive 
form, and deposits it on the entire surface of the sides of 
the tub, more especially opposite that part of the body where 
the metal is supposed to exist. M. Poey describes the case 
of a patient, who complained of pain in the arm in conse- 
quence of having taken mercury ; the man was put into the 
bath, and the arm became delineated on the negative plate, 
by the deposit of the metallic molecules which came from 
the limb. He also states that he has drawn from the femur 
and the tibia of another patient a large quantity of mercury 
which, according to some physicians, had existed in these 
bones for fifteen years. 
Further reports on the efficacy of the electro-chemical 
baths have since then been brought forward, but in a sin- 
gularly objectionable manner. The latest publication on 
this subject contains, amongst other things, a fac-simile of 
the medals which have been awarded to a zealous advocate 
of the bath ! It would have been much more satisfactory 658 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
if, instead of that, scientific proofs of the possibility of 
extracting metals from the body had been given. For us 
it is impossible to understand how the galvanic current 
can convey into the liquid of the bath, and diffuse on the 
whole surface of the sides of the tub, metallic atoms which, 
according to the established laws of electro-chemistry, 
ought to be deposited only upon the surface of the elec- 
trodes. Again, in many cases patients are said to have 
been suffering from the effects of poisonous metals in the 
system, but no proofs of the actual presence of such metals 
in the body have ever been forthcoming. Let a patient be 
put into the bath where there is no doubt about the presence 
of a foreign metal in the system ; as, for instance, one who 
has become blue by the prolonged use of nitrate of silver; 
when such a patient has been rendered white by the bath, 
I shall be convinced, but not until then. The American 
patient, Eli B., who made a tour of the European hospitals 
ten years ago, and who was a sort of celebrity as the 
' blue man,' had taken a large number of electro-chemical 
baths at New York, in order to get rid of the blue colour, 
but without the least effect; and this is, in my opinion, a 
strong case against the electro-chemical bath. I willingly 
admit that in some cases of rheumatism and allied affec- 
tions the electro-chemical bath may be of service, especially 
when combined, as is now often done, with a local applica- 
tion of the current to the suffering part; but there it does 
not act by extracting metals; nor can we doubt that in 
many cases the electro-chemical bath must be ineffective 
or hurtful, where a proper application of electricity to the 
suffering part alone might cure the patient. 
XXIV.-THERAPEUTICAL USE OF ELECTRICITY 
IN MIDWIFERY. 
Bertholon in France, Herder, Stein, and Kilian in 
Germany, and Drs. Radford and Barnes in this country, 
have recommended and used electricity in cases of tedious chap, v.] 
MIDWIFERY. 
659 
labour and haemorrhage from the uterus, especially in some 
forms of placenta prasvia ; and for originating uterine con- 
tractions in cases where it is necessary to induce premature 
labour. As to the mode of application, Kilian has recom- 
mended applying a galvanic forceps, the blades of which 
consist of two different metals. Dr. Radford proposed the 
application of one pole to the abdominal parietes over the 
fundus uteri, and of the other to the os uteri by means of a 
vaginal conductor. Mr. Cleveland, on the contrary, has 
directed the two poles to the abdomen externally, and the 
same proceeding has been adopted by Dr. Barnes, while Dr. 
F. W. Mackenzie insists that it is necessary to apply the 
positive pole to the nape of the neck and the negative to the 
cervix uteri, if we wish to act energetically upon the con- 
tractile fibre-cells of the uterus. 
Professors Simpson and Scanzoni consider electricity in 
midwifery all but useless, and believe that when uterine 
action has apparently been excited by galvanism, this has 
been either a mere coincidence, or it has resulted from 
the impression made on the mind of the patient, or by me- 
chanical irritation of the uterus or the abdominal parietes 
by the electrodes. Dr. F. W. Mackenzie's experiments, 
however, certainly show that in cases of placenteal presen- 
tation, in which profuse haemorrhages continue to recur, 
notwithstanding the employment of the plug and other 
means, before the os is sufficiently dilated to admit of 
manual assistance; and in cases of haemorrhage in the 
early months of pregnancy, which resist other treatment, 
and which from the constricted state of the os and cervix 
uteri do not admit either of mechanical or manual inter- 
ference, faradisation is invaluable. 
This is corroborated by the experience of Dr. Kuhn,* 
who used the induced current in the case of a woman in 
whom, eighteen hours after delivery, the placenta had not 
been expelled on account of atony of the uterus. One 
* Comptes rendus, October I860. 660 
ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS. 
[chap. v. 
conductor was placed to the cervix, another to the abdo- 
minal parietes above the uterus. The circuit had scarcely 
been closed when the uterus contracted and expelled the 
placenta. 
The most recent experiments on this subject have been 
made by M. de St. Germain,* who states that in no case 
have uterine contractions been induced where they had 
not already spontaneously commenced. This explains, 
according to him, the discredit into which the electric cur- 
rent has fallen as a means of inducing premature labour. 
He has also found that, wherever labour pains have com- 
menced, occurring at intervals of fifteen or twenty minutes, 
on the application of the conductors to the lateral parts of 
the abdomen, in about ten minutes, a remarkable increase 
of the uterine contractions occurs, and that contractions so 
induced are much more prolonged and more painful than 
others. The dilatation of the os uteri has constantly taken 
place with rapidity, and a fact to be particularly insisted 
upon, especially as it is not noticed by Barnes and Radford, 
is that the expulsion of the placenta immediately follows 
that of the infant, being either spontaneously projected 
beyond the vulva or capable of removal without the 
slightest traction. In two cases only the infant exhibited 
a slight bluish colour, but in these the cyanosis could be 
explained by constriction. M. de St. Germain believes 
that faradisation should be submitted to further investiga- 
tions, and expects that it will prove chiefly useful for a 
rapid expulsion of the placenta. 
Puerperal eclampsia.-Mr. Parsons, of Islip,f has recorded 
the case of a woman who, during her seventh confinement, 
was taken ill with severe and frequent eclamptic fits, with 
complete cessation of uterine contractions. He applied 
galvanism (faradisation) externally, with immediate effect, 
the bags of membrane becoming tense and protruding 
* Medical Times and Gazette, November 13, 1869. 
t British Medical Journal, vol. i. 1868. CHAP. V.] 
CONCLUDING REMARKS. 
661 
through the os. Within three-quarters of an hour from the 
commencement of the galvanism the child was bom; the 
galvanism was again applied after the placenta had been 
expelled, in order to ensure perfect contraction. Although 
there was albuminuria, the patient made a good recovery, 
and never had a return of the fits afterwards. 
In conclusion, I will say a few words on the acci- 
dents which may be caused by an injudicious appli- 
cation of electricity. This powerful agent is not one 
of those remedies which, if they do no good, can do 
no harm; but on the contrary, it may, in the hands 
of an inexperienced operator, do a great deal of 
mischief. Blindness has been caused by an im- 
proper application of the continuous current to the 
face; fainting, cramps, hysterical fits, and palsies 
have been induced by administering powerful shocks ; 
and fresh apoplectic attacks have thus come on in 
patients who had suffered before from haemorrhage 
into the brain. Accidents of this kind can only be 
avoided if the operator is guided by physiological 
knowledge and sufficient therapeutical experience. 
With this remedy more than with any other the 
mode of application has an all-important bearing 
upon the results; for it is not electricity that cures 
diseases, but the physician, who may cure diseases 
by means of electricity. INDEX. 
ABS 
A BSCESS of the brain, 458 
i\. Accidents caused by the appli- 
cation of electricity, 296, 661 
Achard, M., on electro-physiology 
of the eye, 156 ; of the intestines, 
262 
Addison, Dr., on chorea, 509; on 
pleuritic effusions, 591 
Alcohol, effects of, on the nervous 
current, 107 
Aldini, M., on electro-physiology of 
the intestines, 262; on galvani- 
sation, 294 
Amalgamation of zinc, 34 
Amaurosis, 534 
Amblyopia, 534 
Amenorrhcea, 625 
Ampire, M., on electro-magnetism, 
71 
Amussat, M., on the galvanic cau- 
tery, 298 
Anaesthesia, 533; from imperfect 
cerebral nutrition, 542; of the 
fifth pair of cerebral nerves, 137, 
537 ; hysterical, 542 ; from effu- 
sions or injury to nerves, 544; of 
the olfactory nerve, 534 ; electri- 
cal, 243 
Andrews, Mr., on ozone, 5 
Anelectrotonus, 208 
Aneurism, 605 ; cirsoid, 609 ; ra- 
cemosum, 610 
Animal electricity, 83 
Anions, 44 
Anode, 44 
Anosmia, 534 
Auteversion and anteflexion, 632 
BAS 
Anti-paralytic effects of the con- 
tinuous current, 430; of Faradisa- 
tion, 432 
Anti-spasmodic effects of the con- 
tinuous current, 430 
Aphasia, 458 
Aphonia, 501 
Apoplectic cyst, 445 
Apparatus, medical electric, 281 
Apps's coil machine, 350 
Arago, M., on electro-magnetism, 72 
Arsenious acid, its effects on the 
nervous current, 107 
Arteries, diseases of, 604 
Ascites, 603 
Aspermatismiis, 622 
Asphyxia, 545 
Astatic needle, 71 
Asthma, 521 
Ataxy, 570 
Aubert, M., on lacteal secretion, 
635 
Auditory nerve, electro-physiology 
of, 160; galvanisation of, 326, 
539 
Augustin, Dr., on galvanisation, 295 
BAGRATION'S battery, 40 
Baierlacher, Dr., on arnenor- 
rhcea, 626 ; on electro-physiology 
of the spinal cord, 148; of the 
membrana tympani, 168; on in- 
duction machines, 345; on peri- 
pheral paralysis, 401, 486 
Barnes, Dr., on electricity in mid- 
wifery, 658 
Basedow's disease, 577 664 
INDEX. 
BAT 
Batteries, galvanic, 299 
Baumert, M., on ozone, 5 
Beard, Dr., on general Faradisation, 
371 
Beau, M., on chronic metritis, 628 
Beckensteiner, M., on static elec- 
tricity, 292 
B6clard, M., on heat caused by mus- 
cular contractions, 239 
Becquerel, M., on constant batteries, 
32; on galvanism, 27; on mus- 
cular heat, 233 ; on ozone, 5 ; on 
the quantity of water contained 
in bones, 69 
Becquerel, M. E., on constipation, 
599; on primary and secondary 
currents, 351; lacteal secretion, 
634 
Behrend, Dr., on galvanisation, 293 
Bell, Sir Charles, on motor and sen- 
tient nerves, 213 
Benedict, Professor, on ataxy, 570; 
chorea, 510; disorders of the 
mind, 437; diplegic contractions, 
324 ; galvano-muscular contrac- 
tions, 197; galvanic apparatus, 
310; galvanisation of the brain, 
319; of the roots of the spinal 
nerves, 325; hemiplegia, 446 ; in- 
duction machine, 360; infantile 
paralysis, 491; on methods of 
applying electricity, 281, 298; 
paralysis of the muscles of the 
eye, 494 ; spinal hemiplegia, 
466 
Bennett's electroscope, 11 
Bernard's induction machine, 345 
Bernard, M. Claude, on electro- 
muscular contractions, 193; elec- 
tro-physiology of the pneumogas- 
tric nerve, 269; of the salivary 
glands, 263 ; of the spleen, 265 ; 
of the sympathetic nerve, 248; 
on the woorara poison, 221 
Bertholon, M., on anosmia, 534; 
electricity in midwifery, 658 
Biffi, M., on the sympathetic nerve, 
248 
Bilharz, M., on electric fishes, 84, 90 
Billroth, Professor, on heat caused 
by muscular contractions, 240; 
epileptiform neuralgia, 555 
BRU 
Bird, Dr. Golding, on amenorrhcea, 
625; on chorea, 509; electro- 
physiology of the skin, 278; gal- 
vanic moxa, 343 ; history of gal- 
vanism, 179; static electricity, 
286 
Bladder, electro-physiology of, 266 ; 
Faradisation of, 383 ; paralyse 
and atony of, 614 
Blood, electro-physiology of, 272 
Blood-vessels, electro-physiology of, 
267, 279 ; diseases of, 604 
Bohadtsch, Dr., on electrisation, 
284 
Bones, electric conductivity of, 68 : 
electro-physiology of, 280 
Bonnafont, M., on nervous deafness, 
541 
Bonnet, M., on indigestion, 592; 
urinary calculi, 617 
Boulay's battery, 38 
Bouvier, M., on primary and se- 
condary currents, 351 
Bouvier de Mortier, M., on urinary 
calculi, 616 
Bowman, Mr., on inherent muscular 
irritability, 219 
Brachial plexus, Faradisation of, 379 
Brain, electro-physiology of, 129; 
diseases of, 436, 442 ; galvanisa- 
tion of, 319 
Brenner, Dr., on electro-physiology 
of the ear, 163 
Breschet, M., on muscular heat, 
233 ; on the sympathetic nerve, 
248 
Breton's electro-magnetic machine, 
345; electric mixture, 304; gal- 
vanic belt, 304; magneto-electric 
machine, 365; on primary and 
secondary currents, 352 
Broca, M., on aneurism, 605 
Bronchocele, 643 
Brown-Sequard, Dr., on paralysing 
effects of electricity, 207 ; on the 
sympathetic nerve, 249 
Briicke, Professor, on rigor mortis, 
113 
Bruckner, Dr., on peripheral para- 
lysis, 404 ; on curvature of the 
spine, 653 
Bruni, M., on static electricity, 287 INDEX. 
665 
BRU 
Bruns, Professor, on epileptiform 
neuralgia, 557 
Bryant, Mr., on the galvanic cautery, 
638 
Brydone, Mr., on electrisation, 284 
Budge, Professor, on the cilio-spinal 
region of the cord, 150; on cuta- 
neous currents in frogs, 117; on 
the genito-spinal ganglion, 151 ; 
pneumogastric nerve, 269; sym- 
pathetic nerve, 249 
Buff's electroscope, 11 
Bunsen's battery, 37 
Cancer, 647 
Caput obstipum, 512 
Carter, Mr., on paralysis of the 
muscles of the eye, 496 
Cartilages, electric conductivity of, 
65 
Catalytic effects of the continuous 
current, 429 
Cataract, 589 
Catelectrotonus, 208 
Cathode, 44 
Cations, 45 
Cavallo, M., on electrisation, 285 
Cervical sympathetic-vide Sympa- 
thetic nerve 
Charcot, M., on anatomical changes 
in hemiplegia, 458 
Chemical effects, of frictional elec- 
tricity, 12; of galvanism, 44; of 
induction currents, 79 
Chloride of silver battery, 40, 363 
Chorea, 509 
Ciniselli, M., on galvano-puncture, 
297 ; aneurism, 610 
Clarke's magneto-electric machine, 
345 
Clemens, Dr., on Holtz's machine, 
15; on static electricity, 286; 
ileus, 603 
Cleveland, Mr., on electricity in 
midwifery, 659 
Closed circuit, 43 
Clubfoot, 653 
Coil-machines-vide Induction ma- 
chines 
Collis, Mr., on tumours, 639 
Conducting wires, 314 
Conductivity, 49; of metals, 52; of 
DEL 
the human body, 53; of different 
animal tissues, 59 
Coniine, effects of, on the motor 
nerves, 224 
Conjunctive wire, 43 
Constant batteries, 31, 305 
Constipation, habitual, 594 
Contact-breaker, 353 
Continuative application of galvan- 
ism, 326 
Continuous galvanic current, 43; 
medical applications of, 293; sur- 
gical applications of, 328, 334 : 
therapeutical action of, 428 
Contractile fibre-cells, electro-phy- 
siology of, 259 
Contractions, electro-muscular, 225; 
rheumatic and hysterical, 533, 
583 ; in hemiplegia, 453 
Copland, Dr., on cerebral paralysis, 
394 
Cord-vide Spinal cord 
Cornea, opacities of, 587 
Cornil, M., on anatomical changes 
in hemiplegia, 458 
Creve, Dr., on galvanisation, 293 
Crosse's water battery, 41 
Cruickshank's battery, 301 
Crural nerve, Faradisation of, 378 
Crussel, M., on cataract, 589 ; stric- 
ture of the urethra, 612 
Cruveilhier's disease, 425, 578 
Cumming, Dr., on constipation, 599 
Curling, Mr., on sterility, 621 ; on 
spermatorrhoea, 623 
Curvature of the spine, 653 
Cutaneous currents in frogs, 116 ; in 
man, 119 
Cut-current, 353 
Cyon, M.,on the depressor nerve, 268 
DANIELL'S battery, 33, 51, 63, 
305 
Davy, Sir Humphry, on galvanism, 
27 
Davy, Dr. John, on the torpedo, 83 
Deafness, nervous, 539 
Deformities, 653 
Deglutition, difficulty of, 506 
De la Rive, M., on galvanism, 27 ; 
induction currents, 80, 534 ; 
ozone, 5 666 
INDEX. 
DEL 
De la Rue, Dr. Warren, on chloride 
of silver battery, 41 
Delaux, M., on hernia, 601 
Deleuil's carbon, 309 
De Molle, Dr., on amenorrhcea, 626 
Density of electricity, 48 
Depressor nerve, electro-physiology 
of, 268 
Derbyshire neck, 643 
Derivation wire, 83 
Derived current, 83 
Deriving cushions, 99 
De Saussure, on amaurosis, 535 
Diabetes, 582 
Diagnosis, electricity as a means of, 
390 
Diaphragm, Faradisation of, 389, 
545 
Digestive organs, diseases of, 591 
Diplegic contractions, 322, 476 
Dipolar arrangement of nervous 
molecules, 105 
Dipsomania, 440 
Direct muscular Faradisation, 374 
Direct current - vide Continuous 
current 
Direction of the galvanic current, 43 
Discharge, electric, 8 
Displacements of the womb, 631 
Dittrich, M., electro-physiology of 
the spleen, 265 
Donne, M., on the gastro-hepatic 
current, 122 
Donovan, Dr., on history of medical 
electricity, 284 
Dove, Prof., on electro-magnetism, 
76, 348 
Drissen, Dr., on sympathetic para- 
lysis, 469 
Dropsy, M., on general Faradisa- 
tion, 368 
Du Bois-Reymond, Prof. E., on ani- 
mal electricity, 85, 96; on con- 
ductivity of the human body, 57; 
of animal tissues, 61 ; of muscular 
fibres, 66 ; on the current of the 
finger, 120; of the skin, 121; on 
cutaneous currents in ftogs, 116; 
on electrotonus, 103 ; of spinal 
cord, 574 ; induction apparatus, 
358; law of contraction, 182; 
multiplier, 72; polarisation, 47; 
ELE 
tetanus, 203 ; unpolarisable elec- 
trodes, 47 
Duchenne (de Boulogne) M., on 
amaurosis, 536 ; amenorrhoea, 
626; anosmia, 534; asphyxia, 
545; cerebral paralysis, 396 ; 
clubfoot, 653; electro-muscular 
sensibility, 246 ; electro-physio- 
logy of the eye, 157; of the 
membrana tympani, 168; of the 
muscles, 227; electrode for the 
bladder, 383; Faradisation, 281, 
345, 372; hemiplegia, 447; ini- 
potency, 620 ; magneto-fa radio 
apparatus, 366; primary and se- 
condary current, 351; volta-faradic 
apparatus, 360 
Ducros, M., on asphyxia, 545 
Dujardin's magneto-electric ma- 
chine, 365 
Dumas, M., on urinary calculi, 616 
Dumeril, on history of galvanism, 178 
Duncan, Dr., on aneurism, 608 
Dunn, Mr., on amaurosis, 536 1 
Dupuy, M., on the sympathetic 
nerve, 248 
Durham, Mr., on hydatids of the 
liver, 645 
Dutrochet, M., electro-physiology 
of the blood, 272 
Dwinelle, Dr., on sea-sickness, 593 
Dynamic electricity, 27 
Dyspepsia, 575, 592 
Dysphonia, 501 
Prof., on conductivity 
J of animal tissues, 61 ; animal 
electricity, 88; inhibitory effects 
of the continuous current, 203; 
inherent muscular irritability, 222 
Electrical anaesthesia, 243 
Electricity, natural, 1 ; active, 2 ; 
static, 2; dynamic, 27; animal, 
83 ; positive and negative, 3 
Electric machine, 3 ; battery, 10 ; 
current, 8 ; discharge, 8 ; shock, 
291 ; tension, 30 ; mixture, 304 ; 
ray, 83, 86 ; eel, 83, 89 ; shad, 
83, 90 ; bath, 287 ; organ of elec- 
tric fishes, 86, 89, 90 
Electrisation, 282; by sparks, 289 
by the Leyden jar, 290 INDEX. 
667 
ELE 
Electrodes, 44, 100, 102; medical, 
314; surgical, 332, 339; un- 
polarisable, 46 
Electrolysis, 44; secondary, 45; of 
the blood, 273 ; for the treatment 
of surgical diseases, 334; for 
aneurism, 608 ; ascites, 604 ; hy- 
drocele, 624 ; goitre, 643 ; cancer, 
647 ; bronchocele, 643; naevus, 
640 ; ozsena, 590 ; pleuritic effu- 
sions, 590; stricture of the oeso- 
phagus, 592; stricture of the 
urethra, 612 ; tumours, 639 ; se- 
baceous tumours, 642 
Electrolytes, 44 
Electro-chemical bath, 656 
Electro-magnetic machines, 357 
Electro-magnetism, 70 
Electro-motive force, 2 
Electro-motive properties of metals, 
30 
Electro-muscular contractions, 225 
Electro - muscular excitability, 
changes of, in paralysis, 401 
Electro-muscular sensibility, 246 
Electrophorus, 13 
Electro-physiology, 125 
Electro-puncture, 297 
Electroscope, 10 
Electro-therapeutics, 426 
Electrotonus, Du Bois-Reymond 
on, 103 ; Pfliiger on, 207 ; Eulen- 
burg on, 208; Remak on, 210; 
Von Bezold on, 210; Samt on, 
209 
Ellis, Mr., on the galvanic cautery, 
333 
Embolism of cerebral arteries, 445 
Empyema, 590 
Endosmosis, electric, 47 
Engelken, Dr., on electro-physiology 
of spinal cord, 148 
Epididymis, electro-physiology of, 
266 
Epilepsy, 515 
Epileptiform neuralgia, 553 
Erb, Prof., on electro-physiology of 
the brain, 131; the spinal cord, 
151; on peripheral paralysis, 405, 
486 
Erichsen, Mr., on aneurism, 605 
Essential resistance, 51 
FOV 
Ether, its effects on the nervous 
current, 107 
Ettinghausen's magneto-electric ma- 
chine, 365 
Eulenburg, Dr., on electrotonus, 208; 
sympathetic nerve, 254; lead- 
palsy, 476, 486 ; peripheral para- 
lysis, 405 
Exophthalmic goitre, 577 
Extra-current, 77 
Extra-muscular Faradisation, 375 
Eye, electro-physiology of, 154; 
paralysis of the nerves and 
muscies of, 492; other diseases 
of, 534, 587 
Eyre, Mr., on aneurism, 611 
FABRE-PALAPRAT, on chorea, 
509 ; electro-chemistry, 655 ; 
galvano-puncture, 297 
Facial musclrs, electro-physiology 
of, 228 
Facial palsy, 496 
Facial spasm, 532 
Fagge, Dr. Hilton, on hydatids of 
the liver, 645 
Fano, M., on chronic metritis, 628 
Faraday, Professor, on animal elec- 
tricity, 84 ; dynamic electricity, 
27 ; electro-chemistry, 13; elec- 
trolysis, 44; electro magnetism, 
73, 77 ; magneto-electricity, 81 
Faradisation, 281, 344; general, 
368 ; localised, 372 
Farina, M., on tetanus, 202 
Fergusson, Sir W., on aneurism, 
605 
Fick, Professor, on the spinal cord, 
149 ; electro-muscular contrac- 
tions, 187, 227, 240 
Fieber, Dr., on diplegic contractions, 
323 
Flagg, Mr., on the electric eel, 58 
Flatulence, 601 
Fliess, Dr., on diseases of the heart, 
604 
Fontana, M., on muscular irrita- 
bility, 214 
Forster, Mr. Cooper, on hydatids of 
the liver, 645 
Fothergill's disease, 553 
Foveaux's batteries, 310, 332 668 
INDEX. 
FOW 
Fowler, Mr., on the organ of taste, 
172 ; muscular irritability, 219 
Franklin, John, on electrisation, 
284 
Fraser, Dr., on electro-physiology 
of the blood, 272 ; on aneurism, 
608; paralysis of the bladder, 
615 
Fremy, M., on ozone, 5 
Friedberg, Dr., on asphyxia, 546 
Friedlander, Dr., on hydrocele, 624 
Frommhold, Dr., on aneurism, 607 
GAIFFE'S electric machines, 362, 
363, 368 
Gall-bladder, electro-physiology of, 
265 
Galvani's discoveries, 27, 92, 94, 
178, 214 
Galvanic belt, 304 
„ cautery, 328, 637 
„ chains, 302 
„ moxa, 343 
„ poultice, 302 
Galvanisation, 293 
Galvanism, 27 
Galvanometer, 47, 97 
Galvano-muscular excitability, 461, 
497 
Galvano-puncture, 328 
Galvanoscopic frog, 97 
Galvanotonic contractions, 195 
Gassiot's water battery, 41 
Gastrodynia, 565 
Gastro-hepatic current, 122 
Gerard, M.,on galvano-puncture,297 
Gerlach, Professor, on electro-phy- 
siology, 261, 265 
Giulio, on electro-physiology, 276 
Glisson, on muscular irritability, 212 
Goitre, 643 
Golubew, M, on the blood, 276 
Goodwin, Dr., on paralysis of the 
bladder, 615 
Gouty paralysis, 485 
Graefe, A. Von, on paralysis of the 
fourth nerve, 493; amaurosis, 
534 ; cataract, 589 ; opacities of 
the cornea, 587 
Grapengiesser, Dr., on aphonia, 502 
Graves's disease, 577 
Grenet's battery, 330 
HEIJ 
Grove's battery, 36, 51 
Gruithuisen, on urinary calculi, 616 
Griinhagen, on cutaneous currents, 
119 
Gubler, M., on general Faradisation, 
370 
Guitard, M., on rheumatic paralysis, 
480 
Gull, Dr., on paralysis of the portio 
dura, 169; on chorea, 509; on 
static electricity, 286 
Gymnotus, 83, 89 
HAGEN, Dr., on electro-physiology 
of the ear, 167 
Hair, action of electricity on the 
roots of the, 280 
Hall, Dr. Marshall, on asphyxia, 
545; cerebral and spinal para- 
lysis, 392, 400 ; muscular irrita- 
bility, 215 
Haller, on muscular irritability, 212 
Hammond's voltaic pile, 300 
Harless, M., on muscular irrita- 
bility, 220; electro-physiology, 
261, 265 
Hart, Dr., on electrisation, 284 
Hart, Mr. E., on aneurism, 605 
Hassenstein, Dr., on electro-chem- 
istry, 655 
Headaches, 561 
Heart, electro-physiology of, 268; 
diseases of, 604 
Heidenhain, M.,on electric endosmo- 
sis,47; electro-physiology, 206,239 
Heider, M., on the galvanic cautery, 
636 
Heidmann, M., on conductivity of 
animal tissues, 59 
Helmholtz, Prof., on heat caused by 
muscular work, 233 
Hemicrania, 562 
Hemiplegia, 398, 444 
Henle, Prof., on electro-physiology, 
261 
Henley's magneto-electric machine, 
351 
Henry, Mr., on induction currents, 77 
Henry, Mr. Mitchell, on wounds 
and ulcers, 651 
Herder, on electricity in midwifery, 
658 INDEX. 
669 
HER 
Hernia, incarcerated, 601 
Hiffelsheim, M., on difficulty of 
deglutition, 508 
Hinton, Mr., on tinnitus aurium, 
563 
Histrionic spasm, 532 
Hitzig, Dr., on spinal paralysis, 468 
Holtz's machine, 6, 14 
Horne and Thorn th waite's machine, 
345 
Hufeland, on asphyxia, 545 
Humboldt, Baron, on animal elec- 
tricity, 94, 95; conductivity of 
the human body, 53; electro- 
physiology of the eye, 156 ; gym- 
notus, 84, 89; electro-physiology 
of the heart, 269 ; muscles, 214 ; 
skin, 277 
Hunter, Mr., on electro-physiology 
of the eye, 156 
Hydarthrosis, 685 
Hydrocele, 624 
Hydrophobia, 529 
Hypersesthesia, 549 
Hypochondriasis, 443 ; sexual, 621 
Hysterical paralysis, 420, 472 ; 
anaesthesia, 542; aphonia, 501 ; 
contractions, 583 
JLEUS, 602 
± Imperfect cerebral nutrition, 438 
Impotency, 620 
Inconstant galvanic batteries, 300 
Indigestion, 574, 592 
Indirect muscular Faradisation, 374 
Induced contraction, 112 
Induced current, 73, 81 
Induction machines, 345 
Inductive action, 13 
Inframammary pain, 564 
Inherent muscular irritability, 211 
Inhibitory effects of the continuous 
current, 202 
Insulated needles, 608 
Intensity of electricity, 10,48, 74, 82 
Intercostal neuralgia, 565 
Intermittent application of electri- 
city, 326 
Interrupted current-vide Induced 
current 
Intestines, electro-physiologvof, 262, 
267 
LEH 
Intra-muscular Faradisation, 375 
Intussusception, 602 
Invagination, 602 
Iris, electro-physiology of, 261 
Irritable uterus, 634 
JACOBI'S BATTERY, 39 
t) Jacobi, Dr., on galvanisation, 
295 
Jallabert, M., on electrisation, 283 
Jobert de Lamballe, on asphyxia, 
545 
Jones, Dr. Bence, on electro-chemi- 
cal dissolution of urinary calculi, 
619 
Jurgensen, M.f on electric endos- 
mosis, 47 
KEIL'S induction machines, 345, 
365 
Kilian, on electricity in midwifery 
658 
Kleist's discovery of the Leyden jar, 9 
Klenke, Dr., on electro-chemistry, 
655 
Kblliker, Prof., on the torpedo, 84; 
spleen, 265; woorara and coniine, 
224 
Kratzenstein, Dr., on electrisation, 
282 
Krayenhoff, AL, on anosmia, 534 
Kruger and Hirschmann's battery, 
307 
Kuhn, Dr., on electricity in mid- 
wifery, 659 
LABAUME, M., on galvanisation, 
297; chorea, 509 
' Labile ' application of electricity 
326 J 
Lacteal secretion, stoppage of, 634 
Lando, M., on urinary calculi, 616 
Lange, Dr., on cedematous swellings, 
Lead-palsy, 421, 475 
Le Coniat, M., on sea-sickness, 593 
Le Conte, Dr., on amenorrhcea, 626 
Legendre's electric machines, 309, 
361 
Legros, M., on asphyxia, 548 
Lehmann, Dr., on hydrocele, 624 
Lehot, Al., on the motor nerves 181 670 
INDEX. 
LEN 
Lenz, M., on conductivity of the 
human body, 54 
Lerche, M., on cataract, 589 
Lesueur, M., on amaurosis, 535 
Leucoma, 587 
Leyden jar, 9, 209 
Leyden, Prof., on muscular heat, 
240 
Lichtenstein, Dr., on galvanisation, 
294 
Lipoma, 650 
Lister, Mr., on the splanchnic 
nerves, 259; the heart, 271 
Liston, Mr., on galvano-puncture, 
297 
Liver, hydatid tumours of, 645 
Longet, M., on muscular contracti- 
lity, 193, 215 
Loss of mental energy, 438; smell, 
534 ; taste, 539 
Ludwig, Prof., on the salivary glands, 
262 ; the heart, 268 
Luminous appearances produced by 
electricity, 25 
Mackenzie, Dr. f. w., on eiec- 
tro-physiology of the womb, 
266 ; on electricity in midwifery, 
659 
Mackenzie, Dr. Morell, on Faradisa- 
tion of the glottis, 385 ; aphonia. 
503; electrolytic treatment of 
goitre, 643 
Mac Cormac, Dr., on ileus, 602 
Magendie, M., on galvano-puncture, 
297 ; amaurosis, 535 
Magneto-electric machines, 365 
Magneto-electricity, 81 
Magnus, Prof., on electro-magnetism, 
75 
Malapterurus electricus, 83, 90 
Male organs of generation, diseases 
of, 620 
Mallez, M., on stricture of the ure- 
thra, 612 
Marianini, M., on the motor nerves, 
Marie-Davy's batteries, 39, 41 
Marignac, M., on ozone, 5 
Marshall, Mr., on the galvanic cau- 
tery, 297 
Martinet, M., on electro-muscular 
contractility, 391 
MOL 
181, 200; muscular irritability, 
218; sentient nerves, 242 
Masson, M., on electro-magnetism, 
344 
Matteucci, M., on animal electricity, 
84, 96; the brain, 130; cataract, 
589; conductivity of animal tis- 
sues. 59; electro-muscular con- 
tractions, 192 ; gastro-hepatie 
current, 122; history of gal- 
vanism, 179 ; induced contraction, 
112; inherent muscular irritabi- 
lity, 218 ; measurement of nervous 
force, 181; tetanus, 202, 524; 
unpolarisable electrodes, 47 
Mauduit, M., on electrisation, 
284 
Mayer, S., on the spinal cord, 149 
Mazeas, M., on electrisation, 284 
Median nerve, Faradisation of, 378 
Melicher, Dr., on urinary calculi, 
619 
Membrana tympani, electro-physio- 
logy of, 168 
Mendel, Dr., on tetanus, 525 
Menorrhagia, 634 
Meningitis, 462 
Mercury rheotome, 353 
Methods of applying electricity, 
281 
Metritis, chronic, 628 
Meyer, Dr. Moritz, on aneurism,610; 
the brain, 320; chorea, 510; di- 
plegic contractions, 324 ; lead- 
palsy, 424 ; paralysis of muscles 
of the eye, 494; peripheral para- 
lysis, 401, 403; scrivener's palsy, 
511; spinal paralysis, 467 ; sym- 
pathetic paralysis, 470; tumours, 
636 
Meyerstein, M., on muscular heat, 
239 
Middeldorpff, Prof., on the galvanic 
cautery, 298, 328. 636 
Midwifery, electricity in, 658 
Mind, disorders of the, 436 
Mixed nerves, electro-physiology of, 
247 
' Moist chamber,' 101 
Moleschott, Prof., on positive varia- 
tion of the nervous current, 106 
Moller, M., on asphyxia, 547 INDEX. 
671 
MON 
Mongiardini, M., on urinary calculi, 
616 
Monro, Dr., on the organ of taste, 
173 
Mosier, Prof., on asphyxia, 547 
Motor nerves, electro-physiology' of, 
177 
Muirhead's battery, 308 
Muller, Prof. J., on muscular irri- 
tability, 215; on the blood, 272 
Multiplier, 47, 97 
Murray, Dr. G., on enlargement of 
the womb, 631 
Muscles, conductivity of, 59 ; electro- 
physiology of, 225 
Muscular current, 108 
Musculo-cutaneous nerve, Faradisa- 
tion of, 378 
Myelitis, 461 
NA5VUS, 640 
Nasse, M., on conductivity of 
the bones, 69 
Nebulae. 587 
Neef, Dr., on electro-magnetism, 344, 
354, 357 
Neftel, Dr., on cancer, 648 
Negative phase of the nerve, 103 
Negative pole, of voltaic pile, 29; 
of constant batteries, 32 ; of in- 
duction currents, 80 
Negative variation of the nervous 
current, 105 
Nelaton, Prof., on neuralgia, 557 
Nerves, conductivity of, 59 
Nervous current, 91, 102 
Nervousness, 572 
Neumann, Dr., on the blood, 276 ; 
peripheral paralysis, 404; pro- 
gressive muscular atrophy, 580 
Neuralgia of the face. 551; cervico- 
occipital, 563; diffuse, 568; in- 
tercostal, 565 
Neuritis, 560 
Neurotomy, 532 
Niemeyer, Prof., on epileptiform 
neuralgia, 553 
Nipple, action of electricity on the, 
280 
Noad, Dr., on water batteries, 41 
Nobili. M., on animal electricity, 95; 
inhibitory effects of the continu- 
PAR 
OUS current, 202; multiplier, 72; 
muscles, 190, 201; tetanus, 524 
Noises in the head, 562 
Nollet, M., on electrisation, 284 
Non-essential resistance, 51 
Nunn, Mr., on wounds and ulcers 
651 
Nysten, M., on electro-physioloerv 
261,267 
0BTURATORIUS nerve, Faradi- 
sation of, 378 
Oersted, M., on electro-magnetism. 
(Esophagus, Faradisation of, 388; 
electro-physiology of, 263 ; stric- 
ture of, 592 
Ohm's law, 50 
Onimus, M., on asphyxia, 548; on 
ataxy, 571 
Opacities of the cornea, 587 
Open circuit, 43 
Opium-eating, 441 
Oppenheimer, M., on asphyxia, 547 
Or£, Prof., on facial palsy/498 
Organs of special sense, electro- 
physiology of, 153 
Ozaena, 590 
Ozone, 4, 24 
PAINS in the back, 564 
Papillary tumours, 642 
Paralysis, 443 ; after acute diseases, 
460; agitans, 522; of deglutition. 
506; diphtheritic, 460; cerebral, 
398, 444 ; gouty, 485 ; hysterical' 
420, 472; of the fourth nerve, 
493; infantile, 490; from lead- 
poisoning, 421, 475; of the 
muscles of the eye, 492 ; of the 
oesophagus, 508 ; of the pharynx, 
508'; of the portio dura, 496; from 
pressure, 489; peripheral, 400, 
485; rheumatic, 427, 478; of the 
sixth nerve, 493 ; spinal, 420, 
461; syphilitic, 485; sympathetic' 
469; reflex, 482; of the third 
nerve, 492 ; traumatic, 485; from 
disease of the urinary organs 477* 
of the vocal cords, 501 
Paraplegia, 462 
Parelectronomic layer, 111 672 
INDEX 
PAR 
Parsons, Mr., on puerperal eclampsia, 
660 
Pereira, Dr., on cerebral paralysis, 
392 
Peripheral paralysis, 400, 485 
Peripolar arrangement of nervous 
molecules, 105 
Pernice, M., on asphyxia, 547 
Peroneal nerve, Faradisation of, 
378 
Person, M., on conductivity of 
tissues, 59 ; on amaurosis, 535 
Petrequin, Prof., on aneurism, 606 ; 
hydrocele, 624 
Pfaff, M., on the muscles, 188; on 
galvanisation, 294 
Pfliiger, Prof., on electrotonus, 207 ; 
inhibitory effects of the contin- 
uous current, 205 ; law of con- 
tractions, 185, 192 ; skin, 279 ; 
splanchnic nerves, 258 
Phillipps, Dr., on hydatids of the 
liver, 615 
Photophobia, 562 
Phrenic nerve, Faradisation of, 379, 
389, 545 
Pincus's chloride of silver battery, 
41 
Pirrie, Prof., on aneurism, 605 
Pivati, M., on static electricity, 287 
Pixii's electric machines, 344, 365 
Pleuritic effusions, 590 
Pneumogastric nerve, electro-physi- 
ology of, 268; galvanisation of, 
324 
Poey, M., on the electro-chemical 
bath, 656 
PoggendorfFs battery, 39 
Polarisation, 31, 46 
Popper, M., on vomiting, 593 
Portio dura, Faradisation of, 378; 
paralysis of, 496 ; spasm of, 532 
Positive electricity, 3 
Positive phase of the nerve, 103 
Positive pole, of voltaic pile, 29 ; of 
constant batteries, 32 ; of induc- 
tion machines, 80 
Positive variation of the nervous 
curent, 106 
Pourfur du Petit, M., on the sym- 
pathetic nerve, 247 
Powell, Mr., on hydrocele, 624 
REG 
Pravaz, M., on galvano-puncturo, 
297 
Prevost, M., on urinary calculi, 616 
Priestley, Mr., on electro chemistry, 
12; history of electricity, 284 
Primary current, 77, 351 
Primitive current, 83 
Progressive locomotor ataxy, 570 
Progressive muscular atrophy, 425, 
578 
Prolapsus, 634 
Prostate, inflammation of, 478, 616 ; 
senile hypertrophy, 616 
Protosulphate of mercury battery, 
39 
Prudhomme's galvanic belt, 305 
Prussac, M., on the sympathetic 
nerve, 253 
Prussic acid, its effects on the 
nervous current, 107; muscular 
current, 114 
Ptosis, 493 
Ptschelnikoff, M., on conductivity 
of the human body, 54 
Pulvermacher's chains, 302, 524 
Pupilloscope, 255 
Purkinje, Professor, on the eye, 155 
QUADRI, M., on opacities of the 
cornea, 587 
Quantity of electricity,, 48 
Quincke, M., on electric endosmosis, 
47 
T)ADCLIFFE, Dr., on animal elec- 
Xt tricity, 114; unpolarisable elec- 
trodes, 102 
Radford, Dr., on paralysis of the 
bladder, 615; on electricity in 
midwifery, 658 
Radial nerve, Faradisation of, 378 
Radical application of electricity, 
282 
Ranke, Dr, on conductivity of the 
human body, 57 ; of muscles, 66 ; 
on the spinal cord, 574: tetanus, 
524 
Recamier's galvanic poultice, 302 
Rectum, galvanisation of, 327 
Reflex paralysis, 482 
Regulation of induction currents, 
76, 348 INDEX. 
673 
REG 
Regnauld, M., on polarisation, 46, 
100 
Reid, Dr. John, on muscular irrita- 
bility, 216; sympathetic nerve, 
248 
Ryil, M., on galvanisation, 294 
Remak, Prof., on anaesthesia, 544 ; 
diplegic contractions, 322; elec- 
trotonus, 210 ; Faradisation, 375 ; 
facial spasm, 533; galvanisa- 
tion, 298; galvano-tonic con- 
tractions, 195, 529 ; electro-mus- 
cular sensibility, 247 ; restorative 
effects of the continuous current, 
207; therapeutical effects of, 428; 
hemiplegia, 447 ; disorders of the 
mind, 436; skin, 278; galvanic 
apparatus, 305 
Resistance to passage, 49 ; essential 
and non-essential, 51 
Respiratory organs, diseases of, 590 
Retroversion and retroflexion, 632 
Reuss, M., on electric endosmosis, 
47 
Reynolds, Dr. Russell, on facial 
palsy, 498; infantile paralysis, 
491 ; paralysis of the bladder, 
615; shaking palsy, 523 
Rheoscopic limb, 97 
Rheotome, 353 
Rheumatic paralysis, 424 
Rheumatism, 583 
Rhumkorffs coil, 350 
Richardson, Dr., on the sentient 
nerves, 241; electrical anaesthe- 
sia, 244 ; voltaic narcotism, 655 
Riess, M., on double induction, 18 
Rigidity of muscles, 399, 453 
Ritter, M., on conductivity of the 
human body, 53; ear, 162; death 
of nerves, 191; muscular contrac- 
tions, 199 ; olfactory nerve, 159 ; 
tetanus, 200 
Robin, M., on animal electricity, 88 
Robinson, Mr., on urinary calculi, 
619 
Rockwell, Dr., on general Faradis- 
ation, 370 
Rollett,'M., on the blood, 276 
Roots of the spinal nerves, galva- 
nisation of, 324 
Rosenberger, M., on the heart, 268 
SEM 
Rosenthal, Prof., on cutaneous cur- 
rents, 118; muscular contractions, 
201 ; organ of taste, 174 
Rossi, M., on the blood-vessels, 267 
Rotation multiplier, 15, 21 
Roubaud, M., on impotency, 620 
Ruete, Prof., on the eye, 155 
Ruschenberger, Dr., on hydrocele, 
624 ; ulcers, 651 
SALIVARY glands, electro-physi- 
ology of, 262 
Salter, Dr. Hyde, on asthma, 521 
Samt, M., on electrotonus, 209 
Sarlandiere, M., on electro-puncture, 
297 
Sauvages, M., on electrisation, 283 
Saxton's electric machines, 345, 365 
Scanzoni, Prof., on electricity in 
midwifery, 659 
Schiff, Prof., on the spinal cord, 
149 ; sympathetic nerve, 249 
Schivardi, M., on hydrophobia, 530 
Schlesinger, Dr., on conductivity of 
tissues, 61 
Schmidt, Dr., on the sympathetic 
nerve, 254 
Schonbein, Prof., on ozone, 4 ; organ 
of taste, 177 
Schultz, M., on. amenorrhcea, 626 ; 
impotency, 620; peripheral palsy, 
401 
Schultze, Prof., on electric fishes, 
84, 86 
Schwanda, Prof., on Holtz's machine, 
15, 154; static electricity, 293; 
hyperesthesia, 549; syphilitic 
sores, 653 
Schwartze, Dr., on the ear, 167 
Schweigger's multiplier, 72 
Sciatic nerve, Faradisation of, 378 
Sciatica, 565 
Scoutetten, M., on hydrocele, 624 
Scrivener's palsy, 510 
Scudamore, Mr., on the blood, 272 
Sea-sickness, 593 
Sebaceous tumours, 642 
Secondary contraction, 112 
Secondary current, 77, 351 
Seiler, M., on galvanisation by in- 
fluence, 369 
Semmola, M., on diabetes, 582 674 
INDEX. 
SEN 
Sentient nerves, electro-physiology 
of, 240 
Serous effusions, 583, 590 
Serres-flnes conductor, 341 
Sexual hypochondriasis, 621 
Shaking palsy, 522 
Siemens and Halske's machine, 359 
Sigaud de la Fond, M., on electrisa- 
tion, 285 
Sight, weakness of, 534 
Simpson, Sir James, on galvanic 
pessaries, 626 ; on electricity in 
midwifery, 659 
Singer's electroscope, 11 
Skin, electro-physiology of, 276; 
current in, 121 
Skinner, Dr., on lacteal secretions,635 
Smee's battery, 38 
Smell, electro - physiology of the 
nerve of, 158 ; loss of, 534 
Smoking, excessive, 443 
Soemmering, M., on galvanisation, 
294 
Solfanelli, M., on ascites, 603 
Solger, M., on muscular heat, 239 
Solly, Mr., on scrivener's palsy, 510 
Spasmodic diseases, 508 
Spermatorrhoea, 623 
Spinal accessory nerve, Faradisation 
of, 379 
Spinal cord, electro-physiology of, 
146; galvanisation of, 321 ; dis- 
ease of, 461 
Spinal paralysis, 461 
Spinal weakness, 571 
Spirit-drinking, excessive, 440 
Splanchnic nerves, 258 
Spleen, electro-physiology of, 265 
Spry, Dr., on electrisation, 284 
'Stabile' application of electricity, 
326 
Stacquez, M., on impotency, 620 
Stammering, 531 
Stannius, M., on muscular irrita- 
bility, 219, 221 
Stark, M., on the bones, 69 
Static electricity, 2 ; medical appli- 
cation of, 282; therapeutical effects 
of, 428 
Stein, M.,on electricity in midwifery, 
658 
Steinlein, M., on the blood, 272 
TRI 
Stenosis of the bowel, 602 
St. Germain, M. de, on electricity in 
midwifery, 660 
Sticker, M., on muscular irritability, 
215 
Stohrer's machines, 39, 311, 
362, 365 
Stomach, electro-physiology of, 264 
Stricture of the oesophagus, 592; 
urethra, 612 
Sulzer, on the organ of taste, 170 
Surinam eel, 84, 89 
Swammerdam, on motor nerves, 179 
Sycyanco, M., on the ear, 167 
Sympathetic nerve, electro-physi- 
ology of, 247; paralysis from 
disease of, 469 
Symptomatic application of elec- 
tricity, 282 
Syphilitic paralysis, 485 ; sores, 653 
rpANQUEREL DES PLANCHES, 
JL on lead-palsy, 475 
Taste, electro-physiology of, 170; 
loss of, 539 
Taylor, Mr., on paralysis of the 
bladder, 615 
Temperature, influence of, on electric 
conduction, 52 
Tendons, conductivity of, 65 
Terrestrial magnetism, 71 
Tetanus, 200, 202, 524 
Thales' observation on amber, 3 
Thomsen's galvanic battery, 311 
Thiry, M., on muscular heat, 239 
Tibial nerve, Faradisation of, 378 
Tic convulsif, 532 
Tic-doloureux, 551 
Tinnitus aurium, 562 
Todd, Dr., on cerebral paralysis, 394 
Toothed wheel, 353 
Topler's electrophorus machine, 14 
Torpedo, 83, 86 
Torticollis, 512 
Traumatic paralysis, 485 
Tripier, M., on constant batteries, 
40; Faradisation, 344; of the 
womb, 387 ; hydarthrosis, 586; 
hydrocele, 624; electro-physiology 
of the organ of taste, 171 ; stric- 
ture of the urethra, 612 ; diseases 
of the womb, 628 INDEX. 
675 
TRO 
Trousseau, M., on shaking palsy, 
522; epileptiform neuralgia, 553 
Tumours, 636 
Tunica vaginalis, electro-physiology 
of, 266 ; dartos, 280 
Tiirck, M., on opacities of the cornea, 
587 
Tympanites, 599 
TILCERS, 651 
J Ulnar nerve, Faradisation of, 
378 
Unpolarisable electrodes, 46, 100, 
102 
Unzer, Dr., on muscular irritability, 
214 
Urea, elimination of, 571 
Urethra, galvanisation of, 327 ; 
stricture of, 612 
Uretheres, electro-physiology of, 
266 
Urinary calculi, 616 
Urinary organs, paralysis from dis- 
ease of, 477 ; other diseases of, 
612 
Uterus, electro-physiology of, 266 ; 
Faradisation of, 387 ; diseases of, 
625 
VALENTIN, Prof., on cutaneous 
currents, 119; muscular con- 
tractions, 193 
Valli, on the death of the nerves, 
191 ; galvanisation, 294 ; motor 
nerves and muscles, 178, 214 
Van Deen,M->on the spinal cord, 148 
Van Holzbeek, M., on hydarthrosis, 
585 
Varicocele, 612 
Varicose veins, 612 
Vas deferens, 266 
Vassalli, on the blood-vessels, 267 
Veins, diseases of, 610 
Velocity of electricity, 11 
Volta, Alessandro, on animal elec- 
tricity, 93 ; on conductivity of the 
human body, 53; the ear, 161 ; 
the eye, 158 ; electricity by con- 
tact, 27 ; motor nerves and mus- 
cles, 178, 180, 200, 214; electro- 
WIL 
phorus, 13 ; organ of taste, 172, 
173 
Voltaic alternatives, 153, 200 
Voltaic narcotism, 655 
Voltaic pile, 21, 294, 300 
Volvulus, 602 
Vomiting, 593 
Von Bezold, M., on electrotonus, 
210; the heart, 268 ; the woorara 
poison, 225; muscular current, 
114; muscular contractions, 185, 
227 
R., on the spleen, 
Wagner's apparatus, 357 
Waller, Dr., on the cilio-spinal 
region of the cord, 150 ; the sym- 
pathetic nerve, 249 ; voltaic nar- 
cotism, 655 
Wasting palsy, 425, 578 
Water battery, 41 
Watson, Dr., on electrisation, 284 
Weakness of sight, 534 
Weber, Prof. E., on the brain, 129 ; 
spinal cord, 176; pneumogastric 
nerve, 269; skin, 279; conducti- 
vity of the human body, 53 
Weiss's (Foveaux's) batteries, 309, 
310, 332 
Weiss, Dr., on peripheral paralysis, 
415 
Wells, Mr. Soelberg, on amaurosis, 
535 ; opacities of the cornea, 588 ; 
paralysis of the muscles of the 
eye, 494 
Wells, Mr. Spencer, on ulcers, 278, 
298, 652 
Wertheimber, M., on stricture of 
the urethra, 612 
Westring, Dr., on impotency, 620 
Wheatstone, Prof., on electric light, 
11 
Wiedemann, M., on electric endos- 
mosis, 47 
Wiesner, Dr., on epileptiform neu- 
ralgia, 553 
Wietfeld, Dr., On Basedow's disease, 
578 
Wilke's electrophorus, 13 
Williamson, Mr., on ozone, 5 676 
INDEX. 
WIL 
Willebrand, M., on opacities of the 
cornea, 587 
Wislocky, M., on the spinal cord, 149 
Womb-vide Uterus 
Wounds and ulcers, 651 
Wry-neck, 512 
ZIE 
ZIEMSSEN, Prof., on asphyxia, 
546 ; Faradisation, 375 ; of the 
glottis, 385; muscular heat, 234; 
peripheral palsy, 402, 415; thera- 
peutical effects of the continuous 
current, 431 
LONDON: PRINTED BY 
bJOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE 
AND PARLIAMENT STREET BY THE SAME AUTHOR. 
1 Vol. 12mo. pp. 236, price 3s. 8d. 
ON 
PARALYSIS, NEURALGIA, 
AND OTHER AFFECTIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND THEIR 
SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT BY 
GALVANISATION AND FARADISATION. 
Third Edition. 
' Dr. Althaus has proved himself to be a thorough master of the subject on 
which he writes. His remarks on the treatment of nervous disorders are very 
instructive, and deserving of careful study.'-Medical Mirror. 
' Dr. Althaus is our best authority on this subject.'-Westminster Review. 
' Electricity and its modifications have often been employed therapeutically by 
electricians unacquainted with medicine, and sometimes by medical men unac- 
quainted with the principles of electrical science. Dr. Althaus has the double ad- 
vantage of thoroughly understanding electricity in all its forms and applications, as 
well as being an able and accomplished Physician ; and in consequence, his book has 
become a trustworthy guide upon the subject of which it treats.'-Medical 
Circular. 
' The fact that a third edition of this work has been called for, speaks sufficiently 
for the interest and utility which characterise it.'-Lancet. 
THE SPAS OF EUROPE. 
A SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL ACCOUNT 
OF THB MOST IMPORTANT 
MINERAL WATERS OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, BELGIUM, 
GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, AND GREECE. 
1 Vol. 8vo. pp. 516, cloth, price 12s. 
' A book of research and authority, written by one who is evidently master of 
his subject.'-Lancet. 
' Dr. Althaus's work is by far the best that has been written in our language, 
with a medical object in view.'- Athenaeum. 
TRUBNER & CO., 60 Paternoster Row. ON 
EPILEPSY, HYSTERIA, AND 
ATAXY. 
THREE LECTURES. 
Price 4s. 
' The tendency of Dr. Althaus's teaching is to give the Physician confidence in 
his power over disease.'-British Medical Journal. 
ON THE 
ELECTROLYTIC TREATMENT 
OF TUMOURS 
AND OTHER SURGICAL DISEASES. 
Price Is. fid. 
' Dr. Althaus has furnished us with a remedy which robs a large part of Surgery 
of its terrors.'-Medical Times and Gazette. 
TRICHINOSIS, 
OR FLESH WORM DISEASE, AS CAUSED BY EATING OF 
DISEASED PORK. 
WITH ENGRAVINGS. 
Price 2s. 
' An excellent account of this new disease.'-The Lancet. 
JOHN CHURCHILL & SONS, New Burlington Street.