The influence of metallic tractors on the human body, in removing various painful inflammatory diseases ... / Lately discovered by Dr. [Elisha] Perkins ... and demonstrated in a series of experiments and observations. By which the importance of the discovery is fully ascertained, and a new field of enquiry opened in the modern science of galvanism, or, animal electricity. By Professors Meigs, Woodward, Rogers, &c, &c.

  • Perkins, Benjamin Douglas, 1774-1810.
Date:
1798
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The influence of metallic tractors on the human body, in removing various painful inflammatory diseases ... / Lately discovered by Dr. [Elisha] Perkins ... and demonstrated in a series of experiments and observations. By which the importance of the discovery is fully ascertained, and a new field of enquiry opened in the modern science of galvanism, or, animal electricity. By Professors Meigs, Woodward, Rogers, &c, &c. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ** That the bodies of animals poffefled a fluid analagous to eledtricity, had long been fufpeded by phyfiologifts, and other fpeculative philofo- phers, [Here follows an account of the origin of GalvaniV difcovery> and the fuhfequent improve- ments by Valli, Fowler, &c. with a citation of moft of the important experiments, together with his own theory of mufcular irritability and the nervous energy; which, in conference of their lengthy are necejfarily omittedd\ He proceeds: “ I have frequently taken out the hearts of frogs, turtles, &c. and obferved attentively their actions. They will contrad and dilate/ua Jponte for fome time, and then ceafe* when they may be again excited to contrad by lacerating them with a wooden or other pointed inftrument. But when they become no longer excitable by thefe means, they may be re-excited to contrad by the irritation of a metallic inftrument. I once obferved a fimilar phenomenon in an amputated limb. One of the crural mufcles contraded upon being irritated with the point of a fcalpel. The experiment was then tried with a pointed wooden inftrument, but to no efFed j yet on ir¬ ritating it a fecond time with the fcalpel, it con- traded * /