Electro-physiology and electro-therapeutics : showing the best methods for the medical uses of electricity / By Alfred C. Garratt.

vanic fluid. This surcharge passed through the moist conducting bodies of the people into the earth, attracting their negative and repelling their positive electricity. Again, when, during the diminution of the electric fluid of the air, before sunrise and sunset, the effervescing earth transmitted its excess up- wards, through the persons so exposed, the neutral (fluid) in their bodies was disturbed, or the positive (fluid) was attracted to one side or extremity of the bodies, and the negative fluid repelled to the other side, and thus a process of attraction or repulsion exerted untoward oscillation in the bodies, brain, and spinal cord, and felt in particular, in the great sympathetic system. In fine, we must conclude, that wo are always under more or less electric tension, as the air is naturally positive, while the surface of the ground, together with all objects upon it, are in a preponderating negative state. It is, indeed, a matter of gen- eral observation, that this tension, or disturbed electrical condi- tion of the atmosphere, whether it chances to be plus or minus, positive or negative, actually causes the more sensitive persons to feel otherwise xmaccountably uncomfortable — sometimes as if all things were more than usually heavy, hard, noisy, or tire- some ; at other times, they are irresistibly irritable, excited, or restless; at others, perhaps, depressed or melancholic. When the atmospheric electric deficiency is sudden and great, there is produced in nearly all persons, even in those in health, a certain mental depression, oppressive yawning, or uncomfortable feeling of gloom or discouragement. While a rapidly prevailing sur- charged air, particularly if chafed by high, dry, and protracted winds, produces not only nervous irritation, unrest, and epi- demic influenza, or prevalent colds, but even prevailing inflam- matory diseases; at the same time rendering a large portion of the sick, and persons with morbid nerves, worse ; while another large class of maladies and temperaments are as much benefited by it. So sure as autumn brings the blessing of harvest, and with that harvest also cholera infantum, epidemic dysentery, in- termittent and bilious fevers, so sure will any considerable atmospheric electrical changes awaken all manner of painful affections. Repeated observation has made the author quite familiar with the coincidence of the prevalence of violent at- tacks of neuralgia, during, or soon after, the more brilliant dis- plays of the electric and magnetic flashes of the aurora borealis.