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

they again increase in strength as soon as the direction of the electric current is changed. He also repeats the observation of M. Ritter, that the opening convulsions increase in strength after frequent interruptions of the current, while the closing convul- sions decrease ; and that the appearance of opening convulsions during a treatment is always a sure sign that the aim of the alternation, i. e., to render the preparation for the thorough in- working of the succeeding and opposite stream direction, has been reached. M. Marianini endeavored by extended and pro- digious research to find explanations for all the various phe- nomena of Yolta's alternations. " On this Dr. Remak observes, in the first place we often find stated by accurate observers, that people treated by repeated but moderate shocks, from in- terruptions of the current, thereby become so much the more susceptible to them, the oftener they receive them. Every one thus treating patients must observe, that there is a growing susceptibility to even weaker and weaker currents after the few first days, which, however, we must not always take as predict- ing an amelioration of the sick person's condition. Similar to these mild shocks from broken currents, docs the continuous current work, for when it acts on sensitive parts the sensibility gradually increases—a fact already observed by Volta and Von Humboldt." M. Marianini, in order to sustain his views, — according to which, the opening of a strong and long working current leaves in the traversed muscle or nerve a surcharge of electricity, which endeavors to quit the organ in an opposite direction,— he calls attention to the tetanic conditions which arc sometimes perceivable in the frog thighs after the opening of a strong cur- rent, as well as during the steady uninterrupted working of that current. Dr. Heidcnhain has made some practical observations as to the restoring from an absolutely sunken excitability of nerves and muscles. He says a frog had lost, during teasings from experi- ments by many hours' alternations with sixty pairs, all excita- bility or capability for together-drawings of the muscles. It was then left for five hours under the action of the continuous