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

their previous length ; but if there urns a contraction, the fibres appeared, after the contraction had passed off, to be even longer than at first. Dr. Althaus concludes, therefore, that the inher- ent muscular irritability has been fairly proved, — First. By the microscopic observations of Mr. Bowman, show- ing at least a partial contraction of muscular fibres, which he concludes to have been entirely isolated from every vestige of extraneous tissue. Second. By the peculiar experiments of Bernard, Kolliker and himself, by means of woorara, which, he assumes, does kill the motor nerves, while it leaves the muscles intact. Third. By the microscopic observations, also, of Dr. Wundt, which show an action of the closed continuous current upon the muscular fibre when the electrodes are applied directly to the muscles ; but no such action is obtained if the stimulus be con- veyed to the muscles through the nerves.* Thus it is evident, he says, that by the electric current the molecular equilibrium of the muscles may be directly disturbed just as absolutely as the molecular equilibrium of the nerves; for as soon as the equilibrium of either motor-nerves or muscles is disturbed, contractions in either case, or both cases, are ob- served. But the contraction produced by applying the electric current directly to the contractile tissue of the muscles presents, however, certain peculiarities which are important to be noticed. If the current be directed to a motor nerve, the whole, substance of all the muscles which are animated by that nerve enters into simultaneous contraction. But, on the contrary, if the current be applied directly to a muscle, then only those fibres, or only a part of a muscle, are observed to contract which are actually traversed by the current. He says, if we wish to produce a contraction of the whole substance of a muscle, the electrodes must be placed one at the upper and the other at the lower end of the muscle. Besides, a current of greater intensity is actu- ally required, if we wish to produce muscular contractions di- rectly ; i. e., without the intervention of nerve trunks. Hence * Die Lehere von der Muskelbewegung, Braunchweig, 1858, p. 122.