Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1849-12-14
ANIMAL ELECTRICITY.

There is a round fat fish feuDd on The
shores OF the Mediterranean. ~hich hes been
known for hundreds Of years 10 give be9n-,h
iag shocks 10 pedo. aud when II :. di=-rrr.d
there are luund two honey comb organs - :.
near the head on each side and ocrnry rba
whole thickness Of tire h-h from breo-r n
back. They consist Of a rnass Of rpur3,,l
columns that appear upright when th- n ,
lies far These couHens are supposed Ia b.
gaIvanic pillars which IN the aggregate max
au electric charge. As many as li12 co.
unlns have been found ~ a large fsF. .r6
nerves raTnIfy each coiuInn and are dist-ibr
ted throughout the fine. faments.
The back Of the tarpedo - D9sjfi=e an4
the bah INCENTIVE, aad TIE electric et,yye,+s
pass through the body Between tie bressts-.7
back On touching itier side OF the ani,,,.j
a shock - received. ard By se5zing it on bots
sides. a more EXTENSIVE shock Is felt. a,,3 afte-
receiving the first. the charge srrnf1ns.,as
and discharges asaiF. ead a srccezs,or ~
shock VIII thus-be gwen until the ztreng+L e
the FISH IS exhauatee- The eiectr,cjtvo OF rfq
torpedo IS Of the sa93e character az dis
charge of very smsil 5aydea itrs Il - ca
pable of magnet;-iig ieon aad deconposing
compounds on a srraa scale The use a.
this votaic pile to the ANIMAL. seslils 10 he
given 10 1t for defence and cFtence II launch
= IT, dirninutive tnUnd-Thei5 gPs- sii crea-
lures THAI sgpr0acA -.
The Electric Eel found 10 graat nurnhers
ia the South American swamps - another
living galvanic battery It's sh,cAs are far
more formidable than those IF be torpedo.
Wen, horses, and other animals ge frrqu-at-
y drowned 10 crossing some Of tie pools By
being stunned from the shocks BY she electric
eel. The electric eel Is aboat IN feet iurq
and Of ayeilow colat resembling SINE water
serpeuts. It's electrical structure the Same
rs that OF the tOrpeda, bat It IS formed Of ts,sn
plates, which lie IN the drectIan otis lenzth.
aud one end Of the pile Is Al be had and the
other at the tai, hence It's shoes arr isss.~r
powerful when the head aod All ere hr,y't
into contact with another aIssl3ai. la the
rivers Of Africa there Is sa0thsr f>n GATED
the SLurius Elec;rlcus' whifh has v-sy
simple electric organs. IL s something lie
an eel, and IS =atsn IN EgypF, There are
various electric fish besides ,hesa
There il a great amount Of e3cc9rlcsiv pre-
duced hy the Interior processes of tar Hu5uaa
body, but how mach none cBa 81, IS ot,Iv =
small portion can appear IN a free stale -,
the sUriace. As far ss the - acquires a
charge, 1t IS found 20 be POSITIVE, bus tiF-
amount differs at different llHloS and aiae ii
different persons. 4 development ef p,,-ft,z..
electricity =eeRls 70 BE- identified With health
vIg0F and freshness Ut body. fsT il l. changed
Inrn negative hy esertion. iatgae ard cold
s1dteu TT ut EI,,:rnt exczsl1n vv3li convert
the positive IHt8 tte negative charge Ari
IRON t.'s we must infer tina nafTiiion IS con-
staHtiy generating positive electricity. while
exeFtlon generates the negative. The Jssices
81 the fish muscle a4r constantly acid
'yh,ie THE blood c,rcusating through tie --te--
les OF vriss IS alkaline. Al scid. and aika!t
with nIeH'hreae b@t~een tt4-tTl. are c@faaI=
Of causing current, the ecid positive AND tie
aikaiI negative. So tiist h blood .eould rom
this cause have negative charge ard the
flesh positive charge.
The Effects Of electricity On the animal svs-
tern are not much understood Electric
shocks have been successfully applied f.r
paralysis IF. lroFF wat mas been ,lt~.avs r-.,
the 5ody ganeFates surplus Of positive, HrI6
the earth negative electricity, an3 aH ah4encr
OF the positive is InJarlauS 70 the system We
have = strong argument Ter having some now
conducting substance between the feet AMI
tie earth.
This = surely the reason why wet feet are
90 0juTioEs n hea,th, At lrast % those who
wear shoes. Sc. his- tn rh- saypg-. who
goes barefoot. tHick. horny Don Conducting
substance is formed on the solrS OF ais feet
that seems to say, ., " 5rgr art cannot aC1i=--
nature cau.''-Seien'55e .4laericGn.