Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-04-17
Animal Elec,rici,y-The Torpedo.

Animal Electricisy-The Torpedo.
This interesting science forms fruit
iul subject for the pen and abilities Of Pro-
fessor Lowering, a distinguished instruct
or in Harvard University. He truly
AYERS that large contributions have been
made 10 il, within the last twenty wears,
Previous to this, it had limped along,
like cripple, for the want of proper sup
port. He first considers animals with
distinct electrical organs, and finds that
hshes are alone endowed with This pecu-
harlty. The torpedo, the electric eel, the
siiurious electricus, tetroden electricus,
and the trichirurus electricus, originate
electrical currents. The last two are not
Familiarity known. He refers the student
to Birds Elements Of Natural Philosophy
for further information, and confines him.
self to the torpedo and the eel.
| The torpedo a member Of the raw fami-
ly, inhabits the Mediterranean, the North
Sea, the coast of America, near Cape Cod
and Martha's Vineyard. Il is common in
the markets of Rome, and is eaten by the
poorer classes. The Natural Histories Of
Aristotle and Pliny describe the shock
which this fish communicates to those who
touch it thus, showing knowledge of its
! qualities dates far back. Stetfano Loren-
zini, in 1873, seated the benumbing fac
nlty in the two semi-circular muscles on
each side of the thorax. Mr. Walsh dis.
covered, in 1878, the different electrical
states Of the breast and back of the fish,
that, connection between the upper and
lower surfaces Of the body is necessary to
obtain the best shock, which, when the
fish is in air, is four times stronger than
when it is in water. Mr. Hunter found
two sets Of electrical organs run along the
length Of the body. Each set, sometimes
consists Of eleven hundred and eighty-two
plates, and appears to be under the will's
control. These organs are not essential
to vitality. lngenhowz caught number,
twenty miles from the shore, near Leghorn,
threw them into a common vessel and found
they did no harm to the other fishes. All
agree that the shock is very great. Ka-
e,npter, in II IL, compared it to lightning.
After ths fishermen aave drawntheir nets
into the boat, they throw water upon the
contents, and feel the shvck, if any torpe-
does are there, through the stresm Of wa
ter. Sometimes, the shock is received
through the wet cordage, before the net is
drawn in. That of torpedo, fourteen
inches long, is enough for one man.
They can he separated with great rapidi-
ity. A dying torpedo gave three hundred
and sixteen shocks in seven minutes.
In 1892, DR. John Davy. at Malta,
with fish six inches long magne,ized d
steel needle which was inside coil Of
wire, DETECTED the galvanome,er, produced
chemical decomposition of common salt,
acetate Of lead, and nitrate Of silver, but
'ailet! TO obtain any sign Of a spark. In
| 1884, he orasa Arm a zine platinum
wire, but could produce no ignition. He
could discern no such arrangement Of plates
as Hunter described, except in preserved
| specimens. Sometimes the fish weighed
only four hundred aud ten grains, the or
gans one hundred and fifty grains, and yet
il gave shocks, made magnets, detected
the galvanometer. and decomposed water.
He kept nursery of them, and thought
their power was for defence rather than
for the procuring Of food. The FIRST act
the young ones did. was 10 magnetic nee.
dies and produce other electrical changes.
Some were kept five months in salt wa
ter, renewed daily. They ate nothing. -
At death their stomachs were empty, while
their electric energies increased. A few
shocks exhausted the old ones. and they
soon died. Small, puny, delicate fishes
were always more powerful than fat ones
Of the same age. He could produce no
electrical excitement, after their DEATH
In 1885, Bacquerel and Breschet rapid
ly advanced the researches in the science.
Next year, Matteucci success sded in pro-
ducing the spark. He held a torpedo just
dipped in salt water in vessel six feet
square, and observed frog, in the remo-
test part of the vessel affected by the shock
aresuh beyond the power Of very strong
galvanic battery. In lS43, DR. Storer
published an account of one, four feet two
inches long, captured near Wellfieet. He
has published letter from a fisherman
in Provincetown familiar with those wa.
, ters for twenty years, who says: that in
1919 the electric fish was not uncommon
from sixty to eighty being found annually
Lately, they have been scarce, and no,
over thirty have been taken for ten years
the smallest never weigh less than twenty
pounds. and the largest weigh two hun.
dred pounds. Their liver affords from a
pint to three gallons Of oil. Sometimes
the shock has been felt eight or ten fee,
from The fish along the harpoon at othe,
times, it has suficed to touch the rope on.
". The shock IS described as producing
the sensation Of being struck on the heat
with an ak.
Mrs PART1NGroS's LAsr.--Readine
the newspaper praises Of Jenny Lind.
benevolent disposition, Mrs PartingtoI
, came to The complimentary expression il
regard to the "fellow feeling in her bo
som' which the Swedish Nightingale
cherished towards the unfortunate all,
: needy. Involuntaril, raising her specta
cles, and looking the very personiicatio'
Of amazement, the good old lady repeated
"a feller feeling in her bosom! la me,
that aint jist the way the fellers used I,