strip is attracted by it, the current of the
pile is interrupted, and the magnetism of the
central iron disappears. Then, the small
strip, not forced any longer by the magnetic
power of the central iron to remain in its
usual position, returns by its own elasticity to
its natural one; but, in the moment when this
is done, the current of the pile is restored, and
with it the magnetism of the central iron,
which again uses its attractive power on the
strip, which in this manner is kept in a
perpetual vibration. The strip is moved nearer
to, or further from, the point of attraction,
by means of a screw, which thus controls the
rate of its vibration. This is important, for
the effects of the faster or slower succession
of the sparks are very different.

With the old methods of applying electricity,
it was not easy to act on diseased parts
without endangering the healthy organs, and
sometimes the whole nervous system. Now,
by "Faradism," I am told, it is possible to
localise electricity in the skin without
irritating the organs covered by it, or to traverse
the skin without irritating it, for
concentrating electricity in any nerve or muscle.

Faradisation of the skin, namely, of the
sensory nerves, is to be practised by means
of dry excitors, applied to the dry skin, and
is capable of exciting in the highest degree
the sensibility of the nerves of the skin, without
injuring the skin itself.

Some people are more sensible to electricity
than others, and it is the same even with
different parts of our body. For this reason
are invented the beforementioned modifying
arrangements. With these are combined, for
the same purpose, different manners of
application.

The methods of exciting the sensory nerves
differing totally from those of exciting
muscular contractility, I shall do best to speak of
the two separately, hoping you will not be
too much bored by such a long interruption
of my own sparkling electric current.

The first proceeding on the skin by Faradism
is by the electric hand. The lightning doctor
takes in one of his hands a conductor, united
to one of the two poles of the pile; and another
conductor, or excitor, united to the opposite
pole, is placed in the hand of the patient,
because this part of the body is generally
little excitable. After having dried the skin
by application of some rice-powder, the operator
passes rapidly the back of his disengaged
hand over the places to be excited, and the
patient has a brisk sensation of it, if a somewhat
strong current is applied; if it be feeble,
then only a lively crepitation over the excited
points is felt and heard.

The second degree of Faradisation of the
skin is exercised by solid metallic excitors,
which the doctor keeps in his hands, and
which are isolated by wooden handles. The
third degree is produced by bundles of
metallic wire, which, in form of a shaving-
brush, are fastened in metallic cylinders, and
screwed to isolating handles. The skin is
lightly beaten by these brushes of wire;
or in some cases, the ends of the wires are
kept for a longer time over the suffering
part; which, as patients say who have tried
it, produces more sensation than a red-hot iron.

This Faradisation of the skin has been
extremely useful (I am told) in both exalted
and dejected states of the sensory nerves; in
nervous headache, tic-douloureux, sciatica,
irritable breast, and anæsthesia, in which
diseases "the most wonderful results have
been effected, after all other treatments
having proved unsuccessful." It is the same
with muscular rheumatism, even in
protracted cases, the entire removal of which is
promised after a few applications.

For exciting muscular contractility by
Faradic electricity, the operator uses two
different methods; either concentrating the
electric action in the nervous plexuses, or in
the branches—which communicate their
excitation on the muscle itself. In both
methods the skin and the excitors must be
wet. On the muscles of the trunk and most
of the limbs, wet sponges are applied, thrust
in metallic cylinders screwed upon isolating
handles. For limiting the electric power to
the muscles of a small surface, as the muscles
of the face and the hand, use is made of
conical metallic excitors, covered with wet
leather.

Many interesting facts have been evolved
from the application of Faradism to the
study of the functions of the muscles of the
living body. It has become possible to create
thus a kind of living anatomy.

The expression of a face, said the lightning
doctor, depends on the muscles which are put
in action by thoughts, passions, and character;
they preserve, during muscular repose, the
predominance of tonic force, and stamp on
every physiognomy its particular expression.
If there were not in every face tonic
predominance of this or that muscle, all
physiognomies would be like each other, as the
muscles have the same direction, the same
attachments and strength, and the bones only
differ from each other by their volume.

Meanwhile the lightning doctor had
prepared his tools, and touched with an excitor
the frontal muscle of my friend, who directly
looked against his will, much pleased, but
became, very soon doubtful and at last
surprised. Now, the lightning doctor touched
the physiognomical antagonist of the frontal
muscle, the pyramidalis nasi, and in a moment
my friend became sad of aspect, and then
looked us if he threatened to knock down the
operator.

Faradisation has been very successful in
nervous deafness, which very often results
only from relaxation of the drum of the ear.
To modify the force of the current, the external
opening of the ear is to be filled with
water, a metallic excitor is then put into the
fluid, and the current closed by putting the