The History of Electricity

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The History of Electricity

Luigi Galvani (1737-1798) was an Italian physician and physicist. He

was one of the first to investigate the phenomenon of what came to be

named as 'bioelectrogenesis'. Galvani reported a series of experiments

he had been conducting since 1780 where fog's legs violently

contracted if a metal scalpel accidentally touched a certain leg nerve

during dissection. He showed that contractions occurred when the

operator made contact with the nerve by means of an electric conductor

connected to the ground, when the electrostatic machine was working or

when there was a lighting strike in the vicinity. There were also

produced if the frogs were placed on an iron plate while a brass hook

simultaneously pressed against the iron. The use of two dissimilar

metals saw the effects being most profound. (Asimov's new Guide to

Science, 1988)

Further experiments confirmed this effect, which convinced Galvani

that he was observing the effects of what he called "animal

electricity", i.e., the life force within the muscles of the frog.

Galvani discovered that the electric current delivered by a Leyden jar

or rotating static electricity generator would cause the contraction

of the muscles in the frog's leg and many other animals, either by

applying a charge to the nerve or by touching the exposed muscle of

one frog with the nerve of another. He thought 'animal electricity'

was generated in the tissue of the frog and distinguished this kind of

electricity from 'artificial electricity' generated by friction

(static electricity) and from 'natural electricity' such as lightning.

He caused great controversy within the scientific ...

... middle of paper ...

...ieved on

13/3/04. http://www.bioanalytical.com/info/calendar/97/galvani.htm,

http://www.bioanalytical.com/info/calendar/97/volta.htm

· Anon, 2000, A 'new electricity': Galvani and Volta. Retrieved on

13/3/04.

http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Sciences/Physics/Electromagnetism/Electrostatics/Electricfield/Newelectricity/Newelectricity.htm

· Corrosion Doctors, 2000, Luigi Galvani. Retrieved on 13/3/04.

http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Biographies/GalvaniBio.htm

· Scholz Electrical Company, 2000, History of Electricity. Retrieved

on 13/3/04. http://www.scholzelectrical.com.au/electricity.htm

· Renato M.E Sabbatini, State University of Campinas, Centre for

Biomedical Informatics, 2000. Discovery of Bioelectricity: Galvani and

Volta. Retrieved on 13/3/04.

http://www.epub.org.br/cm/n06/historia/bioelectr2_i.htm

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