Dynamics of nerve and muscle / [Charles Bland Radcliffe].

  • Radcliffe, Charles Bland, 1822-1889.
Date:
1871
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dynamics of nerve and muscle / [Charles Bland Radcliffe]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    66/314 (page 46)
    III. The different results of passing the voltaic current in the case where the nerves are not exposed, and in that where they are exposed, would seem to be accounted for by the action of the electricity being upon the muscles rather than upon the nerves in the former case, and upon the nerves rather than upon the muscles in the latter case. If along limbs prepared so as to have their nerves exposed a voltaic current be passed until the contrac- tion which attends the closing and opening of the circuit is at the opening only under the inverse cur- rent, and at the closing only under the direct current, and if then a pair of compasses, or any other good conductor, be placed so as to bridge over the space between the muscular portions of the two limbs, thus, limbs, as it did before, at once observes the same order, and occurs at the opening of the circuit as well as at the closing in both, or at the closing only in both. On placing the compasses in this position, that is to say, the order of contraction changes to that which is observed in the case where the current is passed along limbs which have been prepared so as not to leave their nerves exposed, and thus a point is