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Luigi Galvanis experiments with electricity, 1791
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Luigi Galvanis experiments with electricity, 1791
Luigi Galvanis experiments with electricity, 1791. An electrostatic machine, a Leyden jar and various experiments conducted by Italian physiologist Galvani (1737-1798) to investigate behaviour of muscles stimulated by electricity. Whilst investigating the effects of electrostatic stimuli applied to the muscles of frogs, Galvani discovered he could make a muscle twitch by touching the nerve with metal (a pair of scissors for example) without a source of electrostatic charge. He called this phenomenon animal electricity. The term galvanise - to shock or excite into action, takes its name from him. From De Viribus Electricitatis by Luigi Galvani. (Bologna, 1791)
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Media ID 14864001
© Oxford Science Archive / Heritage-Images
Behaviour Biology Electricity Experiment Laboratory Equipment Luigi Oxford Science Archive Physics Physiology Electrostatic Machine Galvani Luigi Galvani
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This print captures a significant moment in scientific history - Luigi Galvani's groundbreaking experiments with electricity in 1791. The image showcases an array of laboratory equipment, including an electrostatic machine and a Leyden jar, used by the Italian physiologist to investigate the behavior of muscles stimulated by electricity. Galvani's revolutionary discovery occurred while studying the effects of electrostatic stimuli on frog muscles. To his astonishment, he found that touching the nerve with metal (such as a pair of scissors) could make the muscle twitch even without an external source of electrostatic charge. He termed this phenomenon "animal electricity" which eventually led to the coining of the word "galvanize" - meaning to shock or excite into action. The print is taken from Galvani's renowned publication, De Viribus Electricitatis, published in Bologna in 1791. It serves as a testament to Galvani's immense contribution to both biology and physics during the eighteenth century. As we gaze upon this historic image, we are transported back in time to witness one man's relentless pursuit of knowledge and his remarkable ability to unravel nature's mysteries. Luigi Galvani truly galvanized our understanding of electricity and forever left his mark on science.
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