A discourse on the torpedo. Delivered at the anniversary meeting of the Royal Society, November 30, 1774 / By Sir John Pringle, Baronet, President. Published by their order.
- John Pringle
- Date:
- 1775
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A discourse on the torpedo. Delivered at the anniversary meeting of the Royal Society, November 30, 1774 / By Sir John Pringle, Baronet, President. Published by their order. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![E *4 ] at will. This action he compared to that of a ftretched cord put into quick vibrations. r •• \ Into a flmilar deception, in the next generation, fell that ornament of his country and of his age, the excel¬ lent M. de reaumur, upon refuming this fubjeft. For in the year 1714, being on the coafl of Poitou, he took that opportunity of making fome new experiments upon the torpedo, which, with the refult, he communicated to the R. Academy of Sciences at Paris. Plis brethren of that illuftrious lociety adopted his hypothelis, as did indeed the Ingenious over all Europe; and fo natural did it ap¬ pear to them, that every one wondered it had not been fallen upon before. What then was this new fyftem ? In effect, one not very different from that of borelli ; for, in- ftead of the undefined vibrating parts of the latter, M. de reaumur fubftituted mufcles (the mufculi'falcatiof redi and lorenzini) which, by the vivacity of their aft ion, impreffed on the hand, that touched thefe parts, a fen- fation of numbnefs, owing to the ftoppage of the pro- greffion of the nervous fluid, or a repulfion of the fame. But, to obviate what might be objected, the celebrated inveftigator was bound to deny that this impreflion of numbnefs could be communicated through water, a net, or any other foft and yielding fubftance; nay, 7 through](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30350359_0016.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
