Galvanism
the branch of electric to her husband. On touching them with vani gave birth. His wife, who was makto a charged electrical machine belor vulsed. From this Galvani came to the to her husband. On touching them with belonging erroneous conclusion that animal electricity existed in the nerves and muscles of erroneous conclusion that animal electric- vulsed. From this Galvani came to the a scalpel their legs became greatly con- GALVANOMETER frogs, etc. In this explanation Galvani ignored the metallic connecting wire. His this, and found that the contraction of the limbs is more energetic when the concontemporary, Volta, gave attention to GALVANOMETER necting arc is made of two metals instead of one. He therefore inferred that the metals took the active part in producing the contraction and the disengagement of electricity was due to their contact, and that the animal parts constituted only a conductor, and at the same time a very sensitive electroscope. In 1793 he published these views, and in 1800 first described and constructed what has since been called after him the voltaic pile.
Now voltaic plates have nearly given place to voltaic or galvanic batteries, of which there are many varieties. See GALVANI, LUIGI.