X. Experiments and observations on the gymnotus electricus, or electric eel

Abstract

As the electrical eel has lately engaged the public attention, and yours in particular, I have taken the liberty of sending you some experiments which I made on that fish: they are the same that I had the pleasure of shewing you last winter, on my arrival from Pensylvania. If you apprehend they may tend to cast any light on that curious part of natural history, or to gratify the curiosity of the public, be pleased to make any use of them you may think proper. Besides my own superficial acquaintance with the subject of electricity, of which I am very conscious, there are other circumstances that may help to apologize for the imperfect state in which these experiments appear. The eel being sickened by the change of climate, its owner refused to let us take it out of the water, for the purpose of making experiments, on reasonable terms; and there were many experiments which I could not make on it in the water, to my own satisfaction. While I made these experiments, the eel was kept in a large vessel, supported by pieces of dry timber, about three feet above the floor.