galvanize - 03/01/04 07:12 PM
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Date: Thu Jun 24 00:01:39 EDT 1999
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--galvanize
galvanize (GAL-vuh-nyze) verb tr.
1. To stimulate or shock with an electric current.
2. To arouse to awareness or action; spur.
3. To coat (iron or steel) with rust-resistant zinc.
[After Luigi Galvani (1737-1798), Italian physiologist and physician who
asserted that animal tissues generate electricity. Although he was proved
wrong, his experiments stimulated research on electricity.]
As I remember reading about it, Galvani had dissected out
frog gastrocnemius muscles, and hung them on a metal frame so that both ends were touching the metal. The muscles contracted. He had no instrument capable of detecting the
very tiny current produced by electrolysis when two different metals are connected by a solution containing
ions. Here is encyclopedia article:
Galvani, Luigi
(l´j gälvä´n) (KEY) , 1737–98, Italian physician. He was professor of anatomy from 1775 at the Univ. of Bologna and was noted as a surgeon and for research in comparative anatomy. During experiments on muscle and nerve preparations of frogs, he noticed the contraction of a frog’s leg touched with charged metal. He devised an arc of two metals with which contractions could be induced and in 1791 published his results, attributing the source of electricity to the animal tissue. The explanation was disputed by Volta, who correctly believed that the electricity originated in the metallic arc. The controversy focused attention on electricity in animals and stimulated research in electrotherapy and on electric currents. Many terms in electricity are derived from Galvani’s name.
Date: Thu Jun 24 00:01:39 EDT 1999
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--galvanize
galvanize (GAL-vuh-nyze) verb tr.
1. To stimulate or shock with an electric current.
2. To arouse to awareness or action; spur.
3. To coat (iron or steel) with rust-resistant zinc.
[After Luigi Galvani (1737-1798), Italian physiologist and physician who
asserted that animal tissues generate electricity. Although he was proved
wrong, his experiments stimulated research on electricity.]
As I remember reading about it, Galvani had dissected out
frog gastrocnemius muscles, and hung them on a metal frame so that both ends were touching the metal. The muscles contracted. He had no instrument capable of detecting the
very tiny current produced by electrolysis when two different metals are connected by a solution containing
ions. Here is encyclopedia article:
Galvani, Luigi
(l´j gälvä´n) (KEY) , 1737–98, Italian physician. He was professor of anatomy from 1775 at the Univ. of Bologna and was noted as a surgeon and for research in comparative anatomy. During experiments on muscle and nerve preparations of frogs, he noticed the contraction of a frog’s leg touched with charged metal. He devised an arc of two metals with which contractions could be induced and in 1791 published his results, attributing the source of electricity to the animal tissue. The explanation was disputed by Volta, who correctly believed that the electricity originated in the metallic arc. The controversy focused attention on electricity in animals and stimulated research in electrotherapy and on electric currents. Many terms in electricity are derived from Galvani’s name.