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Unpublished paper, 'An experimental inquiry undertaken with the view of ascertaining whether any force is evolved during muscular contraction analogous to the force evolved in the fish, gymnotus and torpedo [ray]' by Henry Foster Baxter

Reference number: AP/36/2

Date: 1855

Description

Baxter provides an overview of experiments involving frogs and galvanometers. He observes that during muscular contraction in man and in frogs, an effect may be produced upon the galvanometer, indicating the manifestation of an electric current. He suggests that this electric current is largely due to secondary reactions such as reactions between the animal secretions and the solutions, and between the solutions and the surfaces of the platinum electrodes of the galvanometer. However, Baxter believes that this electric current is not solely produced by secondary reactions.

Subject: Biology

Received 17 April 1855. Communicated by Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 7 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'An experimental Inquiry undertaken with the view of ascertaining whether any force is evolved during muscular contraction analogous to the force evolved in the fish, gymnotus, and torpedo'.

Reference number
AP/36/2
Earliest possible date
1855
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
25 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

Henry Foster Baxter

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Citation

Henry Foster Baxter, Unpublished paper, 'An experimental inquiry undertaken with the view of ascertaining whether any force is evolved during muscular contraction analogous to the force evolved in the fish, gymnotus and torpedo [ray]' by Henry Foster Baxter, 1855, AP/36/2, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_36_2/unpublished-paper-an-experimental-inquiry-undertaken-with-the-view-of-ascertaining-whether-any-force-is-evolved-during-muscular-contraction-analogous-to-the-force-evolved-in-the-fish-gymnotus-and-torpedo-ray-by-henry-foster-baxter, accessed on 13 September 2026

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  • Archived Papers

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

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