History of bioelectricity

In the 18th century, the abilities of the torpedo ray and the electric eel were investigated by scientists including Hugh Williamson and John Walsh.

[8] Also in 1775, the American physician and politician Hugh Williamson, who had studied with Hunter,[9] presented a paper "Experiments and observations on the Gymnotus Electricus, or electric eel" at the Royal Society.

"[10] The studies by Williamson, Walsh, and Hunter appear to have influenced the thinking of Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta – the founders of electrophysiology and electrochemistry.

[7][11] In 1800, Alexander von Humboldt joined a group of indigenous people who went fishing with horses, some thirty of which they chased into the water.

The electric eels, having given many shocks, "now require long rest and plenty of nourishment to replace the loss of galvanic power they have suffered", "swam timidly to the bank of the pond", and were easily caught using small harpoons on ropes.

For a span of four months, he measured the electrical impulses produced by the animal by pressing shaped copper paddles and saddles against the specimen.

The German zoologist Carl Sachs was sent to Latin America by the physiologist Emil du Bois-Reymond, to study the electric eel;[15] he took with him a galvanometer and electrodes to measure the fish's electric organ discharge, and used rubber gloves ("Kautschuck-Handschuhen") to enable him to catch the fish without being shocked, to the surprise of the local people.

In 1949, the Ukrainian-British zoologist Hans Lissmann noticed that the African knife fish (Gymnarchus niloticus) was able to swim backwards at the same speed and with the same dexterity around obstacles as when it swam forwards, avoiding collisions.