galvanism

Galvanism refers to the production or study of electrical current through chemical reactions in galvanic cells, and in historical usage to the investigation of biological electricity. The term is closely associated with Luigi Galvani, whose experiments in the 1780s showed that frog muscles could be made to contract when stimulated by an electric spark, suggesting the presence of “animal electricity” within living tissues and helping inaugurate the field of bioelectricity.

Galvani’s conclusions sparked intense debate. Alessandro Volta argued that the observed contractions were caused by contact between two different metals and the moist tissue, not by intrinsic animal electricity. He then devised the voltaic pile (the first battery) around 1799–1800, producing a steady direct current and illustrating a chemical source of electricity separate from the frog. This work helped shape the understanding of electrical phenomena in biology and chemistry.

In the 19th century, galvanism was widely used to describe the therapeutic use of direct current to stimulate nerves and muscles, relieve pain, and treat various ailments. Electrotherapy devices and practices, such as galvanic baths, reflected this medical application. Over time the term faded from clinical practice as methods evolved, though it remains in historical and technical contexts (for example, galvanic currents, galvanometer, galvanic cells).

Today, galvanism is primarily of historical interest in physiology and the history of electricity. Its legacy includes helping establish bioelectricity, and contributing to the development of electrochemistry and electrophysiology.