Henry Wentworth Acland to Faraday   22 October 1850

Oxford Oct 22, 1850

My dear Professor Faraday,

I am greatly obliged to you for your kind answer to my vague Question¹. I feared you would say that nothing is to be done in this matter without great labour & costly instruments. I have learned accidentally what I did not know that there is a large & valuable work of M. Dubois Raymont (?) on the Electric currents of Animals². I must try to become acquainted with this.

Your account of the discovery of the magnetic properties of oxygen is deeply interesting, and I will not say throws light upon the electrical properties of animal life, but adds a marvellous & mysterious character to them. The oxygen which we supposed to play an ordinary chemical part, in the changes of textures, and primarily thro’ the blood, is then also the great feeder of the nervous system, mediately thro the blood. At least so it seems to shadow itself forth if it itself bears high magnetic properties with it into the system. However I am out of my depth. But I am very grateful to you for your kind forbearance.

I am My dear Professor Faraday | your faithful & obliged servant | Henry W. Acland