The second year of this grant research will continue on the history of neurophysiology with special emphasis on the development of empirical methods to test hypotheses as these grew in the 17th century leading into the 18th. The eighteenth century is perhaps, for the history of neurophysiology, the era of most explosive development and the following specific research is proposed. In addition to further development of studies already begun, there are library collections with which the applicant has been in touch and seeks to consult further. One example is the library of the Academie des Sciences in Paris. In preliminary search by the applicant in the library (courtesy of Mme Gauja), material on Nollet has been located there and also at the Musee De Carnavalet and unpublished manuscripts located in the Bibliotheque Nationale (courtesy of M. Peirot). Further documentation of electrical apparatus has been located in the Rijksmuseum voor de Geschiednis der Natuurwetenschappen, Leiden (Prof. Dr. Luyendijk who has already been approached), the Science Museum, London (contact: J.M. Pugh) the Hunterian Museum in London (Miss Jessie Dobson, Curator) and the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments at Harvard. For documents from the 17th and 18th century the most important to the theme of this work are some unpublished notebooks of Galvani in the Archives of the University of Bologna (already partially studied). Unpublished documents of Abraham Bennet, the designer of the gold leaf electroscope have been located (but not yet studied) in the Derby Public Library, England.
