Carlo Matteucci and the legacy of Luigi Galvani

Abstract

Carlo Matteucci (1811-1868) is considered one of the founders of electrophysiology, thanks to his research on electric fish, nerve conduction, and muscular contraction. In this essay Matteucci’s early investigation into life processes is discussed in the context of the debates on Galvanism, a new scientific field inaugurated by the discovery of animal electricity made by Luigi Galvani in the 1790s. Matteucci rejected both a “physicalist” and a “vitalist” interpretation of the phenomena of Galvanism, adopting instead the same view which had guided Galvani in his research on animal electricity. In this regard, Matteucci can be considered the true scientific heir of Galvani.