What is "galvanism"

Voltaism \Vol"ta*ism\, n. [Cf. F. volta["i]sme.] (Physics) That form of electricity which is developed by the chemical action between metals and different liquids; voltaic electricity; also, the science which treats of this form of electricity; -- called also galvanism, from Galvani, on account of his experiments showing the remarkable influence of this agent on animals.

"electricity produced by chemical action," 1797, from French galvanisme or Italian galvanismo, from Luigi Galvani (1737-1798), professor of anatomy at Bologna, who discovered it c.1792 while running currents through the legs of dead frogs.

n. 1 The chemical generation of electricity. 2 The therapeutic use of electricity.

1. n. electricity produced by chemical action

2. the therapeutic application of electricity to the body [syn: electric healing, electrical healing]

In biology, galvanism is the contraction of a muscle that is stimulated by an electric current. In physics and chemistry, it is the induction of electrical current from a chemical reaction, typically between two chemicals with differing electronegativities.