DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70267#0051
GEORGE FORSTER, FOR MURDER.
35
pushed his wife and child into the river. Forster was about
26 years of age, a coach-harness maker by trade, and of a
strong athletic make. A very uncommon circumstance is
said to have occurred to Forster, at the Chapel in Newgate,
previous to his receiving the sacrament, usual with con-
demned criminals; a sudden noise being then heard, which
could not be accounted for, the minister started, and look-
ing at the criminal, who was much agitated ; and, at the
same time, exclaiming — “ What can that be!” Forster
replied —’Tis my wife, and she has not left me a moment
since 1 murdered her.” Forster, it is observed, never ate any
food from the time of his condemnation till his execution.
And what renders the exit of this criminal infinitely more
interesting than it otherwise might have been, is the Gal-
vanic experiments which were performed upon his body,
and which were the first of the kind ever made in this
country. Leave, it seems, was granted for this purpose,
through the medium of Mr. White, Surgeon to his Majesty,
to Professor Aldini, an Italian gentleman, inheritor of this
science, from his uncle, Luigi Galvani, Professor of Ana-
tomy ; the particulars of which, with the outline of the his-
tory of the surprising art of Galvanism, are to be found in
the following pages.
Th e science of Galvanism, which may be called a
stronger degree of electricity, being new' to the greatest
part of the world, the curious will rejoice to hear, that,
from the recent experiments of Professor Aldini, upon
the body of Forster, above-mentioned, it is generally in-
ferred, that the process having such power to agitate the
muscles and even the limbs of the dead; applied to
the living, it is highly probable, that some stubborn dis-
orders in the human oeconomy, which have hitherto baffled
all other means, may yield to this new' discovery; and
thus, justly, enhance the importance of Galvanism.
f 2 From
35
pushed his wife and child into the river. Forster was about
26 years of age, a coach-harness maker by trade, and of a
strong athletic make. A very uncommon circumstance is
said to have occurred to Forster, at the Chapel in Newgate,
previous to his receiving the sacrament, usual with con-
demned criminals; a sudden noise being then heard, which
could not be accounted for, the minister started, and look-
ing at the criminal, who was much agitated ; and, at the
same time, exclaiming — “ What can that be!” Forster
replied —’Tis my wife, and she has not left me a moment
since 1 murdered her.” Forster, it is observed, never ate any
food from the time of his condemnation till his execution.
And what renders the exit of this criminal infinitely more
interesting than it otherwise might have been, is the Gal-
vanic experiments which were performed upon his body,
and which were the first of the kind ever made in this
country. Leave, it seems, was granted for this purpose,
through the medium of Mr. White, Surgeon to his Majesty,
to Professor Aldini, an Italian gentleman, inheritor of this
science, from his uncle, Luigi Galvani, Professor of Ana-
tomy ; the particulars of which, with the outline of the his-
tory of the surprising art of Galvanism, are to be found in
the following pages.
Th e science of Galvanism, which may be called a
stronger degree of electricity, being new' to the greatest
part of the world, the curious will rejoice to hear, that,
from the recent experiments of Professor Aldini, upon
the body of Forster, above-mentioned, it is generally in-
ferred, that the process having such power to agitate the
muscles and even the limbs of the dead; applied to
the living, it is highly probable, that some stubborn dis-
orders in the human oeconomy, which have hitherto baffled
all other means, may yield to this new' discovery; and
thus, justly, enhance the importance of Galvanism.
f 2 From