Galvanism
The inspiration for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is said to have originated from the cutting-edge science of its day: galvanism, named after scientist Luigi Galvani who declared electricity to be the force that brought life to all. As an anatomy professor, Galvani was performing his own Frankenstein experiments on frogs. He discovered that applying electricity to the frog’s body caused its muscles to twitch.
This gave way to an explosion of macabre experiments on electrified bull and pig heads. Such experiments were attended to by the public, equally as fascinated by the power of electricity as the scientists performing them. Ox and boar heads would be laid upon tables and their brains, tongues, and eyelids were connected to the electrical equipment. Scientists would activate the machinery, creating a grotesque testament to the powers of electricity. Tongues would wag back and forth. The muscles of the animal’s faces would twitch and contort. Eyelids would open and shut. It was the scientific equivalent of a sideshow.
By 1805, Christian August Struwe put forward the concept of using electrical wires attached to the lips and eyelids to check for signs of life in human bodies. The electricity would cause muscle contractions, and if the body twitched after applying the electrical charge they were deemed alive. It is not hard to see why Mary Shelley found galvanism to be a compelling subject for a horror novel. Any spectator witnessing the reanimating powers of the electrical charge was sure to be in awe.
Despite its foolproof and entertaining reputation, galvanism death tests did not become popularized. The machinery to conduct such tests proved to be too expensive. Even less appealing was the consequence of burning flesh due to the high temperature of the electricity. These factors were considered major drawbacks that halted its success.