Electricity. electricity, especially as produced by chemical action.
2.
Medicine/Medical. the therapeutic application of electricity to the body.
Origin
1790-1800; < Frenchgalvanisme, named after Luigi Galvani; see -ism
Examples from the web for galvanism
Among these is a keen interest in the advances which have been made of late iv galvanism, electricity and magnetism.
In galvanism, our countrymen have made many important discoveries.
British Dictionary definitions for galvanism
galvanism
/ˈɡælvəˌnɪzəm/
noun
1.
(obsolete) electricity, esp when produced by chemical means as in a cell or battery
2.
(med) treatment involving the application of electric currents to tissues
Word Origin
C18: via French from Italian galvanismo, after Luigi Galvani
Word Origin and History for galvanism
n.
"electricity produced by chemical action," 1797, from French galvanisme or Italian galvanismo, from Italian physicist Luigi Galvani (1737-1798) who discovered it c.1792 while running currents through the legs of dead frogs.