[f. prec. + BIOLOGY.]
1. The branch of electricity that deals with the electrical phenomena of living beings; = electro-physiology (see ELECTRO-).
1849. A. Smee (title), Elements of Electro-biology.
1881. in Nature, XXIV. 39/1. [The first number of L’Électricien contains] an interesting article on electrobiology.
2. The name given about 1845 to a form of ‘animal magnetism’ or hypnotism, in which unconsciousness was induced by causing the patient to gaze steadily at a small bright object.
Originally the object used was a disc of zinc and copper, the galvanic action of which was supposed to be concerned in producing the result; hence perhaps the name, which however was employed by some writers as a synonym for ‘animal magnetism’ in general, with reference to its imagined relation to vital electricity.
1850. W. Gregory, Anim. Magn., 74. All the phenomena of the conscious state in … electro biology … can be produced … by the older mesmeric or magnetic methods.
1874. Carpenter, Ment. Phys., II. xiv. (1879), 550. Who styled themselves ‘professors’ of a new art which they termed Electro-Biology.
Hence Electrobiological a. [see -ICAL], relating to electrobiology. Electrobiologist [see -IST], a practiser of electrobiology.
1849. Macaulay, Jrnl., 13 May. I fought a mesmeric and electro-biological battle.
1856. R. A. Vaughan, Mystics (ed. 4), II. 143. The real combat was one of spirit against spirit—wholly internal; what would now be called electro-biological.
1860. Jeaffreson, Bk. about Doctors, II. 38. Electro-biologists, spirit-rappers, and table-turners.
1862. Lytton, Str. Story, II. 220. This sage anticipated our modern electro-biologists.
