P.S. You say that in Russian and Ukrainian it can mean "To make futile efforts to revive, to resurrect something dead." It doesn't mean that in English, but from my notes on the background, you can see how it could mean that in another language. The frogs' legs were dead, but when Galvani applied electricity, they moved--it seemed to be bringing the frogs' legs to life, but, of course, it was not.