, 1870-04-17

EtN Physiological EHFcct-.A Theory
to Explain Them.

to Explain Them.
The New York lItxIicol Journal for llarch
bas RI interesting paper on the physiological
effects OF lightning, from which We gather the
following statement:
a thundert'olt Las been SEEM" sars Bssbe-
ret. to Frlit tree without evon blscken1ngit.
-Eilo it :stlnr..i 70 asl,co shepLs1l who hAl
taken refuge under ita branches.
:. Quo man alone wns killeu," says Able Rich
ard, land almoet reduced to dust. IN The nlbt
tree" title mos: curious AZ well
as the nost recent instance 10 the folloxing:
At vicsur- -.aisne. IN 1873, i thundctboft struck
Emc tree+ under which three soldiens hzd
taken shelter; they wero all killed 1t the same
instant: still, although, fte1ess, The three re-
reached, them, their clothing also appearing n.-
injured. Dat WHEN they wcra touched. MI fell,
su it is eaid. into heap Of Ashes.@
Coluune says: nThe FIRE Of cxhaIadon Which
fo11ns, the thuuacr5olt must be 30 subtle aud
Penetrating, that il kills 4 man by dz3ang up
least changing his hyure. We do not perceive
hin. dead until We touch him, and then We see
rcnM1s: 1T il demonstrated tha. lightning
reduces bones to asbes, bat neyes to the state
Of fusaou." 1zasn observed: y It Is proved
tinc, Able Mann 4eecrts. lightning reduces
to ashes all parts Of the human Lo1E, without
altering tho clothes or skin"
Besides the complete inciuer1tion Of per-
sons, or Of portions Of lone, aud Of t:es,
struck by lightning, We hAve also found that
Of some inorganic bodies, such as the follow
ing: ladE's bonnet; ! mans shoe., except
The wooden SOLE panes Of glass in wiaao'Fs !:
cloth covering shields which VIE fused; :
purre, the gold and silver Which il contsined
not being damaged; the scabbard Of sword :
large Lean reduced to dust in tie middle o1
chamber closed and fastened on al sides,
without any injury to the chamber: The differ
ming; the wood Of ! cask. etc.
General Contc de Maiatrc, son Of the Illus
triuuH authoF OF Soirrps d. Saint IettT stoury
Informs Dr.. Eoudin that cone Sar.l;hisn sait'
ors killed by hShtning in the Mediterranean
presented Ill the eikna OF death by freezing
This observation is the more reu1arksblt:,
ai.ds Il. Eaudin, a IS it recalls the cong latioE
of wine long ago noticed b5 the ancients. On
| = tpau struck Us lightning toward the lack o
the head, II til passage Of the at<oss, there
| cot:Id b. found neither fractuIe, nor assure
nor yet N alteration in any othcr paft oi tn
| skull. The brain was also veiy Bound, ther,
being alone It the superior part conSealet
! lv1nEh, which bad infltratcd into tho folds o.
| the ita mater. This Young mn, killed By ti'
| stroke, remained immoSi1e.
| The following theory Is proposed as an e1
| PLANTATION Of this CURIOUS fzet:
1 L
| eius. Thomson. and others lLare led phyEi4:iss
to regard heat as resulting from rosaE no
ton Of particles hhont 81 a1ist and IL de
Rive bAs considered this hypothesis ~ casu
Lated to explain tie polarity Of atoms III
knra5n then sskp, aft il might not be posstti
that the eause OF the leat generated BY. tn
| rcnnior ~ The two elect1citlcs, brought 2ooa
! under The fcln OF discharge Of current, II
be. not in the fact itsen Of this reunion. hut U
N increase Of molecular motion. ~hieh nigh
result from the transmission Of electricity :
Consequently, according to this theorS, cul
| rent or an electrical discharge d1ected upoa
body, must give rise to two moleculat motion
| in contrary directions, and in U
sequel to effect equally inverse !
the first ease, the current being e
1eeted in he same ,ray IS the polans
which produces the naturl hest Of tho boa
it is evident that it susgments sugm the totsE Hpao y
Of the particles around thei! axes, raises the
temperature, and produces N Proportion 70
: energy new thermo- mechanical effects ~
| result, therefore, will be the elevation OF Il
temperature Of the body t1versed b. the ca
rent Of electrical discharge. In TIE secos
| case, the current being, on the CONTRARY. N I
invcIRe direction from the polarity which ps
tuees the natural heat Of the body, it Is ii
evident thxt it dininishes the rotary motion
| tho particles around their axes, lowers Il
temperature, md produces, ii in the 6rst csa
| theImo-mechanieA effects proportional to !
power. Tbs result viii, therefore, Be 1owe:s
instead Of m elevation Of the teuparatnt
wlich lowering aay descend to the heezas
| point