New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-04
DOGS KILLED BY ELECTRIC CURRENTS.
CONTINUANCE OF THE EXPERIMENTS AT CoLUM.

BIA-AN APPARENTLY EASY DEATH
Harold p. Brown last Monday addressed a meeting
composed OF electricians and representatives OF The
press who had assembled on his invitation to witness
certain experiments which were intended to provo that
the so-callcd alternating current sytem OF cleor.c
lighting involved greater danger TO life than the con-
tnuous current systems, which have heretofore been
more generally used. Tho torture Of single dog by
the continuous current until he was nearly dead, and
his final killing BY the alternating current was not
considered fair test by many OF the electricians
present while the introduction Of fresh animal was
prevented by tie Intervention OF tho superintendent
of the Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty 10
Animals.
Yesterday the experiments were removed under the
Immediate supervision of DIS Cyrus Edison and c.
Roberts and In the presence Of number OF scientific
gentlemen at the Physical Laboratory Of Columbia
College Among those present were Dr. Edson' OF the
Health Department. DR.. Charles Roberts. OF the Belle
vue Hospital Med cal College; Dr. Frank ingram,
brain specialist, attended upon the invitation OF Dr.
SCHUYLER s. Wheeler expert Of the Board Of Electrical
Control, who was also present; Captain zaunski, u
S A.: John Murray Mitchell, counsel Of the Daft
Electric l. ght Company IL J. F. Porter superintend-
ent OF the Columbia College buildings; Dr. Laud as
sisant instructor IN applied chemistry, Columbia
College: Dr. Frederck Peterson, Professor Z. H. L.
Colby and II. II. IIaubbald, assistant to Dr. Roberts
The first dog placed in the cage was mongrel
strong and apparently IN EOOu COlutOH NC4bHb siA'J~
one pounds he lgh twenty-four inches, length forty
two inches. Electrical resistance ID 600 ohms. Tho
electrical connections were made In the same manner
rs in the previous experiments; the right iorcleg ana
the left hndleg being wrapped W tn wet cotton waste
bound on with bare copper wire to which the con-
ductors were attached. The alternating current APP
Piled Rad an ccctromotvo force OF 272 volts and was
continued FOR five seconds. The animal was silent and
mouoncss during the application, but gave several
gasps thiry-One seconds after the first application
Of the current. At the expiration OF 80 seconds the
heart ceased beating The body was dissectcd by
Dr. Roberts, and tho scaiic and pneumogast1c nerves,
muscles Of the diaphragm and parts OF the lung were
placed under tho microscope, but no changes n the
tissue were pcrceptble
The second dog submitted TO the action OF the
current was a Newfoundland, strong and vigorous;
weight nnety-one pounds, height twenty-five inches,
length forty-eght inches. Electrical resistance 5000
ohms. The alternating current applied had an
eectromotve force OF $40 volts, and the connection
was continued for five seconds The subject was
silent and moonlcss during the contact; but hOwed
and gasped for ten seconds after the current was
discontinued, bong, however, unconscious according
10 tho statement of the examining physician. His
heart stopped beating At the expiration OF two
minutes and fifty seconds.
No arrangements had been made FOR measuring tho
volume Of current in ampers which Is matter OF
scientific interest TO electricians. From these cx-
perimcnts 1t appears conclusive that the alternating
current may be considered fatal to animal life at
pressure of about 800 VOLTS provided the best possible
connections made with the body. Win liile
higher pressure than IS absolutely necessary for fatal
results the dog dies without any pain whatever
There may be muscular motion after the shock, but
this Is only the " reflex action Of the MUSCLES and
Is unaccOmpanicd 10y pain The fibre Of the nerves
scovered under The microscope to be absolutely
unchanged. a standard Volunteer used for
measuring the electrOmOvc force OF the current and
WhcatsOne bridge and galVanOmetcr for measuring the
ressiahce. Mr. Harold L. Brown was assisted by Dr.
Schuyler $. Wheeler In mailing the readings, and
there can DO no doubt ~ their accuracy IL any ec-
mcnt Of uncertainty could pOss bly, creep I'm II would
BE- I'm the celebration OF the vOltmcer, but In this,
in every thing else, every precaIOn taken.