The sun., 1888-08-04
ELECTRIC DEATH FOR DOGS.
THREE VICTIMS OF THE DEADLY Al
TERNA7ING CURREN7.

Five Second, of n Current Of Ordinary
strenath Kills tbe stronret Brute-
Death as Painiess ns tt WA. Sudden.
The public demonstration Of the fatal
effects Of the alternating electric current.
which was 80 abruptly stopped on Monday last
by Superintendent Hankinson of the Society
for the Prevention Of Cruelty TO Animals, was
resumed yesterday under direction OF DR.. Cyrus
Edison OF the Board Of Health and DR.. c. +.
Roberts, vivsectionst OF Bellevue Hospital.
who hold licenses to practice vivisections. None
OF the mon interested in or retained by the
Westinghouse combination asinvited to be
present Among those who we're present were
Lieut. Zalinski. DR.. Schuyler, &. Wheeler, en-
gineer OF the Board OF Electrical Control; DR..
L. II. Laudy Of Columbia College, DR.. Frank
II. lngraham, who acted as assistant to DIR.
Roberts; DR.. II. II. Haubald DR.. Frederick PEI
terson, John NJ. Mitchell. counsel OF the Daft
Electric Motor Company; Prof O. L. Colby, and
few other scientific men. The continuous
current is one that flows constantly from posi-
tive to negative, or the reverse. The alternating
current gives an impulse first in one direction
and then in the opposite. and those alterna-
tions are. for an incandescent light system. as
rapid as 2ss per second. The positive current
diminishes the irritability OF the nerves, while
seldom that any other than the continuous cur
rent is used In medical treatment. though
sometimes the alternating is employed for spe-
cac effects The continuous current repre-
sents great tension upon muscle or nerve.
while the alternating current, Its opponents
say. represents the rapidly changing conditions
OF intense tension and terrific pressure. The
alternating current for certain systems OF in
candescent lighting saves about $1,000 per
mile in the cost OF copper conductors. There
are no alternating currents employed as yet in
to Introduces them. The Edison Electric Light
Company bought the right to use the system,
but Nj Gdson VIII empSy IT.
demonstration was q big, black, short-ha
mongrel, strong and in good condition. weigh
and ~ inches long. His resistance proved to
be IA, 600 ohms. He viewed with manifest sus-
Ps1n n MS snrr0andings, ana ala nis pest h IN
self sell T in somebody's good viii When % any on" one
spoke kindly to him his eyes frightened, his
the wires Aao o the Rs s' s RoSo
erts ts held the watch to marx time for the appl-
Sro%n Tho switch essr Dr. %hsssr
watched the readings OF the instruments mark
ing the voltage and the natural, resistance of
was thrown over. - stopl" he cried in iust ilyee
s faa san h sp Ssn sa s o 9n 2s
turned on i caught the brute standing up and
hS bs nose 9Hs T
him instantaneously. His legs were thrust out
straight. his eyes wide open. with the pupils
When was cut he snnk
falling merely by his own weight as his tense
muscles relaxed For thirty seconds there was
gasplng respirations. and no more. In ninety
seconds from the cessation OF the current his
The dead animal Was then snbiectsd to a
post mortem examination. DR.. Ingraham sub
reported that there had not been the
him. He % Believed that the f fatal force Of the
electric current had been exerted on the cen;
been chem ica and not through any alteration
OF the atomic conditions.
The second dog was sturdy big Newfound::
"a inches high at the shoulders. He. seemed a
s5ttHpd Fly brute and had biz sore place on his
self sell % up across the - cage age in such POSITION that
he could not move OF make any demonstration.
even had he otherwise been able to do SO.
was ascertained to be 5000 ohms When DR..
Roberts switched on the current the beast was
stone When eut o T. Just Se
heaves and punges without rising TO his feet
bad dream head lay HAITI st upon S' the ef dor @
ee ee he
short and gaspi6e. The heart fept up Its nc.
ss 81 .sfsn soH So was
The third dog produced was a big black beast
with very fine long hair supposed to be mix;
So pounds. and messured, ~, inches in length,
"a inches IN height. 1t had bright. intelli-
and n W5sn hs
was put in the cage he affected to look upon it
as some sort OF a Joke, not one that he under
the people about him n looked friendly. ' Cold
saey 0Tnd @ out as that his natnral nt re-
experiments had demonstrated. % seemed cd to a,; be-
a great shield against the electric current. The
connections, Tere made to his, right fore leg
as possible the conditions Of u human being
taking hold Of an electric wire But his hair
was thick and close wrapping, OF cotton. under
the copper wire that connected him with the
They started this dog on 22O volts, and gave
L to him for five seconds, He was paralyzed.
Ike the other dogs. when the current was on.
and seemed to endure great agony. Aiter
thirty seconds he was perfectly conscious, at
forty flve seconds he had full. hearty respira-
seconds though he WAS still breathing heavily.
be eS seemed quite recovered. Ais eye % was as
seemed d In a a % normal condition After four u
minutes they arranged the apparatus to give
him 234 volts. and. to treat him as q man would
CO." said prs sfSS Roberts and Dr. Edison twltched
the switch lever The dog stood as If par
alyzed. At the end OF eight seconds he seemed
to relax somewhat. In fifteen seconds he lay
the thirty seconds were expired the dog lay
motionless. Still he breatbed--soit gasplng.
and low once In three seconds Thirty four
seconds after tho current was shut. or the
aspirations ceased. The hcart continued to
beat until two minutes four seconds after the
cessation of the current l, was the opinion OF
he doctors that In this. as in each OF the other
'ases, there had been absolutely no conscious
less OF pain.
Tho Tennis Tournament.