The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-01-25
VITALITY OF ANIMALS.
Under Certain Conditions 1t Can BE S
pended for n Long Time.


pended for n Long Time.
| Familiar instances of suspended vital
ity, or rather latent vitality, are af-
forded by seeds, which may be kept for
years without showing action, but arc
yet capable of being recalled to the ex-
ercise of the functions of life. Other in
stances are afforded by the lower organ
isms. which will remain dry and sterile
for indefinite periods, to be brought into
full activity at any time by supplying
the due degree of moisture and warmth.
Coming up to higher forms of life, the
same phenomena are usually manifested
in insects, one of the normal conditions
of whose life--the nymphd or ch'gsaas
state-is characterized by the exhibition
of the external appearance of death.
During this stage the vital processes are
tempered down till only enough are in
effect to maintain a merely vegetative
existence; yet the insect is capable OF
slight motions when subjected to shock
or pressure. The duration of this ap'
parent death varies according to the
species and to external conditions
There are species that require two years
of incubation before going through theiI
metamorphosis. Others pass to the per
feet state in few days. Butterflies dc.
mand certain degree of heat, below
which they will not issue. The opening
of the chrysalis takes place naturally
when these atmospheric conditions arc
realized. If the season is late, the
Matching is also late. Hence we can
prolong the duration of the chrysalis
yt, ta G,,t to1, Inv nj, in T.
ing the temperature, delaying to that
extent the mctamorphosis of the i'm
prisoned mummy into the free and
winged insect. Reaumur, by putting
chrvsalides in an ice-box, was able to
keep them alive and retard their devel-
opment several years Going higher up
in the animal series-eggs, which arc
analogous to the seeds of plants, present
a remarkable example of retarded life.
One of the most interesting features
about them is the independence of their
vitality, which persists even when the
individual that has produced them and
within whose organism they are still
contained, has ceased to live. This fact
has been recognized in pisciculture,
where artificial formulation has been
successful with eggs taken from dead
fish. The persistence of life in frogs is
very long. Spallanzani preserved some
frogs in mass of snow for two years.
They became dry, stiff, and almost fria-
BILE, but gradual heat brought them
back to life. Toads have been shut up
in blocks of plaster, and then, having
been deprived of all air except what
may penetrate through the material,
and of all sources of food, resuscitated
several years afterward. This question
presents one of the most curious prob
lens that biological science has been
called on toexplain. The longevity an
vital resistance of toads are surprising.
Besides the experiments we have cited.
nature sometimes presents some already
made, and vastly more astonishing.
Toads are said to have been found in
rocks. Such cases are rare, hut 1T
would be as unreasonable to doubt
them as to believe in somo of the
miraculous explanations that have been
made of the matter The phenomenon
is marvellous, it is true, but it is sup
ported by evidence that we are not able
to contests and skepticism, which is in
compatible with science, will have to
disappear If rigorous observation shall
confirm it. The toad was observed, in
one case, in the stone itself, and before
recovering from its long lethargy it had
not made any motion. One of these toads
was presented to an academy, with the
stone which had served it as a coffin or
habitation, and it was ascertained that
the cavity seemed to correspond exactly
with the dimensions and form of the an
imal. 1t is remarkable that these toad
stones are very hard and not at all por-
Gus, and show no signs of fissure. The
mind, completely baffied in the presence
of the fact is equally embarrassed to
explain how the toad could live in its
singular prison and how it became shut
up there. NJ Charles Richet had occa-
sion to study this question some months
ago, and camo to the conclusion that the
fact was real, observing that even if, in
the actual condition of science, certain
phenomena were still inexplicable. we
were not warranted in denying their ex-
istence, for new discoveries might at any
time furnish an explanation Of them.
'The true may sometimes not be proba-
ble." But science talScs accounting of
tho truth, not OF the probability
Translated for Popular Science Monthly
from La Monde do IA Science ct de i
lndustrie.