Dodge City times., 1890-06-20
RIO Be Continued. |
ANIMAL LIFE SUSPENDED.
Curious Experiments with Frogs and the
Spawn OF Fishes.

Familiar instances of suspended
vitality. or rather latent. are afforded
by seeds, which may be kept for years
without showing action. but are yet
capable of being recalled to the exer-
else of the functions of life, saws La
Monde de Ia Science. Other instances
are afforded by the lower organisms,
which will remain dry and sterile fer
indefinite periods, to be brought into
full activity at any time by supplying
the due degree of moisture and warmth.
Coming up to the higher forms of life,
the same phenomena are usually mani
tested in insects, one of the normal
conditions of whose life-the nympha
or chrysalis state-is characterized by
the exhibition of the external appear.
ance of death. During this stage the
vital processes are tempered down till
only enough are in effect to maintain .
merely vegetable existence; yet the in
sect is capable of slight motions when
subjected to a shock or pressure. The
duration of this apparent death varies
according to the species and to ex-
ternal conditions. There are species
that require two years Of incubation
before ing gthrought heir metamorpho.
sis. Others pass to the perfect state in
a few days. Butterflies demand q Ger.
tain degree of heat. below which they
will not issue. The opening of tho
chrysalis takes place naturally when
these atmospheric conditions are real
ised. If the season is late the Matching
is also late. Hence we can prOlong
the duration of the chrysalis state in
definitely by properly adjusting the
temperature. DELAYING to that extent
the metamorphosis Of the imprisoned
mummy into the free and winged in
sect. Reaumur. by putting chrysalides
in an icc-box. was able to keep them
alive and retard their development
several years.
Going up higher in the animal series.
eggs. which are analogous to the seeds
of plants. present a remarkable ex-
ample of retarded life. One of the
most interesting features about them II
the independence of their vitality.
which persists even when the individ-
ual that has produced them, and with.
in whose organism they are still con-
tanned. 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 a mass of snow for two
years. They became dry, stiff. and al
most friable. but a 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 ma
terial. and of all sources of food.
resuscitated several years afterward.
This question presents one of the most
curious problems that biological science
has been called on to explain. Tho
longevity and vital resistance of toads
are surprising. Besides the expert
ments we have cited. nature sometimes
presents some already made, and vast
ly more astonishing. Toads are said
to have been found in rocks. SUCH
cases are rare. but it would be as un-
to doubt them Is to believe
in some of the miraculous explanations
that have been made of the matter
The phenomenon is marvellous. it is
true. but it is supported by evidence
that we are not able to contest; and
which is incompatible with
will have to disappear if rigor-
Gus observation shall confirm it. The
toad was observed in one case in the
stone itself and before, recovering from
its long lethargy. it had made any
motion. One Of these toads was pre-
sented to an academy, with the Stone
which had served it rs . coffin or habi-
tation, and it was ascertained that tho
cavity seemed to correspond exactly
with the dimensions and form of tho
animal. 1t is remarkable that these
toad-stones are very hard and not at
all porous. and show NO signs of fissure.
The mind. completely baffied in the
presence Of the fact. is equally en-
barrassed to explain how the toad could
live in its singular prison. and how is
became shut up there. N. Charles
Richet had occasion 10 study this
question some months ago. and came to
the conclusion that the fact was real.
that even If. in the actual
of science, certain phs-
nomena were still inexplicable. We
were not warranted in denying their
existence, for new discoveries might It
any time furnish an explanation Of
them. The true may sometimes not
be probable But science takes 80
of The truth, not - II lgo1
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