The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-24
MAN AS A LIGHTNING ROD.
He Is n Conductor Between the Air
Above and the Earth Below.

London Lancet.
1t is possible, and even probable, that the
electrical conditions of the atmosphere have
an important bearing on bodily health. AS
evidence Of this may be instanced that
tendency to headache, irritability and gem
eral malaise experienced by many persons
just previous TO a thunderstorm. Among
the conditions that predsspose to sunstroke
in India there has been noticed that pecu-
of a horses tail repel each other, in which
the hairs OF the head stand on end, in
which a man exposed to its influence be-
comes irritable. headachy and restless
without knowing exactly what is the mat
ter with him. Various observers have re-
marked that a thunderstorm is often pre-
coded by an increased frequency of cases
of heat apoplexy. Whether this phenome-
non be strictly attributable TO electrical
condition. to the heat. to some alteration
causes, it is difficult to determine.
AS to the source of atmospheric cleo
tricity there are many hypotheses. but little
thunder cloud still awaits solutions; yet this
would seem only TO require a series OF we'll
ciently extensive scale. In the meantime.
Ii is safe to say that the electrification of
the air is in some way connected with the
presence of water. Whatever be the de-
termining cause, the air before a thunder
storm becomes charged with electricity,
and a charge of opposite sign Is induced
ence of pote al between the earth and the
air goes C. increasing. The body OF a man
standing on the earth's surface, and hav-
ing. therefore. the earth's potential. may be
regarded as n discharging point doing its
best to effect the restoration of electric
in its vicinity. This process will continue
until, either by a steady discharge or by
the descriptive discharge of the thunder
is effectually restored. The man has really
been suffering from an accelerated rate of
electrical discharge. Now, If his body be
regarded as a connection between earth and
air. it is to be remembered that the differ
ence of potential between the two latter,
and. therefore, between the head and feet
and extensive fluctuations.
A potential difference at one moment OF
one hundred volts or less may in a few
minutes rise to the same number of thou
sands. Experimenting in the isle Of Arran,
Lord Kelvin found the difference of poten-
tiaI between the earth E ri;.s and l. an insulated
vary from two hundred to four hundred
volts, and during breezes from the east
and northeast It went up to- 1900 volts"
minute after minute through so wide a
range as three or four to one, and not in
frequently rising to twenty times the ordi-
nary minimum. must have been due to
positive electrified masses of air within a
few hundred feet of the place of observa-
ton. waited along with the gentle winds
second. If. therefore. the body be SUBJ
jected to such variations of potential as oc-
cur in fine weather between the earth and
the electrified masses of air, OF which
Lord Kelvin speaks. much more formid-
able must be the conditions that exist be-
tween the earth and the heavily charged
thunder cloud. The animal body. accus-
toned as 1t has become to its
electrical environment. and little
sensitive to the sllghter fluctuations
of potential, may nevertheless be
seriously Influenced by the severer mani
festations Of the thunder storm. Questions
OF this kind raise some interesting points
IN connection with the therapeutic use OF
he so-called electrostaric bath. This con-
sisfs, as Is well known. OF the simple piac-
-ng of the insulated body In connection with
one or other pole OF the static machine
Not that under these conditions the cleo
tricity Is strictly static" or at rest; the
body OF the patient II traversed by q cur=
rent It very high potential. which com-
! Dletes IL circuit through the air. II Is