The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-05-20
TO BLEACH THE NEGROES SKIN.

TO BLEACH THE NEGRo's SKIN.
Electricity an a Means Of Turning
the Black Man White.
Can the Ethiopian change his sllin2
Yes. It only remains to be ascertained
just how to apply the current of cleo
tricity. Prof. Lucien Blake, of the
chair of electro-chemistry of the Kan
sas university, said in a recent lecture
that the negro owes his color to car
hon pigment in the tissues of the skin.
IF current of electricity be sent
through the tissues of the body that
contain moisture" continued the pro-
fessor, "as all tissues of the body do,
the tendency of the current is to de-
compose and transport certain of the
clements that make up those tissues
and liquids. Gold AMI silver and all
the metals are deposited out of their
solution by currents of electricity in
this way in the arts. If it can be found
that a current of electricity will thus
transport carbon out OF it's pigment
layer, as, found in the negro, then this
pigment will lose it's black Color
| Whether this carbon can thus be re-
| moved will have 10 be made the subject
of experiments. Prof. blake was asked
how he would go about making an
experiment of this kind, but he refused
to give the informa ton, saying he does
not care to earn the reputation of being
sensationalist. He docs not doubt that
the result could be accomplished.
'There is process in common use in
dentistry" he said, 'sknown as cat
aphoresis,' by which substances are car
ried bodily by current of electricity.
For instance, cocaine is transported
along a nerve of the tooth, with the re-
suit that the nerve is made temporarily
insensible to pain. Now, if by this
process of cataphoresis, some substance
could be conveyed beneath the negro's
epidermis to act upon the pigment, dis
| solve and remove it, the desired result
| would be accomplished.
Another way might be to place the
candidate for a white skin in a common
| water bath, insert one pole Of the bat
terry in the water, and place the other
upon the negro's body. A mild current
of electricity would then diffuse itself
equally over the subjects body. But
the point of making it remove the car
bon without destroying the tissue would
have to be determined by careful ex-
pertinent.
*'You would be surprised,'' said Prof.
Blake, "to know how many letters l
have received from colored people late
ly. You will remember that in the
course of a recent lecture in Kansas,
City said that believed that by thea APP
plication of an electric current the pig
ment which gives to the negro his black
skin could be decomposed and that the
skin would become white. think that
[ must have had so letters since then
from negroes who would like to change
COLOR
"Are the letters from men or wonn-
en?"
SWELL, principally, think, from men,
but l have had several from women
what is the general tenor of the let
ters?"
GAIL of the writer's express great de-
sire to be white, but they are particular
to say that they do not want to be
physically injured by the process. One
girl wrote very funny letter. She
| said that she would be perfectly will
ing to have me experiment upon her,
if [ would guarantee not to spoil her
beauty. Not being conversant with
the lady's particular style of beauty.
[ am unable to say whether or not it
would be damaged by the operation"
Are the letters all signed?"
"The greater part of them are, but
some are anonymous. Many of the
productions are humorous in the en-
IRENE. but there is no doubt of the
earnestness of the writer's. They have
a consuming desire to be covered witt,
Caucasian skin.'
''Elave you accepted the offer of any
of the applicants who are willing to be-
come the subjects of the experiment."
''Not yet. But hope to begin some
experiments when I shall have COM
pleted my lectures here. You under
stand that I do not state positively that
this thing can be successfully and
harmlessly done. While believe that
the color can be removed, the process
might have some undesirable effect On
some of the other tissues of the body.
That is a thing which should have to
investigate more fully before I should
be willing to enter on an, experiment"
''Would you experiment upon the en-
tire body at once?"
:'No. I should start on one member
an arm, for instance. could soon
determine whether or not there would
be any ill effect from the process, and
the subject would be perfectly safe.
If the plan worked well, I could then
take up the rest of the body."-Pitts-s
burgh Dispatch.
Praying Bicycles for Buddhists.
70 so great an extent have the Jap
anese adopted European methods and
models that an enterprising Buddhist
has adapted the bicycle to serve the
of no, - 1>xr