New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-24


FLIES MOTHS. CHICKENS. FISH AND FROGS
From The London Post
Great interest as well as curiosity has been
reused In scientific and lay circles throughout
the United States by some experiments in what
may be termed the "grafting'' Of Insects recently
conducted by Professor Champion, Of Columbia
University, New-York. without going SO
far as to say that the experiment Of Professor
Champion makes 1t at all probable that the
process OF grating will ever be made applicable
to more highly developed creatures than grubs
caterpillars and their winged relatives, there APP
pears in the mere fact OF the successful graft
ing Of these lower types promise enough to
warrant an investigation OF the amazing physo-
logical phenomena which have rendered TIE
operation possible
1t is no detraction that the American pro-
fcssor's experiments not altogether new.
So far indeed. as the artificial production of in
sect monstrosities is concerned, the idea Is much
older than many are aware. More than two
hundred years ago the German Psychologist
Schwammerdam. having studied the metamor-
phOSeS or grubS and caterplllarS. noticed now
often both the wings and the antenn9 Of butter
flies were deformed when emerging from the
chrysas condition, and thinking that these abb
normal results might be due to external causes
he determined to test the matter by subjecting
the insects to certain experiences during the
period Of change. SO successful was ne tnat IN
nearly every he contr!ved by artificial
means to produce the defects he had observed
in the emerging butterflies. 1t is unfortunate
for those interested in such experiments that
facture his insect oddities were not recorded
fully in the "Memoires' published by the great
Dutch physician Boerhave hence they are lost
to science.
But the suppression was probably due to the
German psychologist himself. for he was when
young intensely religious man-regious In
the understood in Medieval days. He
strongly held the opinion that all monstrosties
in animal life were due to mans primal error,
and therefore did not care to stultify himself to
n certain extent by showing that these freaks
could within certain limits, be produced arti
fcially. and thus provide his antagonists with a
powerful weapon against what was then deemed
religion
But the experiments Of NJ. Anne Barthelemy,
Of the LycGc at Pau are well known to all stu.
dents Of that singular branch Of physiology
known as teratolOgy and there is no doubt that
the example he first set inspired the transatlan-
tic professor of Columbia College. II is true that
NJ. Barthclemy did not do anything in the way
Of grating or attempting TO graft the creatures
on whose bodies he made his Investigations But
that because he succeeded In obtaining in
sect freaks by simpler means which helped t.
explain the manner in which the deformitie:
narily caused. His experiments were made
principally with the grub Of the Bombyx mort.
presumably the ordinary deaths head moth
BY Slight compression carefully applied In GER
tain parts during the continuance Of the meta
morphic progress NJ Barthtlemy succeeded In
obtaining monstrosites with no heads, hunch-
backs and reverted antennR. Some he secured
with enormous heads. and others consisting
only Of abdomen and legs. with neither head nor
tail He gave some insects double spnes caused
others t. develop an enormous abdomen. while
In yet other Instances he suppressed the growth
OF nccdful organs altogether without strange
to say. otherwise affecting the creatures. He
reduced the eyes to the size Of pins heads. and
at will deprived them Of the organs OF sight
entirely.
other Frenchmen. and Germans. too have
since the date OF NJ. BartLelemy's Investigations.
about thirty years ago. taken up the expert
mcnts. and the result. it may be worth pointing
out to English readers. demonstrates the sound.
ness Of the views regarding the development Of
such lower forms of animal life as the catorpil-
lar and grub which were first set forth by our
distinguished cOuntryman Harvey. who. II may
be remembered. considered the chrys "a
physioloeical!y identical with an egg
In u wider field Of experimental Investigation
the artificial production of bird and fowl mon
strostics has been the subject also OF expert
ments eyer since the beginning OF the present
century. GeOffrOy st. liilaire. one Of the grra'
predecessors Of Darwin. began-to use the words
Of the French writer-"provoqucr In formation
dcs monstres'' in the year $50 These as Well
as most succeeding experiments of the Kind.
have been tried with embryonic forms OF ovipa-
rous animals the eggs OF birds. and more par
ticulariy with the eggs of fowls every fact and
detail Of the normal development Of the ovum
being 80 well understood NJ. Darestc. French
physician is the man who has carried out the
most exhaustive series of Investigations made in
the last few years
The cggs used for the production or abnor-
mally formed fowls by men OF science have
been subjected to all conditions of treatment
during the process of Matching placed vertically
upright alternately on end. sideways. and COW
cred With wax In parts and wholly They nave
been placed in varying degrees OF heat ana
cold. changed rapidly from the extreme or one
To an extreme of the other and unequaliy
warmed They have been subject ID 10 tapping.
To gentle shock 10 inciSiOn and excelsior OF parts.
and to electrical currents and the result has
been the production of malformed pirds ana
=, rch.lf