The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-18


cine, and the other a man of 80,
who for two years had been suf-
ferlng from shaking paralysis, but who
aside from this nervous affection, was in
fair health. The diet was regulated in
amount and variety for a week before
suhjecting them to the magnetic action
in each case, and an estimate OF the
waste was made daily. Then for a weeks
time without change of diet or manner
of living in any other respect, each of the
three subjects was placed in the solenoid,
comfortably outstretched on a platform.
and kept there for two hours each day.
their bodies pervaded by an alternating
current of the average strength above
mentioned.
In each case there was a daily in
crease OF about ten per cent, In the
amount Of waste eliminated during the
time the subject was in the magnetic
field, No other effects could be detected
by this method of observation. There
was no apparent change In the depth or
frequency of respiration nor in the
strength or frequency of the pulse or ar
terlal tension; though, had more dellcata
or such method OF testing for such chang
es than the unaided eye and touch been
employed, 1t Is possible that some differ
ence in these functions would have been
observed.
The subjects were conscious OF no
change In sensation, except that the
that the period spent within the coil had
a soothing and queting effect upon him
ana that the violence of his muscular tre-
NOR was also much reduced for several
hours after each exposure Sometimes
Prof Herdman used a couch of his own
deVising instead of the solenoid. Whoever
reclines upon this couch is inclosed in u
perfect magnetic field produced by mag
nets Nervous persons who lie upon II al
most invariably become drowsy at once
and soon fall asleep
Growth Accelerated.
Prof Herdman's experiments upon small
animals have been more extended than
upon men. As soon as they were old
enough to bear separation from their
mothers. a lot of guinea pigs or rabbits
was divided into two groups as nearly
alike in age and weight as possible, and
were carefully weighed Each group was
subjected TO conditions in all respects
similar, except that from 8 oclocl1
each evening TIL midnight one group
was placed in a. cage made of No 10 un-
derwriters' wire, through which five
ampere current with 2iS alterations
second was passed, while the other bunch
was placed in an exactly similar coil not
connected with the current circuit. This
plan was pursued with each pair OF
groups selected until they had reached
their full growth, or from six to twelve
weeks, according to the age OF the ant
mails at the beginning of the exper ment.
"Without exception" says Prof. Herd
man. "the animals immersed in the al
ternating current began to outstrip The
others in weight at the end of the first
week and a gain of from Is to "a per cent,
In favor of the animals within the mag
netic field was apparent each succeeding
week, until they neared the period Of full
development when the weekly gain be-
came perceptibly less.
During the two years ten separate
groups of animals have been experiment.
ed upon, either in the field or ass controis'
each group containing from three to fives
animals, and uniformly those placed III
the magnetic field gave evidence for tho
first few weeks Of accelerated nutritiVe
action. In the case OF two groups, when
the experiment was continued beyond
eight weeks the curve of increase shown
by the magnetized animals, which until
then ran 20 per cent higher than that or
the other group, gradually declined. az
the end of the twelfth week their weight
had fallen a little below that OF the other
group.
itor who has charge of those animals ana
who is a shrewed observer, but without
knowledge as to the purpose of the exper-
iment, called my attention to the faet
that those placed within the magnellc
field spent much more time In sleep our
ing the daytime, that Is, when the cur
proup but in no other respect, except IN
weight. did he or / notice any difference
in their appearance or conduct.
"As far as these experiments go they
appear to show that alternating magnetic
stress is in some way related to quick
ened metabolsm OF tissue; that the mag
netic energy goes through some sort or
Transformation and reappears as pnysioi-
ogical energy. Growth can undoubtedly
be accelerated by the use OF electrnlty.
but il must be admitted that the growth
thus obtained is unhealthy, and Ia the end
Is disadvantageous to man or animal
Such diseases, however, as rheumatism
govt and constitutional disorders produc-
ed by defective eXcretions VIII In ume De
treated successfully by methods similar
10 these employed in the experiments de-
scribed. that is by enclosing the patient
for a short period each day until improve
ment is effected in an electro-magneuo
field. j. OhVler Oui