The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-18
ELECTRICITY AND LIFE.
EIPER IMEyTS or PROF. MERIDIAN
or MICHIGIN UNIyERSTTf.
Eject OF the Magnetic Field on the Growth
of Human beings and Misunderstanding
lniuenc" own-D Development Acce'-
Grated - Prof. H.rdnnn's Conclusions.

LHef OF the MAgnetlr rlrtu on ~ eEVWth
of Human Beings and Misunderstanding
Innu.nc. Development Accei-
Grated 80 Prof. Herdnnn's Conclusions.
ANN ARBoR, Mich, Feb H-"liiam D.
lleriman, NJ. ID. professor Of electro therapeutics
mental disorders and diseases OF the nervous
system at the University Of Michigan, Is Just
completing u series Of experiments, undertaken
10 determine whether electricity can be so applied
aS 10 hasten The de, elopment Of young and grow
ing animals The experiments were begun
two years ago and the subjects have include.
human beings, as well as lower forms OF animal
life. The results, Prof ilerdman says, show
coucluively that animal growth may be acceler-
aled greatly by the current
Whenever n current Of electricity t~raverses
an animal body, 90 says Prof Herdman, the mag
netic field resulting from the current and surround
ing its path must disturb in some manner tho
molecular physical and atomic chemical &C
tiNiues that are going on in the tissues aud hulds
through wuich the current Of electricity passea
Almost everything now known about electro
! magnetism seems 10 imply that n magnetic field,
whether produced by a permanent magne, or by
a current, reacts in some manner upon all kinds
OF matter within the field. and in such a manner
a. u rotate in some degree every molecuIe, NJ a.
10 make IL assume a different ~s~ition from what
il would assume II not thus acted upon. We have
ound that the mos, noticeably phySologicni
response 10 an electric current obtained from living
animals is that resulting from sudden and wide
differences In the intensity Of the current Hav-
ing learned this, We have placed he human sub
jects Of our experiments In a magnetic field occar
stoned by an alternating current This produces
no chemical changes in the body, but merely
accen,uates normal chemical action"
pr,g Ilo,Inap Inns uSed "a solepnl1 or lnllou
magnet about three feet in diameter, II is wound
with No 10 Underwriters wire A current
strength u Ave amperes is employed and the
dynamo Produces PAS alterations a second, 40
;hat whatever occupies the space inclosed by
the solenoid is subjected to extremely rapid 70
versals of magnetic stress.
The experiments on human beings" saws
Prof llerdman, were made with n view Of deter
mining the influence Of this magnetic field on the
metabolism OF tissue as determined by the duan
tity II waste matter Metabolism IS the tech.
niCal term Tor the act or process by which. on the
one hand, the dead food is built up into living
matter, and by which. on the other, the living
matter is broken down into simpler products with
in a cell or organism"
Three subjects We're chosen" says the pro
fesSor Two of them were healthy young men,
students Of medicine, and the other a man Of -,
who for two wears had been suffering from shaking
paralysis, but vino, aside from this nervous afiec-
uon, was in fair health. The diet was regulated
in amountand variety for A week before Sublecting
them 10 the magnetic action IN each case, and an
estimate 81 the waste was made daily. Then for
aweek'stime without change Of dleto manner of
living in any other respect, each Of the three sub
jects was placed IN the sulrnrld, comfortably out.
stretched ON q platform, and hrpt there fUt two
! I,urN pptl lGN. tlp!r bt dies per ldpI nv nm pltef-
mating current Of The average strength above
mentioned
In eacI case there was u daily increase .!
about 10 per cent IN III" amount Of waste elm
mated during tie time tie subr ct was in the mag
netlC field No other effects could be- detected by
This mrtnud IT Observation. There WAS no appar-
emf change in the depth - frequency of rrSpira
ZION, nor IN IN" strength or frequency If tie pulse
,r a%rterlaI tension; though, had more dellcate ~
exact methods Of testing lr such changes than
the unndrd cy" and touch been employed, 1t Is
n,s,lble that Sump difference IN the functions
would have been uh'"rNed
"Ihp subjects were conscious Of no change in
sensatlun, except that tie pat,it with shaking
paraly,ls reported that the period slrnt within tho
coil had q %so"lhing and qlleting effect upon him
md that the violence of his muscular trenur WAS
aIsr much reduced for several hours after each
EXPOSURE De-, uo.,m.
o,u deyi>Ing instead OF the Silennid whoever
rrcllnaS upon tins couch is luclused in a magnetic
6eld produced by magnets. Nervous PERSONS
Who 10 uprn it nimos, iuyNriahly become drowsy
al once Nlt Nnl1 lfl VNltfn
Prof. lIerdman's experiments upon small
animals have been more extended than upon
men " soon ~ they were DID enough 10 bear
spparn,iun from Their mothers. n bot II guinea pigs
g. rabEts were divided into two groups as nearly
alike IN age ard weight as possible, aud were
carefully weighed Each group was subjected
10 conditions IN all frs poets lmIlar, except that
from ) u'ciurN ra'h evening tIl midnight one
group Va, placed ~ % ',gr made ~ "" 10 under
writers air". Il rough which q five ampere current
Win 2tS aftermath r> a second was passed, willis
TIE other bunch W. priced IN an exactly similar
cage uDt connected with The current circuit
TIl, plan Wa~ pursued WITH each pair of groups
.nIert"d uuul tN"y had reached their full grow IN,
ar from .iN Ia twsiN" NnphN, according 10 the age
Of tine animal, Htlhe beginning Of the experiment
'Nlu"ul r.crnn.d :, , 81, prot i]ici5man;,
hogan g. out~tup the others IN weight at the end
olthc first wreh and n gain oifrom rs 10 ~ PER cent
in favor II tie animals Millln the magnetlc field
~. APPARENT paCh succeeding week, until thew
na,rci tie period Of fun development. when tic
weekly gam became percrptbly less
'Dunng Me Two year, ten separato gropps
IN the tieid ur rS% controls, each group CONTAINING
from three. To- five animals. and uniformly those
placed in the magnets field rate evidence lr ih-
f,,t ,ev weeks 81 accelerated nutritiye action
In ne CAse 81 two gr"upS. when ihe experiment
was continued beyond ought weeks the curve
,( Iurteasa shown by the mHgnetlrd ami mals,
when until ten ran ~ per cent higher than thatot
me other group gradually declined, at tle end
81 tie tgriu w., tUeIr weight had fallen
A Ittr below that ii the other group
interesting fact that he JanItor who hns
charge 81 these aaImnlN ana "hoIS a shrewd
observer. but Without ku"NlrdG" ~ t. the purpose
nj tie experiment, called my ntlrlt"n IL The fact
that t.,S. n,r'pd within The magnetic field spent
much more time iu sleep dunng The daytime.
thrr il. Wien TIE current N'> Withdrawn, than
did the other gruUp,bul IN no utn"r respect, eN-
copt IN weight did he ur motto" any difference in
Inpr Appearance ~ '"NdHCl
"Ns far Hs tls.r "~NI"umrniS - they Uppear
f. Sluw that alternating magnetic stress ls in
some way related t. % p.ltkei'l m"tIb,liSm Of
TISSUE. that the maguru' energy. goes Through
some sort ui transformation ana redppelrS Ne
phy~IulugiCal energy. irnwih can undoubtedly
I've acCrleratrd by the use OF e". tIriN, but II must
he admi,,-I that tie growth thus obtained * M.
healthy, aud IN tie end l. dlsadNahtdgeuus IN
man ur animal Such dN"aSeG, however, NJ
rNeumausm and govt viii ~ dme b. treated sue.
ce.sfullv bv methods similar 10 uuS" employed
IN tho experiments described, mats. by enclosing
tie patent fr q short p"u,~ -ach day unu i'm
p;,0emrn is effected m an electro magnetic Held
This. the Leasing and Letting season,
nnis you probably guessing as TO Just wharo
10 locate IrslTnhlv. IN adVrrtIaencut IA lHE