The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-08
WcnderS 81 GIeetrieitV.
Magnetic Influence AccelerateS Animal GrOwtb-Interest-
ingExperimentS Made BY Professor Herdemen.

touch been employed, it is possible thai
some difference in these functions
would lave been observed
II suDJecfS were conscious of no
chdnge IN sensation, except that the
patient with shaking paralysis renorted
mat the period spent within the coil
had a soothing and quieting effect mon
nm ana that the violence of his mus
GUAR Jremor vas also much reduced
Tor several hours after each exnos,1ra
sometimes Professor Herdman uses q
coucn OF his own devising instead of
the selenOid. Whoever reclines unon
ms couch is Enclosed in a perfect mac
netic Held produced by MAGNETS Ner9-
our persons who lie upon it almost in
VarlaDly become drowsy at once and
soon fall asleep.
Growth Accelerated.
Professor Herdman's exnerir,a,.
upon small animals have been more ex-
tended than upon men. As soon as tbev
were old enough to bear Separation
from their mothers, a lot of guinea nies
OF raoolts was divided into two ero,Ins
as nearly alike in age and weicht as
possible, and were carefully weighed
Ldcn group was subjected to conditions
from 0 O'Clock each evening fiji mid
hlght one group was placed in a cage
made OF No. 10 underwriters wire
tnIougn which a five ampere current
WIN z4o alterations a second was
passed, while the other bnnch wsS
placed in an exactly similar coil NOT
Connected with the current circuit This
plan was pursued with each nair ~
Eroups selected until they had cached
sneIi iulI growth, or from six to twelve
weeks. according to the age of the
animals at the beginning of A.
pertinent. "e OK
without exception saws Professor
herdman, 1.-THE animals Immersed in
the alternating current began to ont
strip the others in weight at the end
VI the nrst week, and a gain of from
10 10 "a per cent in favor of the ami
nSals WlInln the magnetic field was ap-
parent each succeeding week. until
they heared the period of full develop-
ment, when the weekly gain became
perceptibly less.
During the two a ten separate
groups or animals have been experi-.
mented upon, either in the field or as
controls each group containing from
three TO five animals, and uniformly
nose placed IN the magnetic field gave
evioence Tor the first few weeks of ac-
oeteLated nutrltlVe action. In the case
OF TWO groups, when the experiment
was continued beyond eight weeks the
curve OF increase shown by the mag
netlzed animals. which until then ran
~ per cent higher than that of the
otner group, gradually decIined: at tbe
END OF the twelfth week their weight
mad fallen a little below that of the
other group.
1t IS an interesting fact hat the
Janltor who has charge of these ami
mais, and who is a shrewd observer,
out without knowledge as to the pur-
pose OF h experiment, called nv at
tentlon to the fact that those placed
WITHIN the magnetic field spent much
more time IN sleeg during the daytime,
q a is, When the current was with
drawn, than did the other group. but
IN no other respect. except in weight. |
aid he or 1 notice any difference in |
their appearance or conduct.
AS far as these experiments go. thew
appear to show that alternating mag
net1c stress is in some way related to a
.quickened metabolism OF tissue: that
the magnetic energy goes through some
sort of transformation and reappears
physiological energy. Growth can
undoubtedly be accelerated by the use
OF electricity, but it must be admitted
the growth thus obtained is I'M
healthy, and in the end is disadvan-
tageous to ms or animal. Such dis
howeve 8 rheumatism. govt
and constitution disorders produced
by defective eXcretions will in time be
successfully by methods SINH
lar to those employed in the expert
ments described; that is, by enclosing
patient for a short period each day
until improvement is effected in an
electromagnetic field"
J. OLIVER CURWOOD.