The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-04
Phosphorescent Baoilli.

M. Il. Tarchanoff has made a number
OF experiments upon the phosphorescent
bacilli of the Baltic sea, with view Of
determining the influence Of different con-
ditions upon their luminous activity. says
the Scientific American. The fresh cul-
lures OF these bacilll give the strongest
light, especially when the bullion is in
movement and becomes mixed with air
me luminous capacity of the bacilli lasts
for periods varying between two or three
weeks and two or three months, accord
ing To the conditions of the containing
substance and or the external atmos-
nhere. The emission of light by these
bacili Is one of the manifestations of
their respiration and IL intimately con-
nected with their consumption of oxygen.
The light appears To he periodic I'm char
acter but without any regularity in its
periods. In a state OF repose the lumi-
LAYERS of the bouillon. This is accounted
for by the proximity OF these layers to
the AR. and also by the active move ment =
OF the bacilli which direct them toward
the oxygen.
A seriVs of movements or shocks given
10 the bouillon Eliminates its whole
mass. on account OF the Introduction of
air To the interior, as we'll AZ the fact
that the shocks act as an eXcitant The
influence Of tempera ture is another point.
The bacilli will resist cold much better
than heat The best temperature is
found TO he from tos degrees G.. They
will, however. still give of light as low
as - degrees C.. and even In part during
the complete congelat tion Of the bouillon,
which takes place at -6 To - degrees.
The remarkable phenomenon OF "A ''lu-
minous ice is thus observed. The phos-
phorescent bacilli i'm the ley medium thus
preserve their vitality, not only i'm the
latent. but in the active form, with ennis
sion of light.
After a few hours the luminosity of the
Ice becomes extinct. but when the bouil-
lon is melted IL again Becomes luminous
The ice under these conditions has been
photographed by its own light. by apply
ing II against the sensitive plate. with
q separating plate of glass between IL
and the film. As regards high tempera-
lures, IL Is found that heating the bouil-
Ion weakens the light, and IL becomes
wholly extinct at "a To 81 degrees c..
coming back upon cooling When heat
ed as high as 10 degrees the luminous ef-
feet is destroyed once for all. Chemical
agents have also marked influence An
aesthe tics such as chloroform or ether,
destroy the light almost instantly. but,
on the other hand many OF the poisons
such as strychnine or curare appear To
be Indifferent. Cyanide of potassium eX
tinguishes the light as well as chlorhy-
drate OF auinine. which diminishes oNi-
dation I'm general. A current of carbonic
acid gas has the same effect. owing 10
the hillary salts which IL contains. Blood,
lymph, saliva and pancreatic juice are al
most Indifferent. The gastric Juice and
the intestinal secretion have marked and
contrary effects; the former, owing 10 It's
great acidity, quickly destroys the light
-nC INC Only chemical agent which will in
crease the luminosity. This effect is not
due TO its alkaline nature, but more prob
ably To it's ferment. which NJ pawloff has
shown to he extremely energetic
When an electric current Is passed
through tube containing the bouilon.
the luminosity becomes localized i'm a few
minutes at the negative pole. where IL
finally disappears. The bacilli seem TO be
dragged I'm the direction Of the current.
i'm spite OF their natural tendency toward
fhn f.kNs NNh il "a Ia
tive pole. I'm tube which has become
extinct by the action of the current the
bacilli have not lost their vitality. for
the Introduction Of a bubble of air gen
orally brings back the phosphorescence.
Mechanical shocks. such AZ oscillations.
given the tube, or strokes up TO iifty per
second. increase the effect at first. but
after some time they weaken or even eN-
tingush it. A bubble of air VIII restore
the light as before. one of the most SIM
gular experiments made 10y NJ. Tarcha-
non was that Of the luminous frog.
This IL obtained by Introducing a small
quantity OF the bouillOn into the dorsal
lymphatic sac OF the frog. when the H.
quid ponetratcs into the neighboring lynn
phatic sacs and into the blood. and grad
ually illuminates the whole of the ant
NAL especially the transparent parts. The
TONGUE of the frog shines the most bril-
liantly owing To It's sac, which contains
luminous lymph.
\ photograph OF the frog g. obtained
by applying it against the plate .tNith
glass plate between. and the contours Of
the animal are found 10 be the best de-
fined in the negative. The phosphoresccut
hacili thus find iu the humors and organs
of the frog an oNygcnized medium which
& favorable for their existence. Never
theless the luminosity becomes extinct
after three or four days. as tho bacili
are probably destroyed, and the animal
comes back TO It's normal state. 10 is to
bc remarked that this experiment Will
not succeed in the case OF -blpOdcd
animals, as the phosphore OF the
bscilli n cNtinguished at "a temperature
OF ~ 10 3s degrees.