The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-31

trona Metals commonly have positive
,chargcs and the non-metals negative,
though the same atom at different times
NAV have both. The atom and Its electron
NAV be compared to the earth with its moon,
and. like the latter. II Is merged In the solid
system Of the molccule.
A colloidal ~solution IL nothing more for
midable thsn common jelly that has not yet
ieIled When the housewife takes a lot OF
drv pelatin and pours hot water on 1t she
msher A colloidal solution. known more
commonly As a hydrosol. or SOL When
this siells" II becomes q hydrogel or gel.
Now the nerve l. nothing more or less than
: colloidal solution In q long slender case,
though OF course IL IN more complies than
commercial ~Relatine and IN formed OF pro-
tsids.
w. B. Hardy Of Cambridge, England.
sboved some time ago that the colloidal
eoiutions carry on their particles negative
or positive charsvs Of eicctricity. and can
be precipitaeed by ths opposite charges.
II has long been known that the nerve
was made OF proteids and that whenever
q nerve impulse was transmitted II was
accompanied by a current OF negative
e)ectricity. Recently DR.. Jacques Loeb,
who showed a year ago that sodium chloride
solution woufd sfimuiate tho heart TO in
creased action, and who has since heen
working to determine how the sodium
accomplished that end, turned his atten-
Ton 70 the study Of the valence or ion, and
began investigation into the influence OF
ions on muscle stimulus.
DR.. Mathews, a colleague Of his, took
this up at once and began a series OF ex-
p~crirnents with the nerves OF frogs and
ether animals. which quickly showed that
not the positive, or sodium. but the mega
tive chloride ion was the determining factor.
He was led by his experiments to form the
hypothesis that the nerve stimulus was
similar 20 the precipitation OF coliodial
solutions by tho same substances az de-
scribed by Hardy. and at once found hs
hypothesis satisfying every condition. He
found, in short, that what happens in the
nerve when II is stimulated is nothing
more than That il has a tendency TO @jeu.
Finding then that the particles OF culloidal
solution in the nerve had positive electric
charges, he next discovered that they In
duced in the water which holds them in
solution negative charges about them
Gives. When a mechanical jar causes
two or moro colloidal particles to coalesce
as raindrops on n window do when II is
struck by a blow, the surface Of thtee,
rpon which the charges reside. is reduced.
some .f thu negative charges are released
and attract TO Elves some. OF tho
r~csi,.ve charges on the n~eighboring par
ticlex, causing these In turn TO coalesce
ia order 20 reduce their surface. and thus.
in turn, freeing other negative charges
which affect the next LAYER. Thus il created
that negative current or negative varia-
ton.
DIR. Loeb. taking up these experiments.
AT once found them fitting in with his,
and knowing that muscle is like the ne We,
colloidal in nature, had at once nj hand
an exclamation Of muscular contractility-
one OF the most difficult problems science
las had TO contetend with. For 1t at once
bee ame evident tha the negative current,
or motor-impul-e. entering the nerve, pre-
cipitated the colloids therein in the same
Wy and thus contracted the nerve.
He lad already shown that the skeletal
muscles Of the body will beat rhymthically
when placed in solutions of negative ions.
Now he had before him a reason for this.
]: was at once evident that the beating
of the heart il due 20 the precipitation
and immediate collation. Of the colloids
II contains, In electrical in character and
In controlled by chemical action governed
by associated bodily functions. which
win he quickly reduced 10 formul@.
.sinplcs, of all, however" said DIR.
Loeb, in discussing the work OF his col
lea que. which he declared has taken the
ground from under his feet. lis the ex-
pls nation IL Offers Of anGsthesia.T
This IL something which the DISCOVERIES
feel viii al once attract the attention 81
physicians whO might overlook the deeper
scientific meanings. IL IL well known
that the in~fuence 81 anesthetics Is directly
unconditional TO their ability to dissolve
fat. DR.. Mathews has show nov that
n the nerve can he kept from precipitation
there ran h. no stimulus along II
There L. no easier way a. do this than by
thinning the solution in the nerve Just
a. a housewife can thin ~gelatine and pre-
vent IL jellyinR. The ans she'ics. carried
through the lungs into the blood and ~ 70
tho brain. the re- dissolve further the col
loids In the highly sensitive brain 'e.is
and make the soiution more stable A.
long a. thiH condition prevails no sensation
can pass through a nerve. Any positively
charged ion will 40 this A. we'll ne q FAT
salyent, but ether " easily administered
in minute quantities., works mildly and II
quickly removed and l.. therefore, the h~-t
ara dhsito.
similar 90 aucrthosia in fact ,ldsniical
in par j. ths pl,.uoIn.non ~ drunsennr~s
A man taking aIcohol into ~ stomach
carri.. % Themes, thruugh bio blood Ia hs
brain ahero, ike eth~r u aherts he brain
oslis. fe.dorUE IA. sulut,"n mare stAbls
and fe-iuDue hs I,osoT 90 -nnd mOtoT olf-
t.st. a. has mus 10 u may al-1 p~-rhsI-
ss.nunliy rssrh bic muAr b. aui feduss
Ia 10 ability tu contract
a. Tho. too. h. -s.u = puioA snd ~U~f
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