Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-31
WEAPON TO FOIL DEATH.
Professor Loeb Announces Discover,
to Physiological Society.

ssSsoe0 3oOO NuUouHce6 discovery
| to Psychological Society.
Chicago, Dec. 31.-Death has been re-
tarded and new life infused in animal
cells. according to a report Of extensive
experiments made by Prof. Jacques
Loeb, of the University Of Chicago.
The report was made yesterday for
the first time before the American Phys
biological society. Scientists OF national
repute declared the results to be among
the most astounding that ever have been
made in the efforts of experiments to
produce longevity in cell life.
The medium for prolonging the life Of
the cell is potassium cyanide, a violent
poison. the action Of which is similar to
that OF prussic acid. After the cell has
been treated with the cyanide, the
poison Is Withdrawn and the dying cell
is left.in strengthened state, capable
of performing it's normal functions.
The foregoing report is not the only
surprise Prof. Loeb held In store for the
scientists at this annual meeting. Tho
occasion will be further made memoir
able to them today, when, according to
promise, DR.. Loeb will discuss the ma
ture OF muscular contractiIity. Follow
x
OF his cu-workers. will show exactly in
what nerve (and presumably muscular)
stimulus consists, how a nerve impulse
IS carried. and will 80 throw light on
nearly all the vital functions OF the
body.
As to the potassium cyanide tests
which have been made at Woods Hall,
Prof. Loeb declined last night to state
whether his discovery could be applied
to human beings az well as to Individual
and typical cells. He would not say that
the use OF potassium cyanide would tend
to establish an approach toward pro-
longation OF human life. Speaking, how
ever, OF life as an abstract proposition,
Martin Fisher, an assistant Of the pro-
fessor, said the discovery was step
toward causing longevity.
The statement OF the results Of the ex-
periments which have been carried on
for months by Professor Loeb and his
assistants was by far the most inter
esting disclosures Of yesterdays gath
ering, and the discussion OF the posi-
billties which the discovery opened up
was carried on at length by the visiting
naturalists.
The means Of checking the death Of
typical cell has been found" said DR..
Fisher. IF continued experiments give
similar results 1t will show that the se-
cret OF longevity Is being dealt with, AS
far as the experiments have been con-
tinued they are successful. Cell life is
the basis OF all life, including, of course,
that OF the human"
The experiments which have been con-
!. YD.~ go r 4.
made on the unfertilized eggs OF the sea
urchin. This type OF cell was chosen
because 1t offered the best example OF
living cell that could be found for ex-
pertinent and was a typical cell. Profess
sor Loeb stated that In his opinion death
was not a negative but an active pro-
cess.
The unfertilized egg dies soon," said
Professor Loeb. in reading his report.
IA fertilized egg will last for much
longer time. find that IL the egg Of a
sea urchin is treated with certain salts
1t has the same effect as fertilization.
From my experiments am Of the opin-
ion that death Is an active process. II It
Is not checked 1t will lead to the disinte-
grafton. Enzymic action seems to be re-
sponsible for the motiferous process. ]
have poisoned eggs with potassium cy-
anide and counteracted the effects OF the
poison.
''The results OF the experiments with
potassium cyanide have been tar more
impressive than we had ever dreamed.
The poison acts as preservative by
hardening the outer coating. The eggs
are taken as as soon as they leave the
ovary. Two processes are Immediately
set up. One 10 that toward death and
the other Is toward life. Unless some
means is employed the unfertilized eggs
soon will die, the process toward death