Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-06-14
INFLUENCES THE BRAIN.
An Orig inal Line OF Invsstigation BY Pro-
fessor Frederick Collins.


fessor Frederick Collins.
An original Investigator has inter-
ested himself In the mysterious pre-
dictions Of certain individuals In re-
gard to approaching storms. Occa-
sionally an individual Ia found who by
reason Of the influence OF barometric
changes upon parts OF his body. for
Instance, on leg or foot, 10 able to
fol etell approaching storms with con-
siderable accuracy. Then again, GER
tain maladies, such as gout and rheu-
matism, are susceptible to disturbing
atmospheric conditions. Pure ner-
vousness is. perhaps, the most common
effect resulting from abnormal atmos-
pberic electrical agencies. The inves-
t!gator referred to. Mr.. A. Frederick
Collins, of Narberth began, some time,
ago, a series OF most promising expert
Tear often witnessed In women and
children during the occurrence of
heavy thuIderstorms Is an unreason-
able one, or whether II results from
the physical action of electric waves
OH the brain matter.
A lightning fash Is often compared
to a gigantic electric spark. This is 3
very truthful analogy. The waves
generated and sent out In all direc-
tions are exactly similar to those
emitted by wireless telegraphy trans
mitting apparatus, being, OF course,
much more powerful. Now, 1t Is per-
fe city certain that such waves do pene-
tate dense, Opaque, in the sense OF
light, mediums. 1t follows, therefore,
that they must reach the brain. Do
they have any molecular or other ef-
feet on brain matter? This question
can only be determined by experiment
tel work. An Affirmative answer would
explain all the phenomena of nervous
ness, ETC., referred to above.
A partial answer was obtained by
experiments with the fresh brains Of
recently-killed cats, as we'll as with
living brains, the cat subject, Of
course, being under the influence Of an
aDaesthetic. The electric waves were
produced by apparatus such as Is used
in space telegraphy transmitting sta
tions. The results were Affirmative In
both cases. The electric waves did
produce cohesion of the brain mat
ter, similar to the "coherer" action of
wireless telegraphy receiving appara-
tus.
In the case of the living feline ex-
pcriments a spasmodic twitching of
the muscles at the base of the brain
was observed during the emission OF
electric waves. which manifestation
ceased Immediately on the cessation
OF the electric waves. In all these ex-
periments It must be remembered that
there was no actual connection between
the brains under observation and the
electrical apparatus. Either one was
placed at varying distant points In
room, reproducing in miniature the
conditions of normal brain under
the influence Of an electric storm,
except, of course, the application OF
the observing instrument to the
brain.
BY fortuitous circumstances during
scme experiments with fresh human
brain, only several hours after the
death of the subject, the brain having
been removed from the cranial cavity,
thunderstorm came up unobserved.
Immediately the experimenter dis
covered unusual and erratic behavior
OF the indicating instruments. An un-
usually heavy stroke Of lightning,
which struck about a quarter OF mile
distant, had the most positive and pro-
nounced effect on the brain under OBJ
strvation. Here the fortunate investi-
gator found the exact natural con-
ditions which he was trying to produce
artificially.
While the experiments are far from
final or conclusive. they open up
broad field of inquiry. 1t appears to
have been demonstrated. however, that
disruptive electrical charges, such as
those following lightning fash. do
have an appreciable influence on the
brain. AS the Electrical World, from
which the above resume Is taken. re-
marks editorially, while the demand
for thunderstorm electric shelters as
result of these experiments Is not like
ly to be sufficient to render the busi-
hess of their manufacture profitable,
the obscure physico- physical phenom-
cna may now be approached from
.rientif1c nOint of view