The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1902-01-03
THE SECRET OF LONGEVITY.
Wonderful Discovery by Prof. Jacques
Loeb Mysteries of Death
tnruyeicd.

Chicago, Dee. 3i.-Expcrimcnts
which IL Is claimed are "a beginning
Of the uprnveling of the mysteries OF
death were made public by Prof.
Jacques Loeb at the fourteenth an
nual meeting of the American Physio-
logical society at the University Of
Chicago last night. During the last
summc the noted scientist has been
continuing his series Of experiments
with the eggs Of the lower marine
animals, especially those Of the sea
urchin. and last night In a paper en-
titled "On the Prolongntion ~ LIZ"
Of Infcrtilizcd Eggs Of the Sea
Urchin by Potassium Cyanide" he
told u group of the foremost physi'
ologists IN America That by means
Of observation Of the effects Of GER
tain chemicals upon these minute
bits of protoplasm. he was ready to
make n tentative definition Of tho
heretofore unknown nature uf death.
Death. Prof. Loeb affirmed, was not
n negative process, n simple breaking
down Of the tissues. as II has been
regarded up to this time. but an
active agent born with the birth Of
the egg. and destined. II not checked,
to gain the upper hand ~ the iifn
instinct and bring about extinction
hut, greater even than the apparent
discovery Of this death ngcnt In all
life substance. vas Prof. Locb's an
nounccmcnt that he has been able
To check II In the eggs ~ the sea
urchin NJ least. by means Of chem.
Teal agents. This. II IN claimed,
means nothing less than that on =
minute scale the secret of eternal
life II In the power NJ mankind.
The experiments. Prof. Loeb says
were simple. Unfcrtililcd eggs of the
SEA urchin were placed In u weak 80
lution NJ potassium cyanide and
abandoned for several days. In at.
binary conditions an unfrrtililcd egg
dies In u few hours. destroyed 10y the
death agents born with IL. AZ the
end ~ several days the eggs were
again examined and were found la De-
still capable "f fertilization and "i
producing healthy animals.
In explaining the results Prof. Loci
said hat the "mortifcrou- %pruccssc.'
were due to the action ~ c%crtriu
fcrmcntN of an unknown nature
whose destructive tendency WI.
countcrnctcd lay the potassium suits
Several other papers ~ Importance
Ncrr read during the meeting. Prof
ID. j. linglr. of the University Of chi
cngO, gave the results NJ his %rrscnrcl
into the effect nf common salt upHr
the heart beat. lie affirmed viii
great emphasis that. contrary tu III,
statements Of Prof. W. VI. llowclls
Of Harvard, salt Is the sole agent r.
spunsiblc for the rhythmic action oi
he heart.
Prof. +. :. Lee. ~ Columbia uni
ycrrity. made some interesting re-
ports upon the action uf alcohol upon
muscles. by experiments upon Nh
frog he demonstrated that n small
amount 81 alcohol increased III,
working power of muscle. enabled ~
In make more rapid ~contrnctiuns In
II given space uf time and delayed
fatigue; that, IN short, II made the
muscle - much better machine. In
larger quantities. however. alcohol
was detrimental In an respects.
Among the wcll-known scientist.
who read papers were Professors Il
I. Kemp, of the University Of Illinois:
\. r. Cushncy, of the University Of
Michigan; q. Lusk. of the I~nivcrsit,
~ New York, and l.. H. Mcndcl, of
Val.