Evening star., 1902-04-12

set OF wires. all operated by electricity
created by chemical changes.
The body has a certain constant charge
Of electricity when in a normal condition,
just as the earth is said to maintain a cer~
tain balance electrically. and Illness or
death comes with a variation of this elecs
trical state. This is. indeed, a new physi-
ology.
Important Theories.
The simplest form of life is the single
celled organism-the sea urchin is a good
example. 1t was with this form that DR..
Loeb carried on most of his important exc
periments at Woods Holl, Mass. and in
the marine observatory in Naples. Italy.
Experiments Of this sort were fundament-
ally important, for all life is simply proto-
plasm in some form other If DIR. Loeb
could determine what caused the move-
ments of the little mass Of protoplasm
which composes the sea urchin, he could
then determine with certainty the causes Of
the functions of life in many complex cells
of living matter.
Few have probably stopped to think what
this theory means In its relation to our
former beliefs in life, its spiritual creation.
Its origin and It's end. DR.. Loeb has done
that which has been puzzling the scientists
for a century past-he has linked the inan-
innate world with the animate.
'Will 1t not be more difficult" 1 asked
Ito harmonize this conception of life with
our present religious beliefs than It was for
Darwin's theory Of evolution to be finally
accepted by the Christian world?"
Il don't want to discuss that" replied
DR.. Loeb. "All ] can say is that for long
In the realm of the animate and then /
came to the conclusion that these forces
were the same as those which ruled the In
animate"
Then Came the Experiments.
After the theory came the experiments.
The biologist reduced conscious life to 3
material basis by creating conscious life.
To be sure, this creation has as yet been
done very crudely, but the significance OF
the result is no less important. Now that
he has accomplished the prolonging of the
life of the simple celled sea urchin, and
more than that, the creation Of life in these
FORMS he has brought the scientists and
the churchmen face to face with the eter-
nal why.
The greatest difficulty of the biologists
is to explain the chemical character of life.
Much of the phenomena of life can be re-
produced in the chemists laboratory, but,
thus far, only at such a high temperature
that actual life is impossible. No one could
explain why the functions of the body could
be carried on at the low temperature at
which they now operate.
For example" says DR.. Loeb, "oxida-
ton, fundamental principle of life. takes
place at a low temperature in the body.
The air is inhaled by the lungs and the oxy-
gen taken up by the blood in a very simple
manner, but If the chemist attempts to re-
produce this, he requires a tremendous
heat"
Heretofore, the scientists have been In
the habit of attributng this difference IN
temperatures at which the same chemical
changes are brought about in the body and
without IT, to some mysterious principle
or element of life. They called this ele-
ment the engine, term says Dr. Loeb
which covers up our present ignorance.
1t has been DIR. Loeb'S chief labor to dis
cover way to control the engines, and
In this study he produced many of natures
processes. He made platinum in solution
or in very finely powdered form digest
fat the same way IT is digested by the
stomach and glands. Likewise the action
of bacteria in putrefaction was reproduced
by the powdered platinum, and many other
living functions were accomplished. In
deed, DR. Loeb did what his predecessors
had failed to do-he initiated much of the
most secret life phenomena at the same
temperature as that of the body. This is
the heart of the wondrous success he has
had.
"Our living matter has at least one COM
mon quality with solutions of platinum"
saws DIR. Loeb, namely, that they are
collodial solutions. that is. liquid sub
stances. l should say that perhaps one Of
the most important features of the physi-
cal construction of living matter is this
that half OF our living matter must be in
a liquid state. and this liquid state is of
the character of colloid solution with the
What are these forces?
Experiments have been made showing
the effect of an electrical current In water
in which were living cells. These cells,
bearing negative charges move toward the
positive electrode. When they come in
contact with il they lose their charges OF
electricity and die. The same thing hap
pens practically with platinum solution.
The negatively charged particles move to-
ward the positive pole. and when they
come in contact with IT the platinum sinks
to ho hntrf ffa.a 1.ar iS Iszssa ~
the electric charges that particles of heavy
specific gravity like platinum can remain
In solution. The particles of any solution
treated in this way move toward the poles,
and when the electrically charged particles
reach their opposite poles they give up their
charges and we have the process of coag-
ulation. This in the living world is death.
Our lives depend upon the electrical con-
dition of our protoplasm. Death is the
process of coagulation. So it seems that
the chief forces which render these mani
festations of life depend upon the electrical
condition of our protoplasm and that the
force which makes life possible is primarily
the electric charge. Ii would be very one
sided to think that from the electrical point
of view all manifestations of life could be
explained In this We must remember that
changes in temperature might bring about
Goa gulation. Our study now is the forces
which exist in the liquid part of proto-
plasm."
Are any nearer the great mysteryf
Man may create conscious life. play with Il.
prolong Ii by chemical or electrical means,
and yet what is IL that, back of all.
breathes into the organism the consciousA
ness of life itself?