New-York tribune., 1902-03-30
DIR. LOEB'S LECTURES.

Columbia University has rendered valuable
service to science in inviting DR. Jacques Loeb
10 give the series of lectures in Schermerhorn
Hall which has just come to a close. Nor is the
Indebtedness of the community to that instltu-
ton the less if some Of the antiCipatiOnS which
had been entertained concerning the revelations
to be made have not been realized. lnaSmuch
as the Chicago biologist is not disposed, appar-
emily. TO claim quite as much as has been i'm
puted to him by his admirers, the people Of this
city were fortunate in having a chance to hear
the man speak for himself.
Those who have listened to him may have
been bit mystified by his technicalities. They
may have wanted TO interrupt him with QueS-
tons They were probably surprised to notice
rather conservative mention of DR.. Loeb'S most
recent researches. Possibly the lectures seemed
as significant for what they did not contain as
for what they did Nevertheless a more ac-
curate idea than was current 4 fortnight ago
has been afforded as 10 this Investigators
achievements, and with a recognition of his
originality is coupled admiration for his mod
esty and the caution with which he states his
conclusions
Now that Dr. Loeb enjoys fresh prominence
for the moment. It may not be out Of place 10
consider briefly some of the theories and eX-
periments with which his name has been asso-
repudiates the doctrine that all the phenomena
of animal life are electrical in nature. he evi-
dently looks at a few OF them in that light. If
this hypothesis can be verified and subSanti-
ated. it may supply the science of medicine
with 4 new principle. Should it be found that
the efficiency of a remedial agent depended
upon the electro-positive or electromagnetic
character of some chemical element in It, the
physician would he able to fight disease more
intelligently than he does at present. 1t is de-
sirable therefore, that the cew be followed
up, whether it lead TO anything or not.
The same remark will apply to the discovery
of the seeming benefit to a feeble heart derived
from injecting salt water into the veins As
yet the medical profession has made little of
this phenomenon. and much more experiment
is needed TO reveal the value of the practice
Whether DR. Loeb's explanation Of it be cor
rect or not, If he has hit upon a useful fact the
world ought TO know it as soon as possible. AS
for the Matching of the unfertilized eggs Of 4
sea urchin which have been immersed in a
saline solution, this is a wonderful performance
but it is no more mysterious than parthenOgene-
sis without any artificial aid whatever. ZOolo-
gists are acquainted with At least a dozen spe-
cies which propagate sometimes with and some
times without formulation. Still. we may have
in the sea urchin experiments an illustration OF
some peculiar stimulus which salt gives TO an
| impulse or potency weak to require help,
| and which thus turns the scale IN a crisis.
| Here again, though, one must note the wide
| difference between possibility and certainty,
| and the need of more light.
What is to the unnitiated. if not to the pa
| biologist, the most suggestive of DR.. Loeb's
| performances is his prolonging the vitality Of
| the eggs Of a certain low organism by chemical
| means. Perhaps this feat is only a parallel to
the fact that if a farmer cares for his seed corn
| in one fashion the chances Of termination are
materially improved, while they are impaired
| by different sort Of care. Besides, it is not
| clear how the discovery gives promise to the
| human race OF defying death successfully. IN
| developed as the process is, however, there may
| be something in it. An enormous amount Of
| work yet remains to be done to turn it TO ac-
| count and, under the circumstances, it would
| be injudciOus at present to cherish any lively
expectations on account of these vitality cx-
| periments Yet it is too soon to say that they
will not yet prove fruitful. Indeed, it IS to be
| hoped that DR.. Loeb will continue them until
he is satisfied on that point, and not leave the
| task to other hands.