Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-04-10

4ts.iI-5e-itL-155s.-.i-5t < .l.1.E IL
As to discoveries of DR.. Loeb and
himself regarding the nature of nerve
force, DR.. Mathews of Chicago thus
recapitulates in an article on the sub
ject in the current Century: 1t has
been shown: First. that the chemical
stimulation of pTotOplasm is really an
electrical stimulation; second. that
the poisonous action Of inorganic salts
is due to the electrical charges of the
salts and probably TO the movements
of these charges; third, that the neg
ative charges stimulate protoplasm.
while the positive prevent stimulation,
and if not counteracted by the mega
tive will destroy life; fourth. that
muscle contraction is probably in it's
essence an electrical phenomenon and
that the conductiOn of a nerve i'm
pulse is almost certainly an electrical
phenomenon; fifth, for the first time
we have a physical explanation, which
agrees with all the main known facts.
of the nerve impulse and changes in
irritability; sixth, we have secured a
physical explanation of the way in
which an anesthetic produces its eff
feet; seventh, we are led to the hypo-
thesis of the identity of stimulation by
light and by chemicals.
Ape Relationship to Man.
In a recent number of the Lancet
Grunbaum gives a short note of
some extremely interesting observa-
three anthropOid apes-the gorilla,
the orang, and the chimpanzee He
first points out that in a general way
it may be said that the serum from
an animal. for instance, a rabbit, that
has been injected Internationally
several times with any given organic
fluid will, if mixed in small quantity
with dilute solution of the fluid
used for injection, produce a more or
less marked precipitate. To such a
serum has been given the name
'antiserum." Hence the serum from
the rabbit that has been treated in this
way with human blood which gives a
precipitate with human blood may be,
although somewhat paradOXically,
called human antiserum." Such a
serum has. to use the term applied by
Durham to agglutinating serums,
special" although not a specific"
action. Grunbaum, adopting the gen
eral mode of application of the test,
found that human antiserum' gives a
precipitate with all three species of
anthropOid apes above mentioned-a
precipitate that is practically indis-
tinguishable either in quantity or quail
ity from that obtained with human
blood. But it is not only by the action
of the human antiserum on anthropoid
blood that this close relationship of
the various bloods may be demon
strated. Grunbaum having prepared
gorilla, orang, and chimpanZee anti
serum and having tested them, found
that all reacted not only with their
own blood, but with each of the others
and also with human blood. This
would seem to indicate a somewhat
close "blOod relationship" between
man and certain of the anthropoid
apes.
Comparing the sensitiveness of hui
man organs with some of the mechan-
ism of the scientific laboratory. Carl
Snyder writes in Harper's magazine:
The ear hears little of what is going
on around us. By means of a micro
phone the tread of a fly sounds like
the tramp of cavalry. Our heat sense
is very vague; we need variation of
at least one-ffth of degree on a
to realize any difference
in temperature. Prof Langley'S lit
tie bolometer will note the difference
of millionth of a degree. 1t is 200,-
900 times as sensitive as our skin. A
galvanometer will fiex it's finger at the
current generated simply by deform-
ing a drop of mercury, of pressing it
out from a sphere to the shape of an
egg. The amount of work done by
wink of the eye would equal hundred
billion of the units marked on the
scale Of a very delicate instrument.
1t is at least 10000 times as sensitive
as the eye or the ear. But even this
astonishing performance is far sur
passed by the exQuisitely sensitive
coherers. discovered by Prof. Branly of
Paris, by which the Hertz waves of
wireless telegraphy are caught in
their pulsings through space The
range of impressions which we get
from lifting an object in the hand
seems rather small An ordinary
chemists balance is about 2O,O0O,000
times as sensitive 1t will weigh
down to the 200th part of a milligram
Wherever we turn we shall find in
struments which surpass each and all
of our senses in a most humiIiating
way.