The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-02
DIR. LittlefieId Claims to Have Created
Life from Salt, steriIized Water,
Alcohol and Ammonia
HE GIVES THE FULL FORMULA
EXPLAINS THE PROCESS AND TELLS
WHAT HAS BEEN PROVED.
How the Doctor Was Led To Make the
Experiments and the Possibility
of Developing the Germs.
special TO the INDIANAPOLIS Journal.

Special TO the indianapolis Journal
ALEXANDRIA. Ind, Aug. 1.-The scien-
tifc experiments of DIR. 4. w. Littlefeld. OF
this city. have been followed along similar
lines for twenty years by him. but only
within the last year have they been brought
TO the attention of the public. This Is due
to the characteristic modesty of the gen.
tleman himself and his desire 10 bring to
perfection, beyond caviI. certain ends TO
which he aspired. These have in a measure
been reached, and, very much against his
will, some Of the more startling things
which his experiments developed got into
metropolitan papers last October. Many
garbled and unauthentic articles were pub
lished, which provoked comment and criti-
cism the world around, even the staid old
British Medical Society, one of the most
conservative and fixed in its ways OF any
in the world. taking up the doctors discov-
cries, after having the authentic part veri-
fled by the gentleman himself AS all SCI
entists do, Dr. Littlefield always aspired q
step higher and later experiments prove
that his ambition has been in a measure
gratifed. His experiments year ago, re-
suits of which were published, were de-
voted to the resuscitation of insects, ami
mails of the lower order, and up TO cats. and
at one time a human being, back to life.
This would have been hooted at had the
proof been lacking. but that IL was fact
was demonstrated beyond question. and re-
luctantly it was accepted by the critics.
With this much done DIR. Littlefield set
about to discover low and why life orig
inated--going back along the annals of time
untold centuries to the creation, The fact
that his discoveries and researches prom
Use to make it necessary to revise some OF
the accepted theories is sufficient excuse
to justify the storm of criticism which 1t
has provoked all around the world. The
Pasteur Institute of Paris has taken II up.
and is experimenting along the same lines.
and the latest information from this great
institution is that AT least the greater part
of the Alexandria scientists claims are
true, but some of them we have been I'M
able to verify, and we believe that the crea-
ton of forms OF life, as has Internationally
been done by the eminent gentleman. Is due
to the bacteria in the materials
THE FORMULA.
When asked about the creation OF life
from chemicals, which is the common way
in which il has been described, DR.. Little
field said:
lit is true, and the fact that make the
entire formula public ought TO convince any
one that there is nothing about ii which
might be questionable. The apparatus Is
very simple, and consists of glass bell
jaas of from twelve to fourteen inches in
hefght, and about the same in diameter,
shallow glass dish of about two pints'
capacity, five six cup plates and a good
microscope of at least sixty diameters with
$4-inch objective. Place one ounce of pure
table salt in the glass dish. add to 1t six
ounces of water sterilized, and stir with
a clean glass rod until thoroughly dissolved.
Then add six ounces of 80 per cent. alcohol.
Place I'm the cup plates. which should be
distributed around the outside Of the salt
solution dish, about two ounces of official
aqua ammonia and over them place the
glass bell jar. Now watch the chemical
action carefully In from FIVE 20 ten min
utes a blue smoke will begin to form and
the liquid bubbles of hydrogen will appear
on it's surface and If you will get good
view of 1t from the side you will see that
they are revolving at a tremendous speed.
When they cease to form. usually in about
thirty minutes from the time you have
covered the dish and plates with the bell
Jar transfer with small glass rod drop
of the salt solution to a glass slide or plate
of the microscope. after having focused it
carefully so that ii can be seen immediate
ly. Watch it closely, and you will be sur
prised. You will note flying about in the
liquid small particles of matter as IL i'm
PEELED by some irresistible force, hack and
forth from center TO circumference of the
drop. moving as do iron filings fly from the
pole Of one magnet to the other.
but even this is only the beginning OF
the phenomena TO observe. AS soon as
these particles are gathered in groups. ap-
parently content with their newiy-formed
companions, crystalline formations begin
to appear. First they resemble the char
acteristic cubes OF chloride of sodium and
will not change further. Finally. from
other groups, six-sided or hexagon crystals
will appear, and by watching one of these
closely will be observed for the first time
in your life, no doubt, the union OF spirit
and matter Of volatile magnetism and a
compound of hydrogen, nitrogen. carbon.
oxygen and common salt. In the birth OF
life into objective form-fOr I'm the very
center OF the shining crystal, as II touched
by an invisible finger, tiny germinal spot
will appear, and the development ofsa liv-
ing form is begun. This germinal spot will
soon begin &c increase until IL absorbs the
white crystal eEtre, and instead OF the
hexagonal form you will fiattened
disc, very much resembling a red blood
corpuscIe. From this primitive form IL
begins 10 further develop in the center of
the disc. or in other words. TO bulge out
until IL assumes a globular form. and ffom
three equal distant points on its equatorial
circumference appear pseudo podic pro-
cesses, or false feet with open extremities.
which are evidently designed feeders.
for further experiments have proven that
through these nourlshment is taken.
Il have carefully watched the develop
ment Of very large number OF these cells
or germs, and they do not vary I'm the least
detail in their growth and development
from the above description showing unmis-
taxable design and the presence OF hfe's
processes. Moreover. mineral substances or
crystals change only by accretions from
without. and this is not always In regular
form or order"