The San Francisco call., 1905-06-21
LIFE MAY
ORIGINATE
IN RAD|UM
Dr.. Burk Describes
Results Of His
Research.
British Scientist With
Bouillon Produces
Cultures.
Believes That He Has Created
Primitive Form of
Vitality.
Special Dispatch to The Can.

NEW YORK, June 20.-The Times has
the following from London: 1t is a ques-
ton whether Professor John Butler Burk,
at Cavendish laboratory, Cambridge, has
unveiled q great scientific truth in his eX-
periments with radium or has simply OBJ
served curious chemical phenomenon.
In one of the newspaper accounts, the
statement is made that Professo Burk
has almost certainly demonstrated that
spontaneous generation is possible. In
explaining his experiments, Professor
Burk says:
Il take some bouillon as culture medi-
um, consisting of extract of meat, dilut-
ed in distilled water with some gelatine.
A little salt and pepsin are added and
this is rendered slightly alkaline by lit
mus. The radIum is then put in tiny
tube, sealed and then immersed in a test
tube containing the gelatine and steril-
lied at high temperature under pressure,
as otherwise the bouillon would boil and
evaporate. When the test tube is cooled.
the tube containing the radium is
smashed by a mechanical contrivance
without opening the tube containing the
bouillon and the radium is dropped on
the gelatine.
After a few days in my experiment,
cultures resembling bacterial growth de-
veloped and in a fortnight they became
extensive. The tube, when opened at the
expiration of fortnight. showed, by the
aid of the most powerful microscope,
small bodies resembling diplocci. but
varying IN size, ranging from the minut-
est specks to one sixty-one thousandths
of an inch in diameter. The large ones,
upon reaching a certain stage OF develop
ment, showed nuclei, and when they
reached final development they were sub
divided, which fact is conclusive that they
are not crystals.
how Iarie fnr1 q
them. are not bacteria, as the tubes con-
tanning bouillon but no radium produced
no effects at all. This seems TO be or
may be a primitive form of life, and it is
possible that after countless generations
ii has developed into the bacteria as we
know them, because all bodies are radio
active more or less. The earth itself is
slightly radioactive, and it may have been
the source of life which it would have
taken thousands of years to produce from
radium.
Professor Burk is young Irishman.
After being graduated from Trinity
College. Dublin, he lectured at Mason
College, Birmingham, and Owens Col
lege Manchester. He took a degree In
research three years ago at Cambridge
In recent months he has given popular
lectures in the United Kingdom on the
latest discoveries in connection with
radium.
INTEREST IN AMERICA.
WASHINGTON, June 20.-Great in
terest is manifested in governmental
scientific circles in the wonderful dis
coyery of John Butler Burk, the young
scientist of Cambridge University.
England, who declares he has found
the secret of life in radium. There
was much discussion of the discovery
of Professor Burk. who has almost
hot
tion is possible by means of radium
and sterilized bouillon. which. placed
in a tube, produced cultures with many
anpearances of vitality, such as growth
and subdivision.
Professor Otis T. Mason, curator OF
the National Museum and chief OF the
anthropology division OF the institu-
ton, and other Government scientists
when seen to-day declined to discuss
the matter for publication, put were IN
clined to be skeptical.
BOSTON, June 20.-Dr. Charles w. Du-
val one of the best known pathologists
In this city and an extensive expert
menter with radium in medicine. would
make no comment on the cabled discov-
cry Of John Butler Burk of Cambridge,
England The line that DIT. Burk has
been following is outside the course pur-
sued by DIR. Duval, who as q member of
the city hospital staff has been employ
ing radium in the treatment of diseases.
Asked If he considered such find i'm
possible, he replied that the would not
say word one way or the other.
MAY LEAD TO HIGHER WORK.
NEW HAVEN, Conn, June 20.-Rus-
sell H. Chittenden. director Of the Yale
scientific school, had his attention called
to-day to the published results of the
experiment of ]. Butler Burk Of Cam
bridge University, and all he would say
for publication was that he could give
no opinion now. nor would any scientist
care to express an opinion until he had
been made familiar with the process by
which Burk had produced his results.
He added:
THE reports of what has been done so
far are extremely meager. and merely
announce that such and such thing has
probably been done. How the results
have been achieved or what the results
are have not been set forth"
When asked IL 1t was an impossibility.
Professor Chittenden replied:
81 should not like to say that. Too
many new things are being discovered
every day"
CHICAGO, June 2.-Scientists here are
extremely 10th to discuss the findings
OF John Butler Burk in the absence Of