The San Francisco call., 1906-06-03
SCIENTIST
DEFENDS
DISCOVERY
j. Butler Burke Answers
Critics Of His Ra-
diobes.
More Light on Theory as
to the Origin Of
Life.
Young Englishman Points
Out Wherein Others
AreMistaker.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

LONDON. June 2.-J. Butler Burke,
the Cambridge physicist, whose aston
fishing experiments with radium seem
TO have. solved, in part. the problem
Of the origin OF life. has had showers
Of criticism poured on him from all
Z quarters but hitherto has paid no at
rention 70 them Your correspondent
asked him yesterday. however, if he
would not be willing TO make a state
ment for publication concerning the
subject; and he has now responded as
follows.
The criticisms which have been
urged Of the results of my observa-
tons on the effects O. radium salts
gei>tine houillon do not, as 1 think
appear 50 far 40 have olrect bearing.
i 7 may say SC. upon the real points
az issue. although those offered by Sir
WILLIAM RAMSAY have certainly been
most fruitful and suggestive in en-
abling Z theory TO be formed Of the
phSsicaf c1Uses of the subdivision of
such artificial cells and possibly of
natural cells generally.
1T JTould take too long to describe
here the details Of this theory of segSe-
gaticn Of cells. but il might perhaps be
possible to- indicate in outline the prin-
ciple upon which this theory rests:
namely that the radium salt produces
minute, almost ultra microscopic cellu-
lar bubbles, due to the gaseous emana-
tion which il emits. And these act as
the nuclei Of the larger aggregates,
due, no doubt, 10 direct chemical action
on the surrounding radium. or to in
direct ones brought about by the in
tense electro-mag gneU7c disturbances
from the radium atoms, as In the case
CT Photographic action.
The cellular bulb of emanation will
multiply. as the emanation increases,
since il will force its way through the
walls. al the. lines OF least resistance.
Their mode Of subdivision. however,
would be different from that of radf-
obes. which divide up into clean-crt
'segments or sections. while 'elnansl-
tive cells always retain their smooth
surface due to surface tension. The cell
lular bubbles. however, if acting as nu-
~clei, viii force the subdivision of the
larger aggregates and tear il asunder.
and thus produce the mysterious effect
OF an individual subdividing of it's own
accord by apparently tearing itself
asunoer without any external cause
-. 1T seems not improbable. as shown
an my book that the. subdivision of
natural cells is accomplished in some
similar way. although the nucleus sub
stance IS not necessarily radium It
seems probable that there is in The ul-
innate nucleus an emsnation from ra-
elum in more or less marked degree.
] have called that hypothetical sub
stance radio carbon. Amor1g those
others who have been experimenting
upon the subject OF these experiments
p might mention NJ. Dubois of Lyons
and Mr. .Rudge Of Woodbridge School.
N Dubois observations n many
ways agree with mine. He has had
no difficulty in observing the effects of
subdivision Mr.. Rudge. on the other
hand, has completely failed to see anv
such effects. and he has gone so far as
e 70 suggest that these emects. il they
did occur, were due TO aggregation. not
70 segregation. A glance at the photo
graphs and drawings in my book will
indicate that the subdivision cannot be
due to mere aggregation OF cells, as
AIr. Rudge ina gines.
M. Duobis' eobes and my radfobes
although they differ in some respects.
have. at any rate enough in common
10 show that Mr. Rudge experiments
and observations, through some cause
not easily to be discovered, are some
how not altogether to the point Va
rious reasons have occurred to me as
10 why Mr.. Rudge should have failed
10 get the same results.
"Ih the first place. his bouillon.
which he frequently if not always
called 'gelatine.' may have been slight
IS different. and upon that little more
so much depends
Secondly. it seems extremely prob
able that the salts used may have
been in excess. so that only large
colonies or aggregates would be visi-
bic. II is well known that waea a tiny
crystal OF salt is placed in solution of
the same salt. the solution may be-
come crystallizcd en- masse. when. if
a large quantity Of the salt be used,
nothing happens.
Thirdly. I have used throughout a
twcifth-inch oil immersion lens. while
Nr. Rudge has not He confined HIM
self 10 smaller powers. a circumstance
which would further diminish his op-
portunities Of seeing the effects He
has quite recently, I understand, pro-
cured some higher powers. but ii is not
yet quite clear what he has obtained
with them. These considerations are
only questions OF technique They do
not touch upon matters of principle or
knowledge of the actual correlations
which are obviously necessary for the
successful repetition OF these expert
ments. apart from their technique"