The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-26
Generates Lie
By Use Of The
Electric Current

The use Of electricity as an agency
in the creation of life and its devel-
opment has recently had two striking
scientific illustrations, both indicat-
ing that we are only beginning to ap-
preciate the power and possibility
hidden in the whirling dynamo. From
Dijon, France, has come the news
that Prof Bertaillon has generated
tadpoles by the application of an
electric current to frogs eggs, and
in Stockholm Sweden, a series Of eN-
periments upon school children indi-
cate that the electric current is a po-
tent factor in stimulating mental and
physical growth.
Whether or not these experiments
are conclusive, they suggest the in
finite potentials of that strange force
which flashes through the air at
mans command. Electricity was I'M
known century ago,and little known
so years ago. It's possibilities only
began to be understood two decades
since, and every one of the last 10
years has witnessed some revolution
airy revelation of it's hidden power.
The telegraph, the telephone, the ca
Die, the trolley car, the wireless, the
motion picture, the automobile, the
aeroplane, the Searchlight, the auto
matte tool, are all partly or wholly
dependent on the electric current.
And now comes the most astound-
ing assertion of all. that electricity
can not only stimulate growth, but
that it can actually create life. Sew
eral years ago Prof. Delage of Paris
asserted that he had by artificial
means succeeded in fertilizing the
embryos of sea. urchins, one of the
lowest forms of animal life known.
This was one of the first instances in
which artificial generation, which was
q subject of scientific study for CEN
turtles before Goethe satirized it in
the second part of Faust was dem
onstrably successful. Prof. Delage's
experiments have been questions, and
those which Prof. Bertaillon has just
reported will be even more closely
examined by the scientific world be-
fore it will agree that frogs can be
called to life by the application of an
electric current.
The Dijor scientist has worked ex-
clusively with frogs eggs. He de-
claHRs that he obtained a few tad
poles by merely pricking the eggs
with very fine platinum needle. This
touch of the needle sufficed to set
and results to that which follows I'M
natural fertilization. But in the
large majority of cases the expert
ment failed and Prof. Bertaillon won
dered whether the fertilization of tile
few eggs which developed into tad
poles had not been accomplished be-
fore he began his experiments.
So he went step further. In adj
dition to pricking the eggs with the
platinum needle he subjected them to
q series of electric discharges, and at
once was more successful. A large
proportion of the eggs developed. The
natural conclusion from these expert
ments was that both processes, the
pricking and the identification are
essential to generation. The touch
Heves, supplies the shock that sets
the augmentation process in motion,
and the electric current Is the factor
which accelerates the evolution
The correctness of this conclusion
by the French scientist is, in some
measure confined by the experiments
which are still being carried on m
the public schools of Stockholm. Fol-
lowing out successful endeavors to
force the rapid growth of vegetables
by the application of an electric cur
rent, the Stockholm tests appear to
demonstrate that similar effects may
be obtained with children
The experiments were carried on in
the following way: Two groups of
20 children were selected for the ex-
pertinent. They were as nearly alike
in all respects as it was possible 20
IL,
weight, intelligence, quality of pa
rentage and 80 on. These children
were then placed in two separate
schoolrooms, as nearly alike as pos
s1ble, supplied with the same amount
of air and light. But while the group
in one room pursued its occupations
under the usual conditions the at
mosphere In the other room was SUBJ
jected to continual electric discharg-
es, 80 that the bodies of those in this
room were subject to the action of
electric currents
This condition of affairs was con-
tinued for several years, and recently
comparison was made to determine
which of the two groups of children
had advanced the farthest in point of
mental and physical development.
The tests which were made show IN
enormous percentage of advantage
on the side of the children that work
ed in the electrified atmosphere. They
show a larger ratio of growth, they
put on more weight and they also
show a much more active intelligence
than the children of the other group.
Not all scientists are convinced
tnat these experiments are conclu-
sive. 1t is alleged that the laws of
chance may have played pranks, and
that many more experiments must
be shown to have been the prima nv
cause of these improvements But
those who are familiar with the re-
suits obtained by electricity in other
Fields are much less inclined to skep-
t1clsm The remarkable coincidence
Of success in the fields of gentfation
and growth indicate at least that
there are possibilities in the electric
current which are aonly beginning to
be worked out.-Brooklyn Eagle.
DANGER OF TUBERCULOSIS IN
ErECpTTON uyuIDnrrCn Drrrvrrr,