The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-18
Poison and Life
(Boston American.)

Wlth)n the past few weeks the
world OF sciencc has come face to face
Wi'l an entirely new set of facts
which arc beyond it's own power to
explain. Some of tho most, instan-
tsneous deadly p%oisons known to
chemistry have been found quite
to certain forms of life.
mere nave recently hccn noticed sew
efaI instances where certain insects
nave shown wonderful resistance
when placed in situations in which
other varieties would instantly die.
Ihe law of special adaptation docs
not s"lNe the problem. for special
adaptation is only acquired through
long generation Of creatures. Thus
IN the case of the worm that lives i'm
me California crude petroleum, for
instance. it is known. of course, that
petroleum Was discovered in Caljfor-
MIA only a few years ago. and there
mas heen no opportunity for the law
OF adaptation or acquired immunity
t" become effective. Science is
stuh1red: what it has Just discovered
1t cannot explain upon any rational
hypothesis.
II a chemist were asked tn name the
most powerful poison he would i'm
s'antIN say hNdrocyanic acid (prussic
afido:. yet there exists d family of
small butterflies. or moths. scicntitical-
~ known AS the Z~yEaenidae. which are
not effected by this powerful poison.
They arc the only living animals
which are immune tn this deadly gas.
II viii he remembered that this is the
poison which Richeson used to murder
ms sweetheart. Avis Linnell, by Civ
ing her Il capsule of potassium cyn-
aide. When the capsule dissolved in
me stomach the gastric juice acted on
inc potassium cyanide and formed
free prussic acid.
DR.. Shulzc of the University of Fer
lin. has recently made two ohserya-
tlohs which appear to show almost
miraculous powers of Resistance. (See
I~oologlsrhcr Anzeiger. No. 20. Page
l"'.l "A student AT tho University of
Ferlin wished to study some Hot,en-
lot heads. and had tho heads sent To
MN from ti"rman-South Africa. The
heads were placed in tin boxes. GOV
cred with a solution of formalde1vdc
10 preserve them. and the boxes seal
ed. When these boxes were opened
IN Berlin a great number of tiny flies
New out. which We're Identified as the
ordinary fruit hy'' which collects
about ovcrripe bananas and Crane
t%sClent1tic Drosophila rubrostriatal
What was ever more remarkable was
the TACT that great numbers of the
larvae We're found SWIMMING ahou,
- itS iulN. i ttIlIlS If1I
TN" heads would he injured hv the
larvae. a saturated solution of for
maldehNde was poured over the heads.
pu1 the larvae were ~uninjurcd.
formaldehyde is one of tho most IT.
rltant and poisonous gases known. l.,
Is very largely used to disintcrt rooms
Wher there have been contagious dis
eases. and a three per cent solution
is used by museums as a preserving
solution in which to keep their spcci.
ments. DR.. Wleey found that even
small traces which were used hy UNI
scrupuious milkmen to keep their
milk from souring produced VERY.
harmful effects. This one fruit n.y.
is the only known animal which can
Withstand the effects of formaldehNJo.
DIR. Shulze also had occasion TO
blow fly" (Musca womitora) in a :"
per ont solution of chronic acid. No
animal or plant VAS known which
could withstand the action of this
acid but the larvae o only lived AT
the bottom of the solution, hu, they
purated and produced living flies.
The occurrence of plants which live
upon insects which they capture is
we'll known. Some of these plants
have appcndage which act as traps.
The lid of the trap lies open. but when
an insect walks inside OF the danger
line the lid snaps shut and the pla Mt
dlgests its prey. When the digestion
is complete the trap opens for another
victim. There are five species of ficS.
however three culicids. one phorids
and one ~anthomyiid. which lay their
eggs in the digestive fluid of the pitch
or plants. n the larvae live here.
feeding on the luckless insects which
are captured. These larvae arc not
disested. because they secrete a fuid
which renders the digestive fluid
harmless to them. The tape worms
and other intestinal worms have the
same means of stopping digestive pro-
cesses.
1t is a common report that the Dead
Sea. in Palestine. and the great Salt
Lake in Utah contain no animal life
because of the great amount of dis
solved matter in the water. But in
southern California there is a lake,
Owens lake which contains as much
dissolved material as either the Dead
Sea or the Great Salt Lake. and in ad-
dition to this the salt is largely sal
soda (washing soda). Each gallon of
this water contains nearly a pound
and a half of washing soda. and large
quantities of the water are evaporated