Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-01-10
Miseellaasuas Rsadins.
BATTLING MYSTERY OF LIFE.
Scientists Have So Far Failed to
Fathom Its Secret.

Edinburgh, in his presidential address
before the annual meeting of the Brit
ish association for the advancement OF
science, calls scientific attention once
more to the mystery Of the origin OF
life. Sensational announcements with
regard to his address seemed to indi-
cate that he had found the solution OF
the mystery.
What he did, however, was to en-
phasize the fact that I'VE are not like
ly to obtain direct evidence regarding
such a Transformation Of non-living
into living matter in nature, even If II
is occurring under our eyes"
He suggests that very probably, liv-
ing matter did not originate, as has
usually been said, in the sea, but on
dry land, since on land fluctuations OF
moisture, temperature, electricity and
luminosity are potent in producing
chemical change"
In a word, this review Of the subject
by one Of the greatest of living physi-
ologists leaves us with the mystery OF
life Just as profound as ever. There
have been in recent years a series of
observations surprising enough In
themselves which serve to show that
we are getting nearer the significance
of life, though in some ways these add
to its mystery.
Some years ago Prof. Loeb announc-
ed that some Of the ova Of certain mi
mute organism could be made to ger
inmate without the ordinary stimulus
Of the contrary sex element simply
through the influence Of mechanical
stimulants, fluids Of various kinds.
Then there were discoveries that cells
separated from the tissues to which
they normally belonged could be
made to grow just as If they formed a
portion Of living being, If only their
products of activity were carried of
and nutrition and fluid supplied to
them.
Many cells can be grown in nutritive
media, just as bacteria are grown.
Quite recently have come announce
ments that have attracted world wide
attention of the possibility Of keeping
portions Of tissues, as Of veins and ar
teries and even entire organs like the
kidneys, alive for q prolonged period
after the death of the animal to which
they belong, so that they may be
transplanted into otter animals
Finally there was the demonstration
that heart tissues even Of warm blood
ed animals allowed TO stop contracting
but kept in a cold place so that no de-
generative changes would take place
could be stimulated into activity and
then go on with their rhythmic mo-
tions as before.
In other words, we are coming close
to the mystery Of life and the parallel
mystery Of death in these observations
They are not entirely new, though they
come to us in such novel form. We
have had familiar examples Of the sur
vival Of vital forces in organisms that
were dead and sometimes in portions
Of tissues separated from their original
possessors.
Every country boy knows the tradi-
ton that a snakes tell will not die un-
til sundown. 1t is founded on the OBJ
servation that after the death of a
snake, even when it has been cut in
two, any irritation OF its tail brings a
spontaneous movement extremely
startling for those who fear snakes very
much. Many brother has bravely
brought a dead snake home to exhibit
the phenomenon to his large sisters
terror.
Something Of the same kind happens
in that other cold-blooded familiar of
readily be stimulated into activity
when separated from the body, and,
indeed, the best illustrations that we
have Of the relation Of nerve and
muscle may be found in these nerve
muscle preparations taken from the
frog.
The frogs heart. however, is the
most interesting object Of experiment
in this regard. 1t will go on beating for
a prolonged period after it has been
removed from the body of the animal.
Indeed it is possible to make it do work
for many hours and even several days
by pumping salt solution through it,
so long as it be provided with the op-
portunity to carry OF it's own waste
products.
To see a heart beating on plate or
in glass jar is a little disturbing to
the ordinary notions of life, and yet
such Independent vital phenomena in
other forms have been familiar from
the earliest history of man. 1t has Of
ten been noted that the hair of certain
bodies and even the nails may continue
to grow for long period after death.
even beard has been discovered in cof-
fins that were opened.
We have come to recognize that this
only represents manifestation Of the
dCCuILuldlcu vitality pTSocIlt Ill Tic
hair and nail growing tissues, which,
because Of some accidental circum-
stances of nutritional progress, contin-
ued in spite fthe death of the organ
ism to which they belong. Motion con-
tinuing after the death Of the animal is
more startling than growth and yet
more significant.
There are evidently some portions Of
the body that possess a certain amount
of independent vitality. This came to
them originally out of the treasure of
life in the individual, but it gets stored
up in such a way that it may continue
it's manifestations even after separa-
ton from the organism.
Metchnikoff showed that white blood
cells would, under suitable circum-
stances, be made to live outside of the
animal body for many hours or even
for several days, so that they evident
ly possess a certain Independent life Of
their own. This was not so surprising,