The times dispatch., September 06, 1914, Image 48

About The times dispatch. (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

Remarkable Discoveries About a
Glands in the Brain That May
Enable Science Rapidly to Turn
Children Into Men, Chicks Into
Chickens, Calves Into Cows to
Sate War's Appetite for Meat
and Men.
IN one of H. H. Wolls's Imaginative
works. "The Food of the tJods," n?
conceived a magic food which mado
giants of men, animals and vegetables.
Even more remarkable Is a scientific
discovery Just brought to light, the. effect
of which may be not only to supply food
?for the warring nations In a manner
never before conceived, hut may likewise
furnish "made-to-order" men to (111 up
the decimated ranks of the contending
armies!
In a word, this new scientific food elimi
nates youth; or. rather, hastens maturity.
Fond-animals born within the past few
weeks, and which, in the ordinary course
of events, would not be available as food
for European soldiers for many months
to come may, by the application of tho
new discovery, be made available within
pr, many weeks.
While children who ordinarily would
not be old enough to fight for their coun
tr> for ton or fifiecn years may, perhaps,
be developed so expeditiously that they
may take an active part In the war
within a year or two, if the conflict lasts
that lout.
The fond problem Is, of course, one of
the most baffling phases of the great con
flict now raging in Europe. Either side
ma> achieve victory after victory on tho
field of battle, but if the food supply for
the soldiers nt the front or the nation at
large at home runs short, the triumphant
nation will eventually have to sue for
peace. An army is no more efficient than
its commissariat, and a
nation is only as formid
able as its food supply.
For these reasons. It is
believed In some quarters
that the diminution or tho
food supply ft? a result of
the presence nt the front
of inlllionsof men who are.
regularly engaged In farm
lng and other food-supply
pursuits will bring tho
war toan end more speed
ily than any succession of
victories or defeats on tho
field of battle possibly
could.
it must be kept in mind,
too, that after several of
the giant battles wh(,ch >
are certain to be fought In.
the present war and in
vrhlcb the casualties will
undoubtedly mount up In
to the millions have been
waged there may be easily
develop a lack of tigluing
men to continue the Strug
cle
the possibilities of the pineal gland as a
food for mm as well a** nnlmals. ther?
5ppiii5 ro be every reason lo believr that
its remarkable properties are universal in
their effort'.
Strangely enough, when Dr. McL'ord
commenced his experiments it was with
the idea that administration of pineal
Bland to his subjects would result in ar
resting their development because it was
generally believed that ono of (he func
tions of the pineal gland was to control
growth. Indeed, in a number to rases
where unusual precocity was found in in
fants, an autopsy revealed that the only
abnormal condition about the child was a
lack of pineal gland.
The scientist, used 11?> guinea piss, IS
puppies, 14 adult dogs and 10 chicks in
the course of his experiments. Ills gen
eral plan was to feed to v^ry young ani
mals minute quantities of fresh pineal
glands from cattle, keeping careful
records of the changes In weight, elza
and in the case of dogs. Increased men
tality, In contrast with those of other ani
mals maintained under otherwise Identi
cal conditions.
The pineal glandn were obtained partlv
from calves, partly from young adul'n
approximating three yearn, and partly
from the general run of cattle from the
abbatoirs. The glands averaged 2.11
grains in weight. There was a marked
difference in size and shape in the many
thousand glands which made up the bpv
oral pounds which were used In tha
course of the experiments.
The preparation of the glands for food
In view of these con
siderations the scientific:
discovery above refered to,
and which promises to ali
gnment the supply of food
and ruen In a way hitherto
conceived only in fiction,
assumes a practical im
portance which it might
not have attained in time
of peace, although its pos
sibilities from a scientific
standpoint can hardly be
overest i ma ted
The Pineal Gland, Which Is Indicated in
the Above Picture of the Human Brain,
Has Been Found to Develop Growth
Almost Miraculously When Adminis
tered as a Food.
The discovery is based 01 expferlruen s
conducted in connection with the little
gland in the brain known as the pineal
gland. This little organ which is some
times referred to as a vestige of a "third
eye ' and is believed by some to be tho
teat of the suul is possessed of soma
very remarkable properties.
Science has long been engaged in try
ing to ascertain just wuat the functions
ot tins organ, possessed alike by men
and animals, were but nothing very
ill li:ii!< was established until the last f,*w
months when Dr. Carey Pratt McCord. of
Detroit, Mich., a well-known pathologist,
announc <! to ;he American .Medical As
sociation the results of a series of experi
ments lie had conducted upon chickens
and guinea pigs, which revealed tna*.
science may : lortly be able to elirniate
the period of youth altogether in animals
and men; or. In other words, to hasten
maturit} so as to give to a boy of ten
or twelve tho physical and mental proper
ties of a man of twenty-one!
Such seeming miracles a* these have
actually hern performed by Dr. McCord
on chickens and guinea piss, and although
much 6till remains to b* ascertained as to
consisted in rinsing them
free from blood, stripping
tfipin of adherent tissue
and then grinding theni to
a line paste without (Irv
ing The paste is mixed
with sug&r-milk in such
quantity that 1 - grain of
milk-sugar represented 10
nig. pineal tissue. The
mass was made into 'fe
grain tablets and quickly
dried at room temperature.
The first experiment,
which was performed in
anticipation that feeding
would retard development,
was begun on two chicks
incubated In the laborn
tory. Beginning at Hie
"Vr x^.-ggt^Xmti \i?.>?xr ? y/jy ?;yteK&j&ffi*
Tha Extraordinary Vivid Picture of War by Emil Halarek, the Famous Hungarian Artist.
VICTIMS OF MOLOCH?Into the Open and Fiery Jaws of a Monster Representing War, Millions of Submissive Slaves Aro
Meekly Advancing1, Accompanied by Ignorant Multitudes and Carrvine- the Produce of Their Lnhnr
acainst 2S6; at tho ond
of i ho ninth week, 89".
grums, as against r.f.O, and
at the ond of the twelfth
week.* 025 grams, as
against 700. In other words
the pineal-fed chick at r.i.v
weeks was very nearly as
large as the control-chick
nt three months!
Tho striking dispropor
tion in size and the mark
ed skeleteai overgrowth
cal overgrowth.
work of life was pelerted nnrt divided into
test and control groups. The tost pUs
wore fed 10 miiigrams veal pineal tissue.
The controls were fed a grain milk
sugar tablet. Other conditions for the
two lots were identical."
Summarizing the results obtained from
r'nis experiment, it appears that the test
pigs were nearly as fully developed at
seven weeks as the control-pigs wero at
ten weeks.
This excess of weight was a symmetri
There was some in
creased adipose tissue
but it was generally
distributed and not
localized in any one
region of tho body.
Similar experiments
were then conducted
on a lot of fourteen
chicks ami eighteen
pups, with equally
satisfactory results,
in the case of the
dogs, particular at
tention was paid to
mental development.
The pineal-fed pup
pies were about a
month ahead of the
others. They were the
first to learn to hip
milk, the first to re
spond 10 a call and
the first to bo able
to find their way back
(o the kennol
'is--; : -c.'jt -ri
mm *0
ru"
r/f M f c ?
In stll! another experiment of th" same
character the development of the pineal
fed pi^s was even more rapid.
l>r. McCord concluded from these ex
periments that administration of "the
minute quantities of pineal tissue from
young animals to young animals stimu
lates rapid growth of the body, but not
beyond normal size." Indication of pre
cocity of mental development wero also
established.
These experiments are particularly
pisrnifleant because they are the first of
their kind, and thoir full possibilities can
only he conjectured at the present time.
As a practical solution of the food
problem, even in their present stage,
these experiments show that chickens
and other food animals may bo rapidly
developed by the administration of pineal
gland from other animals, and, while
scientists will move slowly in applying
similar treatment to human beings, thera
is no reapon to doubt Its efficacy.
Europe's War May Produce a Wadner
THAT one of the results of the groat
war now being waged In Europe
may be the calling forth of a
musical composer whose j?eniu3 will
rival Wagner's, Is the belief of Alexander
Russell, the well known American coin
poser and organist.
"As regards tho possible effect of the
present upheaval on modern composition
in general," says Mr. Russell, "I must
say that I should not be surprised were
l! ultimately to prove for tho best. With
all the technical innovations of the past
few decades a certain stagnation has
been evident since Wagner.
"As it is with ldividuais, so it is with
nations?adversity stimulates certain
deep spiritual elements that might other
wise lie dormant and which eventually
take artistic shape and manifest them
selves grandly and insplringly. Com
position has for some time been untinged
with the profoundest, most vital issues.
"Perchance stirred lo the surface, they
are again to be greatly voiced. A dis
turbed period usually brings out the
musical mouthpiece of its best ideals and
impulses. The seething period of ttie
Wench Revolution and its Immediate
consequences was followed by Beethoven;
the great popular uprising of tho early
and middle nineteenth century were nc
companied by Schumann. Chopin and
Liszt. Wagner was not in any sense a
product of the later part of that cen
tury, but a summary of all that had gone
between It and the Franco-Prussian war,
"So that I should bp in no sense i<ur
prised to nee emerge out of the present
war if it be sufficiently protracted and
deadly-the genius who will carry o;i
the line of succession from Wagner."
Still another effect of the war, accdrd
ing :o Mr, Russell, may be Increased op
portunities for American musicians.
"With this war in active progress," he
pays, "and ?the very plausible impossi
bility of foreign importation.-; of artists
or of new music, opportunity such a3
never before witnessed offer; itself to our
musicians. Their chance has come, it
would seem, both to disclose th< t latent,
powers and to be judged more patiently
and discriminatingly than ever before,
"If the handicap of prejudicial F'u*
ropean competition can be hold off for
an appreciable space of time, and if tho
popular demand for music clamors eager
ly for satisfaction as undoubtedly lit.
will-it seems fairly certain to me thatl
our artists and composers must not only!
bo welcomed by their countrymen with!
more fervor than has hitherto boon the!
ease, but, In tho end, eagerly sought ouL
by those very perrons who formerly!
oither derided their pretentions or dis
trusted their skill, without endeavoring
seriously to acquaint, themselves with
their qualities. This, I should think,
would be a propitious time to scour tho
lleld for undiscovered American talent.
It may be needed next Winter should con
ditions prevent the return of the for
eigners."
Photograph of Two Cliiclcs Each Three Weeks Old, the Larger
One Having Been Fed on Pineal Gland. While the Smaller
Was Maintained Under Identical Conditions, but With
out the Pineal Glnnd Administration*
Another experiment
was conducted on a
group of 48 guinea
pigs divided .into test
and control lots. There
was an equal number
of males and females
in each lot. but the
age of two days one wan fed 10
iniligrammes veal pineal tissue three
times weekly. the other. uRed for
comparison, was fed a blank tablet, i f
milk (sugar.
Here are the actual results obtained in
this experiment: At the end of the third
week the "pmeal-fed" chick , weighed 2l:>
grams, tho control chick. 02 grains; at
the end of the sixth week, 657 graiii.?, as
making the largo chick awkward in his
movements. "declared Dr. McCord. "soon
tnadc these chicks a laboratory curiosity,
but the small number and the different
sex did not justify any inference as to
the Influence of tho pineal feeding. Tho
results, however, were so striking that
at once work was Instituted in a more
extensive way."
"A lot of fifty guinea pigs in the second
mules and females
wore separated. The test-pigs were
fed pint ;il gland when they were two
w ok. ..id, and the diet was continued
l'"r nine weeks. The males and females
wore then placed together in breeding
pens. All except two of the pineal-fed
l ,l's jjivp. birth to young before the first
or" the control, the difference between the
birth of young of the first pineal-fed pig
ai d tii * first control pig beine 14 davs.
Copyright, 1914, by the Star Company.
Orcat Britain Tliphts Reserved*