238 History of Luminescence 



The first book on luminescence during the " popular period " 

 was Phosphorescence or the Emission of Light by Minerals, Plants 

 and Animals, by T. L. Phipson (1833-1908) , published in London 

 in 1862 and in New York in 1869, Phipson remarked in his preface 

 that the original sketch for the book appeared in 1858 *^ in Brussels 

 and was translated into German and Italian, thus revealing a wide- 

 spread interest in the subject. Phipson's book of 210 pages is defi- 

 nitely popular in character. It is divided into four parts— the first 

 dealing with mineral phosphorescence and meteorological mani- 

 festations of light, the second with phosphorescence of plants and 

 decaying wood, the third with phosphorescence of animals, includ- 

 ing dead animal matter and phosphoric phenomena in man, and 

 the fourth with historical, theoretical, and practical considerations. 



It is interesting to note that the light from decayed wood was 

 correctly attributed to a fungus. Regarding luminous fish Phipson 

 was uncertain. He studied a dead luminous ray himself (1860) and 

 showed (p. 103) " by direct chemical experiment that no phos- 

 phorus can be found in the luminous grease which shines upon 

 fish." He wrote (p. 103) : " I was at first inclined to attribute their 

 phosphorescence to the presence of some microscopic fiingi, but at 

 present I am more inclined to believe it is owing to some peculiar 

 organic matter which possesses the property of shining in the dark 

 like phosphorus itself." 



Of even more popular appeal was the Living Lights, by Charles 

 Frederick Holder (1851-1915), a Pasadena, California, writer on 

 zoological subjects. It was published in London and in New York 

 in 1887, and later became one of the " Marvels of Animal Life " 

 series. As Holder wrote in his preface, " The object of the present 

 work is to interest young people in natural history by the presenta- 

 tion of an attractive— indeed, marvellous— phase of nature, and to 

 encourage healthful outdoor observation, as well as habits of investi- 

 gation." Pointing out that " In the United States there are ten 

 thousand enrolled young naturalists, comprising the Agassiz Asso- 

 ciation . . . , it is to these young scientists, their unscientific elders 

 and the boys and girls in general who have not yet had their interest 

 arused in Nature's works, that this volume is addressed." 



Basing his statements on the work of previous scientists— for a 

 bibliography of 114 references accompanied the book— Holder suc- 

 ceeded very well in presenting, with excellent, if somewhat extrava- 

 gant illustrations, the varied examples of light-producing animals 

 and plants. Many of the classic and sensational instances of lumi- 

 nous phenomena are discussed— the luminous meat of Fabricius ab 



*« T. L. Phipson, Jour, de Med. et de Pharm. de Bruxelles, 1855 and 1858. 



