22 



NATURE 



[September i, 192 i 



struggling in the most fateful way : one, which 

 unites synthesis and analysis, which seeks the 

 truth of to-morrow, which has nothing to do with 

 politics and political parties; the other, which is 

 entirely subjective, full of personal ambitions and 

 views,' which is devoid of analytic conceptions, 

 and is born of the evils of to-day. 



Science is struggling with politics for its free- 

 dom ; politics is struggling with science for its 

 triumph. It is a struggle which, alas ! human 



history has witnessed many times, but which has 

 always ended in victory for science. It did seem 

 that this useless struggle would not have to repeat 

 itself again ; yet now the fierce combat is going 

 on in Russia ; the old times of the Middle Ages 

 have once more returned on jhe earth. The Bol- 

 shevists are repeating in many ways the long-for- 

 gotten past, though they themselves are convinced 

 that for the first time they are propagating a new 

 creed. 



Physical Effects Possibly Produced by Vision observed by Dr. Russ. 



By Dr. H. Hartridge. 



nj^HE rise and fall of scientific theories forms a 

 J- topic for study almost as interesting as does 

 the supersedence in history of one dynasty by 

 another. Newton's corpuscular theory of light 

 was displaced by the wave theory in much the 

 same way as the teaching of Aristotle supplanted 

 the older view of Plato — that in vision emanations 

 proceed forth from the eye to strike the objects 

 looked at. But just as modern physical research 

 has revived certain aspects of the corpuscular 

 theory, so the researches of Dr. C. Russ ("An 

 Instrument which is Set in Motion by Vision or 

 by Proximity of the Human Body," Lancet, 

 July 30, p. 222) have recalled to memory the views 

 of Plato. For these researches have shown that 

 certain instruments react when the human eye is 

 directed at them. 



One instrument used by Dr. Russ consisted of 

 a solenoid suspended by a single fibre of unspun 

 silk within a case composed partly of glass and 

 partly of metal, in such a way that the contents 

 were shielded from air-currents. Above the 

 solenoid was mounted a small permanent magnet, 

 so that the suspended solenoid set itself in a con- 

 stant meridian under the earth's magnetic field. 

 In another instrument the solenoid was replaced 

 by a condenser, oppositely charged metal plates 

 being mounted outside the instrument-case. With 

 both instruments it was shown that a rotation of 

 the suspended system occurred when the gaze \yas 

 suitably directed through a slot in the outside 

 casing. As to the precise details of the rotation, 

 the description is not very clear, but it seems that 

 when the gaze was directed to the centre of the 

 suspended system no rotation occurred; when, 

 however, the gaze was directed on either side of 

 the system, then that side rotated away from the 

 eyes some 10 to 45 degrees, and then again came 

 to rest. If the gaze continued to act, the deflection 

 remained unaltered ; but if the eyes were then closed, 

 the index returned to zero. 



In earlier experiments the rotation of the instru- 

 ment was directly observed by the human eye; 

 later, " however, the instruments were fitted with 

 concave mirrors similar to those apphed to reflect- 

 NO. 2705, VOL. 108] 



ing galvanometers, so that the rotation could 

 measured in the ordinary way by the movement 

 a spot of light on a scale. Besides demonstrating 

 that rotation of the instruments occurred undei 

 the action of the gaze, Dr. Russ also found some-j 

 what similar effects if the fingers were held near 

 the instrument. 



Nothing definite is known at present as to th( 

 explanation of these effects, but Dr. Russ mad( 

 the following preliminary alternative sugges- 

 tions : — 



1. That the effects are due to changes of tem- 

 perature. 



2. That they are due to the electrical changes] 

 which accompany vision and muscular action. 



3. That electrostatic forces are responsible foi 

 them. 



4. That the eye may emit electromagnetic wav( 

 {e.g. visual, infra-red, ultra-violet, and X-rays).^ 



With regard to the above suggestions, it mal 

 be said that temperature changes are not likely 

 be the cause, for hot objects placed in suitable 

 positions near the instruments produced either no 

 effects, or effects very much smaller than those 

 producible by eye or hand. Electric changes pro- 

 duced in muscle or in eye can, I think, be safely 

 ruled out, because of their smallness and because 

 of the closed circuits which the connective tissues, 

 skin, etc., form over them. To demonstrate or 

 to measure these currents, the retinae or muscles 

 must themselves be connected to the leads of the 

 galvanometer. Dr. Russ apparently ruled out the 

 possibility of electrostatic changes being re- 

 sponsible, by finding that the directing of the gaze 

 through a fine metal grid connected to earth 

 (which would screen off electrostatic charges) did 

 not prevent the instruments from reacting to the 

 gaze as usual. 



Lastly, in favour of the effect being an optical 

 one (I intend X-rays to be included) are the follow- 

 ing facts found by Dr. Russ : — 



1. That interposing a column of water between 

 the eye and the instrument reduced the effects. 



2. That the effects are very much smaller, or 



