116 LIVING LIGHTS. 





CHAPTER XV. 



MAN'S RELATIONS TO THE PHENOMENON OF 

 PHOSPHORESCENCE. 



DR. PHIPSON, the eminent scientist, states that he once 

 observed certain phenomena in man, the light being a 

 brilliant scintillation of a metallic pink color. 



It is well known that human beings under certain physical 

 conditions become luminous. In some cases among the igno- 

 rant great excitement has been occasioned, and the victim 

 avoided as a pest, or something capable of dire disaster to 

 the entire community. 



In a small German village, an English physician discovered 

 a man who was luminous at night, and who had caused much 

 alarm among the superstitious. 



Bartholin records an instance of an Italian lady whom he 

 calls Mulier splendens, who suddenly found that, when 

 rubbed with a linen cloth in the dark, her body gave out a 

 brilliant phosphorescent light ; so that she appeared in a dark- 

 ened room like a veritable fire-body, an awe-striking object 

 to her superstitious servant, who fled from her speechless 

 with fear and amazement, thinking that her mistress was 

 being consumed. 



Dr. Kane records a very curious instance of luminosity, 

 probably electric, which played about his person. He was on 



