AT THE GATEWAY OF LIFE AND DEATH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 219, 15 September 1928, Page 7

AT THE GATEWAY OF LIFE AND DEATH

MYSTERIES OF THE HUMAN MACHINE [ British Official Wireless. 1 RUGBY, {Sept. 13. Great interest was shown in an address last night to the British Association on “The Mystery of Life,” in which Professor Donnan, of London University, the eminent chemist, referred to the researches of Professor Hill, the English physiologist. Dr. Donnan said Professor Hill was on the verge of a dtcovery of astounding importance, if indeed he had not already made it. He was ’vorking at the very gate between life and death. It appeared from his work on nonmcdullated nerve cells and on muscle that the organised structure of these cells was a chemo-dynamic structure, which supplied oxygen, and therefore oxide, to preserve the organisation. The molecular structure was always tending to run down to approach biochemical changes and disorganisation. It required constant oxidation to preserve the peculiar organisation or organised molecular structure of life of the living cell.

The life machine was, therefore, totally unlike other ordinary mechanical machines. It was perhaps a little premature to say how far these results would prov'e to be generally true, but Dr. Donnan said De believed that they

were of enormous importance, and that for the first time in the history of science they had begun to understand the difference bet wee life and death, and therefore the very mca.ninn of life itself. He believed continuous fine analysis of the living cell must lead to »uch an understanding of- the organisation of life that laboratory construction of a living cell on a physical plane could be achieved. Professor Hill, to whose work Dr. Donnan attaches such great importance, is distinguished as a physician, mathematician and physiologist. The technique of his physiological work has aroused immense adminration among his fellow scientists. As an example he is able to measure the increase of temperature caused by nerve impulse to one millionth part of one degree.