TALK ON NERVOUS IMPULSE

Professor Tagdis Chandra Bose, of the University of Calcutta spoke on "The Control of Nervours Impulse in Plant and Animal", yesterday afternoon. After a preliminary talk in which he discussed the question of the possible control of the nervous system in animals and plants, Mr. Bose told of his use of the "resonant recorder" and showed diagrams illustrating his experiments. "We know", he said, "that a plant experiences internal changes, but the only way we have of studying these changes is to make the plant give some kind of answer to a shock".

In an animal a strong shock opposed by a strong force causes an unpleasant sensation, while a weak shock against a weak resistance has a pleasing effect. In plants also there is a great difference in the effects of varying shocks and resistences.

Professor Bose illustrated the inhibitory effect of alcohol, chloroform, either, and potassium cyanide on various plants and finally demonstrated that the nervous system of a plant, ten times more sensitive than that of an animal, may be controlled.