Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose, His Life and SpeechesBose, Jagadis Chandra
Science
Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose, His Life and Speeches
Bose, Jagadis Chandra
Science
It would not be out of place to mention that Dr. Bose, to carry on his
researches on the Ascent of Sap, invented a new type of instrument
(Shoshungraph). And for an accurate investigation on the phenomenon of
growth of plants he devised an instrument (Growth Recorder) for
instantaneous measurement of the rate of growth and another instrument
(Balanced Crescograph) for determining the influences of various
agencies on growth. So very marvellous these instruments that the
growth, which takes place, during a few beats of pendulum, is measured,
and, in less than a quarter of an hour, the action of fertilizers,
foods, electrical currents and various stimulants are determined. "What
is the tale of Aladdin and his wonderful lamp" exclaims the Editor of
the _Scientific American_ "compared with the true story told by the
crescograph?... Instead of waiting a whole season, perhaps years, to
discover whether or not it is wise to mix this or that fertilizer with
the soil one can now find in a few minutes!" Yet these are the
instruments which are better known in Washington than in Calcutta! The
question of their application to practical agriculture has excited more
interest in the United States of America than in this unfortunate land,
which is an essentially agricultural country!
FUNDAMENTAL IDENTITY OF REACTIONS
Dr. Bose showed that there is no physiological response given by the
most highly organised animal tissue that is not also to be met with in
the plant. He carried on "Researches on Diurnal Sleep" and showed that
the plant is not equally sensitive to an external stimulus during day
and night, and that there is a fundamental identity of life-reaction in
plant and animal, as seen in a similar periodic insensibility in both,
corresponding to what we call _sleep_. He also showed that the passage
of life in the plant, as in the animal, is marked by an unmistakable
spasm. He invented, an instrument (Morograph) with which he recorded the
critical point of death of a plant with great exactness. He
demonstrated, in the most conclusive manner, that there is an essential
unity of physiological effects of drugs on plant and animal tissues and
showed the modifications which are introduced into these effects by the
factor of individual 'constitution.' It may be mentioned casually that
"this physiological identity in the effect of drugs is regarded by
leading physicians as of great significance in the scientific advance of
Medicine; since we have a means of testing the effect of drugs under
conditions far simpler than those presented by the patient, far subtler
too, as well as more humane than those of experiments on animals."[19]
Dr. Bose further demonstrated that there is conduction of the excitatory
impulse in the plant, like the nervous impulse in the animal; and showed
the possibility of detecting the wave in transit and measured the speed
with which the excitation coursed through the plant and also showed that
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