But men or animals can be drugged and made drunk. Can metals likewise be drugged and made drunk? Yes, says Prof. Bose, and he proves it absolutely. He proves that metals show the same increase of irritability under the influence of stimulants and narcotics as the human body. Moreover, even as different animals are affected differently by the same dose of a stimulant, so also are different metals. Under the influence of carbonate of sodium, irritability of platinum is increased threefold, while the irritability of tin is less. Still more significant is the action of anaesthetics and narcotics. Under their action the sensitiveness of metals can be reduced to any desired degree, exactly as is the case of human beings. A more striking parallel between animal matter and metals is established by Prof. Bose. The action of some narcotics on the human frame is known to be paradoxical under certain conditions. While a large dose of opium, for instance, decreases the sensitiveness of the human body, a very minute dose has exactly the opposite effect, that is to say, acts as a stimulant. This anomaly has been found by Prof. Bose to have a parallel in metals, tin being found to show that its sensitiveness is increased half as much again by being treated with a minute dose of potash (3 parts in 100), but the sensitiveness begins to decrease when the dose is increased. Now the question suggests itself that if metals are as much alive as animals, then they must also be as liable to die as animals. Prof. Bose has found this to be a fact, too. Metals not only die; but they can be poisoned and revived, and poisoned and killed.