44

Bioelectromagnetism

Bertholon (1741–1800), professor of Natural Philosophy at Montpellier, France, made the frst of many

experiments of electric stimulation on plant growth. His developed “electro-vegetometer” was used for

the collection of atmospheric electricity by means of an antenna arrangement (Schifer, 2003, p. 247).

Using this arrangement, he observed the increased growth and fertility of treated plants under the

infuence of electricity compared to untreated plants. In 1783, Bertholon attempted for the frst to apply

the electric feld generated from the open air electrifed network on plants and observed that the fresh

weight of the plants grew more under the network than the control samples. Many other investigators

also tried to apply electricity on plants.

Maimbray’s result was confrmed by Abbè Nollet. He electrifed two pots containing growing seeds

for 15 consecutive days. Te electrifed pot put forth sprouts earlier. He carried out the same experiments

on several plant species. Nollet showed that seeds in electrifed metal containers germinated rapidly

(Schifer, 2003, p. 109). In a series of many experiments using seeds, birds, and cats, he established the

growth enhancement by electrifcation which became lately the “electro-culture.” Abbè Menon, princi­

pal of the College of Bueil at Angers, France, made a gentle electrifcation on the animal system for the

determination of physiological efects. He chose cats, pigeons, and chafnches. Afer electrifcation for 5

or 6 hours at a time, he found that one cat was 65 or 70 grains lighter than the other, the pigeon from 35

to 38 grains, and chafnch has lost 6–7 grains (one grain is 0.0648 g). He concluded that electricity aug­

ments the slow, continuous perspiration of animals. Te same was found in human. He found a loss in

weight of several ounces (1 ounce is 28.35 g) when persons of 20–30 years old were electrifed for 5 hours

(Mottelay, 1922).

In 1747, Jean Louis Jallabert (1712–1768), professor of Philosophy and Mathematics at Geneva, Italy,

improved Nollet’s experiments. He demonstrated that the electrifed plants grow faster and have more

frm stems than the non-electrifed ones. He electrifed various plants for 2 hours every day, and exposed

them to open air afer electrifcation, and found that all of them grew rapidly and fourished remark­

ably (Solly, 1845). Edward Solly (1819–1886) was a British chemist, and in 1845 he became professor of

Chemistry at Addiscombe College. He performed in 1845 experiments where grains, vegetables, and

fowers were grown between electrodes, which were buried into the ground and about 200 feet apart.

In this treatment, he got a benefcial efect in 19 cases, 16 harmed cases, and 35 cases with no efect. He

concluded that electricity has no marked efect on plant growth. Many experiments have been used for

passing to collect electricity through plants. Te results of these experiments were doubtful. On the other

hand, numerous experiments have been done, in which a potential gradient around the plants with a

network of wires was created. A wire network was placed at various distances above the treated plants.

Tis arrangement produced an electric feld between the wire network and the ground. Tis means that

the plants, growing in the ground under the wire network, were exposed to an electric feld. In 1878, Louis

Grandeau (1834–1911), professor at the Collège de France, investigated the efect of atmospheric electricity

on the growth of tobacco, corn, and wheat. In order to investigate the efect, there were two parts which

divided into the uncovered area (natural condition) and a covered area with wire net (shielded from

atmospheric electricity). Te uncovered plants grew 50%–60% higher than the shielded plants.

Te Finnish scientist Karl Selim Lemström (1838–1904), professor of physics at Helsinki, noticed that

the vegetation looked green and healthy during his visits to the Polar region such as to Spitzbergen, the

north of Norway and the Finnish Lapland, and wondered about it. His suspicion was that the looking

green and healthy vegetation might be due to the electric currents from the aurora borealis. To confrm

this, he performed an agricultural experiment on the efects of electrostatic felds on plants in difer­

ent places in Europe such as Finland, Germany, Sweden, and Burgundy (Lemström, 1904). His study

showed that the electrical discharge from an aerial system of wire network points stimulated the growth

of plants such as potatoes, carrots, and celery and that there is an average yield increase of 45% compared

to the control samples within 8 weeks. He proposed that the best times for the application of the static

electric feld were for 4 hours in the morning and another 4 hours during the late afernoon. Te applica­

tion of electricity was for the whole day during cloudy weather, and during nights of moist weather. Tis

result led to the application of electricity in horticulture and agriculture, later called “electro-culture.”