ELECTRIFIED CHILDREN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3348, 14 October 1911, Page 3

ELECTRIFIED CHILDREN.

NOVEL EXPERIMENTS IN SWEDEN

Considerable interest has been aroused amongst Swedish scientists in. regard to a remarkable electrical experiment which lias been carried on or some years in one of the. public schools of Stockholm. The object has been to test the beneficial influence of electricity on the development of the human body. Hitherto it had been found possible t-o force the giowth of vegetables by means of electrical currents distributed from a powerful dynamo. This idea has been carried out with signal success in- several .places. It was accordingly contended that the human organism was equally susceptible of “expedited growth,” as it lias been called through tlie practically continuous application, of an electricity charged atmosphere to the body. Two groups of twenty-five children each were selected, as nearly alike as possible in general health, size, and weight. The respective, groups were given their instruction, in two rooms, both being equal in size, ventilation, lighting, and other general conditions. But the group in one of the r,coins was constantly exposed 1 to the influence of electric currents, while the other group pursued its studies under normal conditions in the other room. After a. test of several years the two groups of children, have been compared, and it. is claimed that the “electrified” children have outstrinoed the others mentally and physically, and that they have grown faster, put on weight, more quickly, and shown more physical fitness generally, besides possessing superior mentality. Scepticism is displayed in some quarters, and the result of the experiment is not altogether regarded as decisive. It is expected, however, that, similar experiments will be conducted in some of the other schools, in order to demonstrate, the supposed efficacy of the electrifying process in improving the mental and physical condition of the rising population. Needless to say, the combination of the new treatment, if successful, with the Swedish system, of physical culture, now in vogue in many other countries also, is another indication of the rational and scientific progress that lias been made in Sweden in recent years, many of the more progressive educationalists endeavor in to embody, as far as possible, the Greek ideal c-f a sound mind in a sound body.