ACTION DE L'ÉLECTRICITÉ SUR LES TOXINES BACTÉRIENNES
d'ARSONVAL, CHARRIN · 1896
Scientists have been documenting biological effects from electromagnetic fields since 1896, over a century before wireless devices.
Plain English Summary
This 1923 French study by D'Arsonval and Cournon investigated how electricity affects bacterial toxins, specifically pyocyanic and diphtheria toxins. In guinea pig experiments, animals inoculated with electrified toxin remained healthy while control animals died, and the authors conclude that high-frequency currents destroyed the virulence of the diphtheria toxin without chemical action, through molecular vibration alone.
Why This Matters
This 1923 French report by D'Arsonval and Cournon is early research on how electrical currents affect biological substances. They treated bacterial toxins with high-frequency, high-voltage currents (a solenoid with oscillating current at about 200,000 reversals per second) and with continuous current, then injected guinea pigs. Animals given electrified pyocyanic or diphtheria toxin remained healthy while the control animals died, and the authors conclude that high-frequency currents destroyed the virulence of the diphtheria toxin without chemical action, through molecular vibration alone. The work was done decades before wireless devices and tested electrical currents passed through toxin solutions, not electromagnetic fields from consumer devices.
Finding
Cette expérience prouve que les courants à haute fréquence ont complétement détruit la virulence de la toxine diphtérique, et cela en l'absence de toute action chimique, par simple ébranlement moléculaire.
In their words
“Cette expérience prouve que les courants à haute fréquence ont complétement détruit la virulence de la toxine diphtérique, et cela en l'absence de toute action chimique, par simple ébranlement moléculaire.”
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
To determine if electrical treatment of bacterial toxins can render them harmless and potentially vaccinable, and to investigate the mechanism of action.
Experiments were conducted using cobayas (guinea pigs) inoculated with attenuated bacterial toxins. ...
In the first experiment, 3 cobayas inoculated with electrised pyocyanic toxin remained healthy while...
Electrical treatment of bacterial toxins, particularly with high-frequency high-voltage currents, can completely destroy their toxic activity without chemical action, through molecular vibration alone. This suggests a potential clinical application for treating bacterial infections.
Show BibTeX
@article{action_de_l_lectricit_sur_les_toxines_bact_riennes_g4222,
author = {d'ARSONVAL and CHARRIN},
title = {ACTION DE L'ÉLECTRICITÉ SUR LES TOXINES BACTÉRIENNES},
year = {1896},
}