Under the presidency of His Excellency Lord Carmichael, Prof. J. C. Bose
delivered on Friday, the 17th January 1913 an interesting address on his
recent researches at the Physical Laboratory of the Presidency College,
Calcutta, his subject being "Plant Autographs."
Professor Bose has been long engaged in researches on the "Irritability
of Plants," with results of great interest. These results have been made
possible by the invention of a series of instruments of extraordinary
precision and delicacy. Some of Professor Bose's instruments measure and
record a thousandth of a second. Invisible movements in plants,
hitherto beyond human scrutiny, have been brought within the range of
immediate perception through the wonderful devices shown by the
lecturer's demonstration of same on the screen.
Among those present were:--Sir William and Lady Duke, the Maharaja of
Nashipur, Sir Gurudas Bannerjee, Sir Chundra Madhab Ghose, Sir Lawrence
and Lady Jenkins, Sir Richard Harington, Hon. Mr. P. C. Lyon, Mr.
Justice Holmwood, Mr. Justice Chaudhuri, Hon. Mr. S. L. Maddox, Maharaja
of Cossimbazar, Hon. Dr. Kuchler, Mr. Bhupendra Nath Basu, Hon. Mr. E.
W. Collin, Mr. W. Graham, Mr. Fraser Blair, Hon. Mr. B. Chuckerbutty,
Hon. Mr. J. G. Apcar, Hon. Mr. B. C. Mitter, Hon. Rai Radha Charan Pal
Bahadur, Hon. Dr. D. P. Sarbadhikari, Mr. and Mrs. Williams, Mr. L. P.
E. Pugh, Mr. Lanford James, Dr. P. K. Roy, Khan Bahadur Moulvie Mahomed
Yusuf, Rai Bahadur Dr. Chunilal Bose, Mr. W. J. Simmons, Mr. and Mrs. J.
H. Hechle, Principal H. R. James and Mrs. James, Mr. T. J. Waite, Dr. P.
C. Roy and Rai P. N. Mukherji Bahadur.
His Excellency, as President, called upon Dr. Bose to deliver his
lecture.
Professor Bose commenced with a reference to the claims made by those
who profess to discriminate character by handwriting. As to the
authenticity of such claims, scepticism was permissible; but there was
no doubt that one's handwriting might be modified profoundly by
conditions, physical and mental. There still existed, at Hatfield House,
documents which contained the signature of the historical Guy Fawkes. A
photograph projected on the screen showed a sinister variation in those
signatures. The crabbed and distorted characters of the last words which
Guy Fawkes wrote on earth told their own tale of that fateful night.
Such was the tale that might be unfolded by the lines and curves of a
human autograph. Could plants be made similarly to write their own
autographs revealing their hidden story? Storm and sunshine, the warmth
of summer and the frost of winter, drought and rain, would come and go
about the plants. What subtle impress did they leave behind? How were
the invisible, internal changes to be made externally visible?