There was once great interest in what was known as The Great Bordeaux Magnetic Machine Mystery, or L’ Affaire Priore’. It was reported in the popular press, and in a number of papers in COMPTES RENDUS des SEANCES de l’ Academie des Sciences since 1964, sponsored by Robert Courrier.
The machine, built at the University of Bordeaux by Antoine Priore, a 62-year-old electrical engineer, was originally used to kill micro-organisms that produce rot in fresh vegetables and fruit. Subsequently, it was reported that wondrously beneficial effects on experimental subjects were obtained by the radiation emanating from the machine.
In its day, its primary use appeared to be in cancer treatment of animals, where a large number of cures were claimed, as described in further detail below. Of course, human treatment of cancer was its final goal.
The machine was reported to be comprised of the following:
- a large plasma tube excited by 430 V
- a magnetron oscillator (9.4 Ghz, 40 Kw peak), which pulsed on for 1 micro-seconds at a rate of 1 Khz
- two high frequency oscillators (17.6 Mhz and 15.8 Mhz)
- a magnetic field (1200 G) which confines the plasma and which is pulsed at a rate of 50 times per minute. (G = Gauss a measure of magnetic field strength)
The magnetron and the two high-frequency signals were mixed in the plasma so that the 9.4 Ghz signal was modulated by the two high-frequency signals. The magnetic field at the table, where the subject is located, is about 600 G. (A second machine was also built which was capable of producing an active magnetic field of about 1200 G.)
Several experiments were carried out. Some of these are summarized below:
- A cancerous tissue was grafted to laboratory rats. Twenty-four control rats died within 22-30 days. In those rats which had been exposed to bioactive magnetic field from Priore’s machine, the cancerous tissue was either completely absorbed, or, if the treatment was begun after cancer had started to spread, had regressed to the point of total cure.
There were no observed bad side effects and there was no recurrence of the cancer.
- A different and highly malignant strain of cancerous tissue, leukaemia, which can cause death in as little as two weeks, was grafted onto laboratory rats. Again, exposure to the radiation in the magnetic field resulted in the complete inhibition of growth of the cancerous grafts, or, if the disease had started to develop before the treatment was begun, to its total regression.
- Mice were inoculation with a microscopic blood parasitic (Trypanosoma equiperdum) which causes sleeping sickness and death in short time. The course of the experiment could be followed closely by analysing blood samples taken daily. All control animals died by the fifth day. Mice exposed daily to the bioactive magnetic field survived (38 out of 46 animals) with complete disappearance of the parasites from their systems.
- They also developed a specific immunity to further infection. Animals exposed some days before inoculation appeared to have developed an immunity.
- Rabbits, which develop a chronic illness when inoculated with trypanosomes from which they usually die after several weeks, were tested with the bioactive magnetic field with the same positive results as described above.
A twenty-man commission composed of well known men of science, medicine, law and other professionals of the day, investigated the claims made for this mystery machine. They reported experimental findings, but were not able to provide an explanation of the workings of the Priore equipment.
Funding was provided by the French Government to construct a third and more powerful machine which cost 3.5 million dollars. It was called the M-600 and functioned for about one week until a huge tube in it exploded. Due to the inflation rampant in the early 70’s, the replacement cost would have exceeded one million dollars which was felt to be too high to continue the project.
The story of this remarkable work began in 1944 when Antoine Priore noticed some oranges which had been left in a room next to some electrical equipment. These oranges remained in a fresh state while others not near the electrical equipment became rotten and putrid.
This anomaly intrigued young Priore to explore magnetic and electromagnetic effects on various plants. One of his earlier experiments was the exposure of lentil seeds to a magnetic field of 225 gauss at electromagnetic frequencies of 80, 32, 3 and 10 Hertz.
This caused the lentils to grow 12-15 centimeters in length as compared to only a 5 centimeter growth for controls not subjected to the same treatment. The effect proved similar for asparagus, tulips, and other plants. Hens’ eggs were then exposed to the same energies which brought about hatching in 19 days as opposed to the normal 21 days.
Later research using cancerous tissue yielded partial or total remissions when exposed to these energies. Similar reports of tumor regressions were obtained by Kenneth McLean with the use of a 3000 gauss or greater magnetic field. Later tests made by Biraben and Delmon using a field strength of 4500 gauss on T-8 tumors had not the slightest trace of remission. This showed that there was obviously something besides a magnetic field at work.
Tests made with the Prior machine on cancer tissues ALWAYS caused total remission in all tissues exposed to the peach blossom violet color which the machine emitted. The machines of Antoine Priore were dismantled shortly after his death in the early 80’s.
Time will tell whether this was a great hoax or whether the French Government and numerous well known scientists have supported a charlatan, or whether mankind has stumbled on a revolutionary scientific development. A modern form of this machine is now again in a promising testing phase as the Theraphi!
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