Inside Professor Bakem's laboratory, a sign announces a miraculous new incubator that can achieve twelve months' growth in one hour.

A woman arrives with her infant, and the professor sets his assistant to work whilst he attends to his client. The woman pays the professor and leaves.

The child is placed in the drum-shaped incubator and the professor leaves his assistant to do the rest of the work. The assistant places an oil lamp under the incubator and goes to fetch a thermometer - but when attempting to measure the temperature, he knocks over the lamp, which starts a fire under the incubator.

He manages to extinguish it just before the mother returns - but on opening the incubator, he discovers the child has been transformed into a little old man.