Evening star., 1921-07-10


A MoNG American students Of
~ the sorbonne and around the
~ Amsf8Ssis University Union
club1o6hI IN the Rue F1eurus.
there has been q persistent rumor Of
an American girl. working at the
Pasteur Institute. who has found
vitamines." or discovered tho elixir
Of life." or pulled OF something in
biology"
It takes time to trace q thing like
this. and then you'll see-whether
there be much, little or less in it
high science likes to make its own
communications in its own time. way
and place and have them read in
the onicial bulletin Of the society.
I found the American girl. In fact.
the Pasteur Institute produced her
Tor me proudly. She is the one and
only American Of either sex working
at the institute in Paris at present:
She is Miss Mary Drusilla Flather OF
Lowell. Mass, who came to study
histology (the microscopic study OF
tissuesl on a foreign felloWship from
She 10 very much annoyed at the
rumor.
IT am extremely annoyed" she says.
II am only q student!
Through the courtesy Of the French
foreign ofice I obtained q letter to
Of Paris. by whom was arranged a
meeting with Dr.. calmette, the illus
trious former chief of the institute
at Lille, and today. with DR.. Roux.
holding = leading position In that Oh
At the frst words it became clear
that they are working strong on
yitamines. DR.. Calmette was SO kind
that dread to put In q word which
might not meet his approval con-
cerning the mysterious substances.
Nobody has, or had. seen a herd OF
vftamines. or even a single one. They
are. or were, too small for our big
Rest microscopes. But. you know, q
new and extraordinary microscope Is
making furore in Europe.
Vitamines have been known by IN.
ference. as we know the etner ot OF
exist. Tho only test for vttamtnes
has been the living organism.
THE starting point was this. When
/ people working on nutrition
thought that they had analysed all
the elements Of necessary food. 1t was
argued that with . purified. synthetic
food containing all these proteins,
carbohydrates. fats and salts, we
should be able to make animals live.
It is not 10. Natural nutrition con-
tains some other element, invisible
unknown, as mysterious as raclum
and without tiny quantities OF which
life cannot 60 on existing.
In aiocked room OF the tnira O.. moor %n
Eugene Wollman is feeding this
mysterious element to baby guinea
pigs which differ from all other living
animals on earth. in that they have
never known q microbei
Born by tho Caesarean operation,
these gTinsa st.p.ea pEs aasH sir sssn
nourished by other than sterilized
milk or allowed to come in contact
With other than steriliSed floors.
wallis and utensils. They live In a
trick box or toyhouse-"to study
their needs in vitamines without the
Intervention Of microbes" TO some e
can Be heated to q certain extent
without Destroying its natural Vita
mines." They thrive and grow.
Others have no orange juice. They
pine away. The sterilizing OF their
milk destroyed its vitamines.
wollman. I saw the playhouse and
ali its life. But here, at once, the
mystery deepened!
DR.. wollman will not call them
vitamineB.
'Can them accessory factors say
Dr woilman. 'Better not call them
yitamineA. Amines are definite chem
icsl compositions, and vitamines are
vital smines. To call them yitamtnes
IN 10 make an assertion-and are you
ready to maintain It? But when you
say Accessory factors you claim
nothing definite about them chem
ioaily, We know that they are va
rous."
Right here I supposed that some
thinx new and grand was on the