The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-29

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81, The =.
~ Minute
>>\\M y Particles
NINA = Of Oil in
NV v the Water
" r Bombard the Nerves of
II Smell (A) in the Nose
.: 7 and the Nerve Endings
+ of Taste (B) on the
: Tongue. The Varying
7 Reports That the Water
:, "Sm ellis and Tastes
49,. Fishy" or TASTES Like
. Cucumber" Depend Upon the
Quantity and Violence of the Bonn
bardment of the Nerves.
Luckily for the people of New York the
synura is nothing new to science. Its iden-
THY has long been known. its habits of
life carefully studied and various methods
Of combating It worked out. It is known
TO live In groups attached to one another
in such d way sthst colony. when highly
masniAed. looks like A group of sunhower
sesdA Each 0de Is sauipped with fine
hair.like whips, These constantly lash the
water and furnish the motive power by
wAichsth colonies move about.
II might be supposed that the synura
would set his living through very un-
usual diet in order to produce the power
fully spiced oil he does. but this is not the
case. He lives on Just the same sort Of
nutritive matter that many other micro
organisms do, absorbing them from the
water through his membranes
The synura gets some of its nourishment
like an animal. by drawing into its body
the minute bits of vegetable matter that
are present even in the purest water. It
also takes In from the water, by chemical
processes like those used by plants, carbon
dioxfde, lime and other INGREDIENTS.
Like most other low organisms, the
synura Is absolutely dependent on water
for a living. because only when floating
about in It can food products be filtered
into It's body and the waste matter filtered
out. The process by which these two
things are accomplished Is known to
science as osmosis You can get a good
Idea Of the way the synura gets most of its
meals by watching what happens when you
sop up a puddle Of ink with a piece of
blotting paper.
the fact that 1t consists of only a single
cell. the synura is a complex laboratory.
The facility with which It builds up vari-
Gus chemical products with much elabora.
ton is amazing to scientists.
The one OF these chemicals that is pro-
duced IN greatest quantity is the powerful
ana highly concentrated oil which is prov.
Ing such nuisance to New York's thirsty
millions. The curious chemistry by which
this oil is produced and the reason for its
production are not yet understood, but II
Is known the greater part of the food the
synura eats Is used for the manufacture of
this fishy smelling and tasting liquid.
When water in which the synura is pres.
ent or has recently been Is examined under
the microscope comparatively large glob.
ules OF the oil can be seen floating on the
surface.
As to the potency of this mysterious oil
New York's experience has left no doubt.
Few other things known to science can
exert quite such powerful and lasting
influence, even when present In the most
minute Quantities. comparatively few
gallons Of the OIL the synura exudes would
be sufficient to faint the worlds whole
supply Of fresh water with q disagreeably
"fshy" flavor and smell
Science tells us that in the case of both
taste and smell We can often adapt our
selves to continuous bombardment of
the most disagreeable sensations and fin.
ally cease to be aware OF their existence.
Most New Workers. however, who have
had any experience with the fshiness of
the water will not care to 60 through any
such process of adaptation. They will pre-.
fer to have the scientists keep on trying
to XIII on the synura and rid the water Of
Ne rv0n1oa fo -xu~m