Evening star., 1927-05-17
DOCTORS PROBING !.
SLEEP MECHANISM
Congress of Anesthetists
Learns of Advanced
Methods in Science.

The mechanism involved in going |
to sleep, either naturally or under the |
influence of an anesthetic, remains one
of the deepest mysteries of nature. but |
physicians may he approaching Il so |
luton by probing into the billions Of |
atomic univerSes which compose the |
human body.
This was explained to the annual |
Congress of Anesthetists meeting at
the Roosevelt Hotel yesterday by Prof !
Donald G.. A Butts and A. L. Tyler of
the Hahnemann Medical College of
Philadelphia, who told Of experiments |
on animals with nerve centers con-
nected to delicate galvanometer
which registers in millionths of a volt
at the same time applying various
anesthesias.
They found that the anesthesias act
by decreasing the negative electrical
potential through affecting the
electrons circling about the protons in
the atoms which make up the indi-
vidual cell,
Body of Atoms.
The human body is made up of cells
which are piled together somewhat
like building blocks. each cell micro
scopic in size. But the cells them
selves are composed of atoms. like all
other matter That is, each human
being is a combination of countless
billions of miniature solar systems.
each system consisting of group of
central protons corresponding to the
sun and various numbers of electrons
revolving like planets around the
protons. The protons are bits of posi-
tive electricity. The electrons are bits
OF negative electricity. Each atomic
system is 40 small that billions of them
are required to make up the head of
pin.
Anesthesias, or sleep. alter in some
way the rate or orbits of revolutions
of the electrons around the pf otonS.
Something of the same effect is
brought about, it was explained by Dr.
f, H. McMechan of Avon Lake, Ohio,
secretary of the association, by the
action on the body of any radioactive
metal. like Tadium, by X-rays or by
the ultraviolet rays of the sun, all of
which are known to affect the elec-
tronic planets of atoms. Radium. for
example, will produce severe and
sometimes incurable burns, which are
not felt by the victim until some time
afterward It has acted as a local
anesthetic, deadening the pain of its
own tissue destruction.
Origin of Life.
The results of the work of DR. Butts
and DIR. Tyler, it was explained,
bring the anesthetist close to the ori
gin and nature of life itself, in respect
to the effect of the so-called Millikan
or cosmic rays. DR. Michael Pupin of
Columbia University, former president
of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science and one of
the foremost physicists in the world,
has appealed to biologists and physi-
clans to consider the problem from
this angle and the anesthetists are ap-
preaching it.
The theory Is that individuality. or
even life itself, is due TO different re-
actions set UP in the human body by
these rays, thousands of times as
powerful as other rays known. to ma
ture. acting upon the electronic sys-
TENS. These rays, it is believed. come
from the sun, or possibly come
through space for incredible distances
from the stars, and may carry with
them that mysterious potentially
which is animal and plant life.
The body of a man or tree Is
physically simply a mass of certain
substances. When the body Is dead
it is simply this. But in life some.
thing is acting upon 1t, and the way
this something acts determines
whether the mass of matter will be
snail or a man. 1t determines also
sex. physical appearance and individ-
uality. You are yourself. and not
somebody else, because you have
different reaction.
Old Gag Attacked.
vr1. -un4In4;a4n TN. NEaAS.ol.o~ ~
planned, are working to kill forever
the old gag that "the operation was
successful but the patient died." and
are calling TO their aid all the ad
vances Of physics. chemistry and
biology.
Among the greatest aids has been
the science of aeronautics. the rela-
tionship of which to anesthetics was
described by DIR. Robert w. Clark of
the BELLEVUE Hospital Medical School,
New York City. The patient put under
the effects of ether, it was explained,
undergoes precisely the same reac.
tions as patient taken to an altitude
of miles in an airplane. The
aviator, as he goes into thinner and
thinner air, gradually loses control
of various senses until finally, it he
goes high enough. he loses conscious
to death. The average person under
the effects of ether goes as high as
the record altitude flyers.
Examinations for aviators include
careful tests Of the individuals need
of oxygen and carbon dioxide and it
is found often that athletes, apparent
ly with perfect heart action, would be
apt to become unconscious If they
went up more than mile. These
men, of course, are rejected except
for low flights.
Death During Operation.
But there is no such selection for
the patient going on the operating
table. He must go his miles.
The aviation candidate. supposedly
physically perfect, would be very
poor risk on the operating table The
studies have been carried on in the
altitude chamber at Mitchell Field.
New York, and similar tests may be
made in the chamber of the United
States Bureau of Standards. They
will lead, it is expected, to the formu-
latiOn of methods to learn just how
much ether q patient can stand be-
fore he goes on the table.
A frequent cause of death on the
operating table is due to the action
of ether in stopping the action. of the
kidneys. These organs stop function
ing absolutely when the patient is
| under ether in all cases, experiments
| have shown. 1t has been necessary
| for the surgen to work at once to re-
store the kidney action when the
! patient revives. If he fails to do this,
death is very likely
| Formerly this has been considered