Evening star., 1932-12-10
SCIENTISTS REPORT |
ON YEARS STUDIES
Carnegie Institution Workers
Make Advances in Life
Problems.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

New frontiers in many directions have
been established during the year by
scientists of the Carnegie Institution
Of Washington.
Results Of their work from labora-
tories all over the world are revealed in
a public exhibition at the headquarters
building here, which opened today fol-
lowing the annual meeting Of the insti-
tution's trustees yesterday.
Some Of the outstanding achievements
were in the study of intricate phe-
nomena of life Carnegie biologists are
making intensive studies Of a large
colony Of monkeys in Baltimore. As
living organism the monkey Is very
close to the human being, but can be
subjected to experimental procedures in
pursuit of knowledge which would be
impossible with men and women.
Among the phenomena upon which
knowledge of far-reaching significance
has been reached Is that Of the begin
ming of life with its intricate depen-
dence on almost infinitely small secre-
tions of chemical substances-the
hormones Of the glands of internal
secretion-which have revolutionary
effects on the body. The Carnegie
biologists are untangling the compli-
CdCc0 SilhIl VI tilcSt cuCCtS anu SouAGcA-
effects-how minute secretion from the
pituitary at the base of the brain sets
other glands to secreting, reacttng again
on the pituitary, and so on.
S1,581,194 Appropriated.
The trustees yesterday made appro-
priations of 1851 ,194 for continuation
Of these researches and branching cut
into new fields, following the report OF
the years achievements made by Presi-
dent John c. Merriam.
Existence Of mysterious internal forces
regulating the growth OF children were
explained today by DR.. Charles B.
Davenport, director of the institutions
genetics department.
DR.. Davenport's conclusions were
based on an intensive study for the last
10 years of children in an institution
where all were housed alike, offered the
same food at precisely the same times,
had rigidly controlled sanitary habits
and the same opportunities for work
and play The study was an effort to
differentiate the factors in the growth
Of children due to the external environ
ment from those due to internal forces.
Factors Hereditary.
It is practically certain, DR.. Daven-
POlb odlG, tl11I tl1CoC 1dCIOlo dIc lleIeOl-
tary and responsible for the tendencies
of children Of the same parents to grow
alike in spite of external differences
1t may be possible, he said, at certain
stages in the growth of boy to tell
how tall he will be-
For some hours or days after birth, "
DR.. Davenport said, "the child does
not grow at all. Once adjusted to the
new conditions it begins the 14-year
climb that reaches to maturity. Hardly
another animal whose life history Is
known grows SO slowly. We do not
know. what represses growth at this
time, but the prolonged period gives the
occasion and Justification of the long
years of often dreary training that the
educational system has devised to f1ll
the chiids time.
only after many years the lock-
step Of slow growth Is broken. In one
year the boy of IA or Is may add 4
inches to his stature. After this cpl
sode further growth is partly inhibited
and slowly fades away. There may be
a brief squirt at about years, but in
these cases growth Is slowed up before
the great adolescent spurt.'
Giant Sometimes Results.
There Is reason to believe, DR.. Day.
| anterior lobe of the pituitary gland at
the base of the brain Is the special
stimulator of these mysterious growth
| spurts, especially affecting the long
| bones of the legs and arms. There is
also some evidence, he said, that nor
| mally the lobe ceases to secrete this
| hormone as soon as the growth spurt
| Is over. Sometimes something goes
amiss and the secretion continues, with
a giant" as the result.
New properties of the hormone pro-
| lactin, q secretion Of the anterior
pituitary discovery this Summer by the
Carnegie biologists, were described BY
DR.. Oscar Riddle, its discoverer. Thi'
is the hormone responsible for mill
secretion. But, DR.. Riddle explained
it Is secreted In both the male anc
| female organism and has the Samt
effect in both If mamnlary glands art
developed. These can be developed II
male animals by other hormone injec.
| tions and the result Is milk-givint
male.
But this happens only experimental!
and not in nature. Consequently, DR.
Riddle said, it must be responsible fol
other powerful effects, since the secre.
ton occurs in both sexes. The lates
experiments, he said, have shown thai
it Is probably responsible for the In
crease in size of the liver. From this i
follows that 1t may have great signifi'
canoe In the production of blood sugal
and hence be one Of the tmportan
factors in organic life.
| Extremely small amounts produc'
profound effects. Thus about half {
milk secretion in the male. The prod
uct secured by the Carnegie workers
DR.. Riddle said, probably y far from
ndirA Eff0rta arn NOW undofWaN Z