Evening star., 1933-03-29
WOMAN D|SCL0SES
FIND IN CHEMISTRY
American Society Told Of
SoapIike Substance From
Hydrocarbons.

Significant discoveries affecting the
fields Of medicine and industry were
reported to the American Chemical
Society here today.
Miss Cornelia Burwell Of the Uni
versity Of Michigan told Of the devel-
opment Of a soap-like substance from
the oxidation Of petroleum hydrocar-
bons which is proving Of great value In
treating such widespread skin ailments
as ring worm and other infectious dis
eases.
Even the most stubborn OF furgi.
she said, were killed in 20 per cen.
concentration Of the material, and bac-
teria were killed in 10 minutes with q
II per cent concentration In water.
New light on pernicious anemia was
cleaned from liver studies reported by
DR.. G. H. Whipple Of the University OF
Rochester. He found that In the course
of this disease the liver Is functioning
at a maximum In the capacity for man
ufacture Of the badly needed red blood
cells. but for some unknown reason Is
unable to liberate the factors into the
blood stream. Liver in the diet serves
| in some mysterious way to release the
imprisoned supply.
Success in production Of synthetic
camphor from turpentine, which may
result in a new American industry, was
reported by DR.. John j. Ritter OF New
York University. Camphor Is essential
in medicine and in the manufacture OF
explosives, celluloid, lacquers and mo-
ton picture films. Approximately TO-
900 900 pounds now are imported an
nually, mostly from Japan, where the
supply Is running short. Recent indus
trial developments indicate . much
greater demand In the near future.
Other infections Respond.
Reporting on her soap-nke synthetic
fatty acid salts, Miss Burweu said:
Fungus infections and mixed infections
both deep seated and surface In char
acter have responded to the treatment.
Twenty cases which responded to no
other treatment were cleared up by ap-
plication of the salts. 1t has been found
that recurring surface infections due
to a constitutional condition can be
controlled by proper use OF the salts.
They are essentially non-irritating
but are probably more penetrating than
any other bacteriocide. They appre-
ciably soften the skin. II the surface
to which they have been applied Is
merely rinsed of with warm water at
any time after application, 1t will be
cleaner than If washed with common
soap. In dissolving tho skin oils and
in removing dirt, scale and other for
eign matter. the salts change the soil
in which the fungi or bacteria may
grow and they vitiate the organisms
so that favorable results are obtained.
Red blood cells. DR.. Whipple reported.
are manufactured from bone marrow
when 1t is acted upon by materials
which are manufactured within the
liver. In cases Of parnicious anen1ia,
he found that the liver sometimes con-
tains four times the normal supply. In
another type of anemia these are stored
up steadily in the liver because there
is no bone marrow upon which they
can act
The new synthetic camphor, DR..
Whipple reported is made up from
turpentine, sulphuric acid, common salt
and soda ash, and is a high-grade
product produced at a minimum cost.
ITO the lay mind" he said. "camphor
is something which finds its chief use
in medicine and moth balls. Paradox
cally enough, camphor Is found almost
anywhere except in moth balls, which
usually are composed Of napthalene, a
coal tar derivative.
Material Close to Camphor.
"Chemists have known for a long
time that ordinary turpentine oil OBJ
tanned from our native pine consists
largely Of material which is closely
related to camphor. Numerous preW-
Gus attempts to produce the product In
this country have all failed because Of
the complexity Of the necessary meth
ods"
Increasing knowledge Of the weight
of the cellulose molecule, estimated to
be nearly 100000 times greater than
that of molecule of water, is leading