Evening star., 1935-11-19
EARTH'S ELECTRIC
FIELD ONE-S|DED
Prof. MiIIikan Reports Val.
liable Finding to Science
Academy.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Stan Correspondent Of The Star.

COiIlPlCttOaA VA q NOohiAS 10y map Va
the globe presented to the National
Academy of Sciences here today by
Prof. Robert A. Millikan Of the Cali
fornia Institute of Technology
He has finally, he said, charted the
intensity of this most powerful of all
radiation-some Of it will go through
q foot of lead-at the surface OF the
earth. AS has been known for some
time, the intensity decreases south
ward and northward from the two
magnetic poles. This is due to the
fact that the cosmic rays consist OF
negatively charged particles-or, al
least, make their existence known by
the production Of negatively charged
particles which cannot get through the
intense magnetic field over the
Equator, but follow natural lines OF
force to the magnetic poles.
But, Prof. Millikan said. the chart
shows that there is a notably greater
dip in the eastern than In the west
ern hemispheres. This decrease is al
a maximum in the neighborhood oi
Madras, India Hence the magnetic
field itself must not be symmetrical, q
fact not hitherto suspected and ol
great theoretical importance.
Settle Dispute.
This means. he said, that the earth's
magnetic field is "lopsided in space.
From calculation, the shape of the
field can be deduced to a distance ol
from 10000 to $4,000 miles from the
earth's surface. Compared to such
distances, the atmosphere is a very
thin sheet and the observations settle
finally any contention that cosmic
radiation does not originate outside
the atmosphere.
Comparison shows, he reported, that
the cosmic ray map and the terrestrial
magnetism map produced by the Car
negie Institution of Washington after
years Of exploration are very similar
He came to Charlottesville after con-
ferring with Carnegie Institution
scientists in Washington.
Some of the effects Of alcohol on
nerves were reported by DR.. Carl c.
Speidel of the University of Virginia,
whose experiments have consisted in
placing living tadpoles in dillutions OF
alcohol and watching the effects on
the fibers of their transparent tails.
The alcohol causes nerve irritation
and, by varying the strength Of the
dillution, almost any degree Of neu-
ritis can be secured Mixtures heavy
with alcohol, he found, resulted In
rapid deterioration Of the nerve fibers
and death of the animal He found
however, that a daily bath in a mix
ture containing little alcohol-perhaps
equivalent to a mild daily intoxica-
tion-produced little damage and the
tadpoles quickly recovered when
placed in pond water.
Seek New Pain-Killer.
Although by juggling the structures
Of the morphine molecule it has been
possible to produce more powerful
drugs, in each case they have been
more habit-forming, it was reported
by DR.. Lyndon F. Small Of the Uni
versity of Virginia. With IA assistants
he is engaged on the chemical side
Of q project fostered by the National
Research Council, the object Of which
Is to discover or synthesize pain
killing drugs which will be as affective
as those now in use, but which will
not set up any physiological craving
in the system.
This has met with failure in every
direction so far as the morphine mole
cule itself is concerned. DR.. Small
said. The main objective, however. is
to synthesize such a drug from coal
tar derivatives and the chemists are
using the effects of variations in the
morphine structure to guide them in
their purely creative work.
The effects Of the secretion from the
cortex Of the adrenal gland apparently
are exterted altogether on the carbo-
hydrate and blood sugar metabolism
Of the body. it was reported by DR..
S. w. Britton Of the University of
Virginia Medical School. Several in
vestigators have reported that the
fatal effects Of a deficiency in this
hormone were due to a disturbance OF
the sodium chlroide balance in the
blood but the Virginia experiments
show that there is an exactly opposite
effect on such primitive animals as
the oppoSum and the woodchuck
while the carbohydrate effect is the
same as on dogs and men.
Reports On Meat Diet.
DR.. Alfred Chanutin of the Univer-
sity of Virginia Medical School re-
ported on the effects Of heavy meat
diet on rats whose kidneys already
were damaged-Stressing that there is
no certainty that the same results
would be found in human beings. The
studies with rats showed the efficiency
of already damaged kidneys were
greatly decreased by heavy meat diets
although the functions of normally
functioning kidneys were not dis
turbed.
A ball rotating on jet of hydrogen
at o maximum rate of 81 900 revolu-
tions q second and producing q CEN
trifugal force seven million times
greater than the attraction of gravity
was described by DR.. J. w. Beams
University of Virginia physicist.
This Is believed to be the fastest
speed ever attained with nan-madt
device and the instrument has i'm.
portant uses as a tool for scientific
research. One application of it, DR.
Beams said, has been that of taking
pictures Of two events q hundred mil
lionth Of a second apart by means OF
mirrors mounted on the rotor. A still
more important application on which
experimental work now Is In progress
is the separation by means of the GEN.
trifugal action of the heavier isotopes
OF some Of the lighter elements.
Like Cream Separator.
This promises to be one Of the most
significant developments in the physics
Of the future, and q quick means Of
separating the heavier fractions of the
elements is In demand. The rotor
would throw out the heavier frations-
atoms or molecules-much as a cream
separator throws out the heavier
cream.
DR.. Ales Hrdlicka, curator Of physi-