Evening star., 1935-12-10

Production of a new kind of living
thing in the dark underworld OF the
invisible, from which arise the germs OF
new plaques to devastate mankind, is
announced from the laboratories OF the
National Institute of Health OF the
United States Public Health Service.
BY irradiating with radium colonies
of the streptococcus bacterium respon-
sible for scarlet fever, DR.. r. r. Spencer
has obtained colonies of hitherto nom
existent one-celled bacterial organism
quite different in appearance and be-
havior from the form out of which it
arose.
1t is larger, different in shape and
color and much more vigorous in growth
than the dreaded scarlet fever bac-
terium, it reproduceS itself through many
generations without revepting to the an
cestral form, and if it had occurred in
nature instead of in the laboratory might
constitute a notable addition to family
of microscopic life forms which is one
Of the worst foes of the human race.
This development may shed light on
one of the age-old mysteries Of medi-
cine-the fact that some epidemic dis
eases vary so much in their malignancy
from generation to generation. Radia-
ton taking place in nature may give
the germs Of these pests extended periods
of renewed vigor and even give rise to
new and terrible human and animal
maladieS.
DR.. Spencer, who has just reported
the results of his experiments, worked
from the now well-established fact that
hereditary mutations can be brought
about in higher forms Of hfe-notably
in the fruit fly, favorite experimental
animal of the geneticiStS-by irradiation
with both X-rayS and radium. This may
be one of the basic facts in the evolution
of species. AL living things continually
are being irradiated due to the radio
activity of the earth'S surface. Physicists
have shown, however, that there must
be some other, still unknown, cause for
mutations in plants and animals-al-
though radiation doubtless plays an i'm
partant part.
In order to be of any significance a
change in the form or behavior Of
plant or animal must be hereditary. In
any of the higher animals, from fruit fly
to man, the irradiation must effect the
germ plasm through which the charac-
teristics of species are passed on from
generation to generation. This germ
plasm is an extremely small part of the
total cellular complex of any creature
and gene-smaShing radiation particles
are not likely to reach it.
With the bacterium it is different.
This is a one-celled organism. 1t null
tiplies by splitting in two each half be-
coming a complete organism and again
splitting There is no special germ plasm.
The whole cell body enters into the re-
production of the species and the trans
mission of hereditary characters. Hence,
DR.. Spencer reasoned, 1t should be easier
to produce species mutations by radium
irradiation.
This didn't prove the case. Perhaps.
thanks to a wise provision OF nature Tor
the protection Of the higher, visible or
ganiSms upon which it preys, the bac-
terium appears to be more resistant to
the mutation producing effect of irradia-
ton than fruit flies or probably any
other multi-celled forms Of life. The
result obtained, however, was startling
enough.
DR.. Spencer placed radium needles in
% tubes containing cultures Of the scar
let fever streptococcus. Actually, to pro-
tect against contamination, the organ
isras we're introduced into thA tubes %