Evening star., 1935-12-26
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Ten major influenza epidemics have
swept over the United States in the past
Is years with an excess death toll Of more
than 300, 900.
Such is the picture presented by Sell
wyn D. Collins and Mary Cover, stat
isticians of the United States Public
Health Service, in an analysis Of inf1u-
enza mortality since the great devasta-
ton Of 1919 which took more than half
million lives. Compared with 1t, they
point out, the others are lost sight Of.
although in the aggregate they rival it as
dealers of death.
On the average, they point out, the
Nation seems to be experiencing "hu"
epidemic once every 18 months, although
there is no specific time interval between
the outbreaks, and different ones differ
in severity in different parts Of the
country. Nevertheless, in each case the
death rate curve has risen in 95 cities,
considered as unit.
All deaths from pneumonia above the
ordinary seasonal rate are considered in
their analysis as having been superin-
duced by influenza. This disease is sell
dom fatal in itself but is very apt to
develop into pneumonia. The two stat
iSticianS point out, however, that the
deaths charged to influenza probably
should be greatly increased because it
has noted that fatalities from heart and
kidney ailments greatly increase in q
period characterized by an epidemic.
During the war the gerat epidemic
broke on the country almost without
warning. 1t can by no means be con-
sidered as having passed, the report
ia{e fnn fort that gJ1NCanH-
ing outbreaks have tended to be milder
and more localized. The germ" Is still
a potent source Of danger.
Efforts are being made by the Public
Health Service to study the geographical
distribution of the disease and the
various paths followed over the country
in the various epidemics. Thus Tar no
very clear relationship between the diff
ferent outbreaks has been established.
II 4 4
New evidence Of a fairly uniform
vegetation belt extending around most OF
the earth in the north temperate zone
80 900 years ago has been found by
Roland w. Brown, Geological Survey
paleontologist.
Fossil leaves, fruits and seeds secured
by DR.. Brown in Eastern Washington
and Western Idaho and which now form
part of the Smithsonian Institution col
lection indicate the existence of vast
forest some of whose species are found
today only in semi-tropical climates. Tt
was a forest, he says, now vastly diff
ferent from those found today in East
ern Asia and the Eastern United States.
Among the specimens found were
parts of two hitherto unknown species
of cone-bearing trees which are ap-
preached most closely today by two or
three species of fir-like trees in China.
He obtained seeds of another cone
bearer, not far removed from the present
day arborvitae, which now is found only
in the Atlas Mountains of Northwest
ern Africa.
The fossils constitute additional EVIL
dence also that at some time, possibly
during the Miocene age itself, there was
a land bridge between Asia and North
America.
DR.. Brown found thin rock strata COM
posed entirely of nuts cemented in sandy
clay. These were the so-called water
chestnuts, now common in China, where
they are a food delicacy. The plants
grow in shallow, sluggish streams-long
stems attached to the bottom and with
rosettes of leaves floating on the surface.
They evidently were very common IN the
Miocene age. 1t is interesting to note
that during the past century these water
nuts have been reintroduced into East
ern North America from China, have
taken root in eastern rivers, and consti-
tute serious threat to the navigation
Of smaller tributaries. They clog up
these streams and. given time enough.