Evening star., 1937-02-21

February took his place as director Of
the National Institute of Health,
whose activities he had heretofore
directed.
The institute Is an outgrowth OF
the small meteorological laboratory
that was established at the Marine
Hospital in New York in 1887 and
was later transferred to Washington
and named the Hygienic Laboratory.
In 1880 Congress changed the name
to the National Institute Of Health
under the provisions Of bill intro
duced by Senator Ransdell.
Today q visit to the institute Is a
revelation. One enters laboratory
after laboratory where men, and
women, too, in white" handle tubes
of deadly germs, stoppered with moth
ing more than a wad of cotton wool,
as nonchalantly as if they were play
ing with ping-pong balls.
What is in that one?" inquire.
"Meringococcus meningitis" is the
casual answer, delivered with a smile
as this research worker shufles the
bottles.
Behind the words I see another pic
ture. A member of my own family
had suffered meningitis during the
World War. can remember the ter
rifying descriptions whispered by the
family in the presence of myself
then q child. Head snapped back.
Spine shortened Whites of the eyes
showing, with the eyeballs rolled.
And an endless list of potential de-
formities. Miraculously, in this IA
miliar case there was recovery. But
here before me at long table are
rows on rows of those slim glass tubes
filled with the deadly, mercile1
agents Of destruction. Bottled trag-
edies. Stoppered misery and horror.
] But here they are being made to serve
the humanity they would destroy.
cages on cages of animals-white
- rabbits, lively little monkeys,
scattering white mice-experimental
animals who will receive inoculations,
undergo observation. that men may
live. Operating rooms where animals.
completely anaeSthetiZed in every in
stance. are observed and studied for
the preservation of humanity. Steril-
izers laboratory jars. and burners and
bottles. And everywhere the slender
glass tubes filled with death. RAM
pant in watery yellow liquid, or noat.
ing in curled yellow globules in the
culture m which II faedS
Other rooms, where fieas hop about
in little cages. Every one In this
wing. including the stenographer. has
had typhus," my guide informs me,
derived from the bite Of an escaped
flea" And every one-that is, every
job experimenting. testing. tipping re-
ports, that men may be free of typhus
in the yefrs to come.
Another room, where white rabbits
wriggle pink noses and pink-lined
ears. In here not long ago a young
laboratory assistant, a young woman,
was inoculating rabbit with rnerin-
gococcus meningitis. The rabbit. held
by a young man. hoped suddenly.
The syringe was pressed against the
girls thumb 1t did not pierce 1t, but
stream of meningococcus miningitis
shot into her right eye. The eye was
washed out with antiseptic lotions at
hand. A few days later the girl was
dead. But the research and expert
menting goes on and the world Is
being made safer for the many.
Other roonls-more ominous. Rooms
shut of by heavy steel doors that are
locked under lock and chain and COM
binations. for back of them are plague
and pestilence and horrors that defy
description should they be turned
loose on a helpless world. Here I
looked on bubonic plague, neatly bot
tied and corked. Similar germs, kept
on ice for IA years, when taken into
the laboratory and fed on a new cul-
ture thrived and flourished and waxed
virulent enough to wipe out q civiliza.
ton.
Then the room Of new diseases
disasters so young that they have not
as yet received q name, and so un.
known that I am warned that here
enter at my own risk. Are you
afraid?" I ask my guide. 1T Is nv
work" ne answers quietly. And this"
tell him, "is mine-telling others Of
your work" We enter.
Where are the new diseases? Per.
haps in the air. No one knows as
yet. Or perhaps In those monkeys
frisking In cages along the wall.
Everywhere are earnest. absorbed men,
in white frocks, fiddling with glass
tubes. holding up cultures to the
light. What are they doing? We
are going to find out. One by one
We will investigate these dangerous
activities, look into these test tubes,
open these heavy steel doors, watch
these experimental animals. With
men whose names are known around
the world we will pierce the mysteries
of these tnimical agents and learn
something Of the noble accomplish.
ments Of our G-nnen Of science.
The Tuscaloosa, Ala, police force