Evening star., 1937-04-11

the work of DR.. F. c. Turner IL the
study of staphylococci, when he be-
came a member of the institute staff,
March Is, 1886.
There Is no more fascinating pos
sibility in the scientific world today
than this question of changing bac-
terra to other forms. Leading SCI
entists everywhere have been vitally
interested in watching the results
along this line, and some do not hesi-
tate to declare that the scientific G.
man who first comes upon the secret Of
mutation will contribute as much as
Darwin to the knowledge of evolu-
tion.
In the experiments radium is used,
this powerful and mysterious agent
has been found to be effective in
bringing about changes In the germ
plaSm Of plants and animals and also
in bacteria. Working with radium
is something which may cause qualms
for the most intrepid, but DR.. Levine,
like his colleagues at the institute,
seem to have completely overlooked
the fact that he handled daily one
of the most potent and highly de-
structive and most mysterious forces
Of the universe.
In lead tubes, the small radium
needles are kept. They appear TO
be harmless looking enough. re-
sembling nothing so much as hand
full Of old victrola needles. longer than
ordinary. These lead tubes, in turn,
are placed at night, when the lab
oratory is locked, in a square lead
casket, weighted down with a lead
cover, and set on the shelf of room
built like vault with a heavy metal
door
nR. LEVINE shakes a tubeful Of
the magic needles onto his lab
oratory bench for me to see. 1t is
hard to believe that these bits OF
metal emanate rays that can com.
pletely alter the germ plasm Of liv-
ing things so that all sorts of fam
tastic results are obtained; that they
contain in those emanations the
power to make sterile the human spe-
cies, to destroy life, to alter COM
pletely the original forms Of cell
structure, and to produce highly COM
plicated changes in those mysterious
carriers of our inheritable character
istics-the chromosomes of the male
and female germ cells.
Just what part are these metal
| needles playing in the work going on
in that white laboratory beside the
Potomac? A very important one. as
We shall see.
In the study of the mutability or
susceptibility to change, in living en-
titles, scientists at large have resorted
10 to l6 thousand applications of
radlum rays on higher animals. In
this field their problem has been
comparatively easy, for microscopes
are not needed to observe the gross
results. and any single cell which
must be studied can be placed under
a microscope without difficulty. In
| such applications it was found that
the longer the period of exposure 10
the effect Of radium rays, the more
numerous and profound were the
changes noted.
Since bacteria multiply with great
rapidity-once every one-half hour
these scientific G-men had hoped
that because this rapid rate Of null
tiplication and because of the large
numbers dealt with, experiments In
mutation would be easier to conduct
on this form of life and the obser-
vations would be pronounced. In ac-
tual experience, however, the contrary
was found to be true 1t is difficult
TO isolate any one organism from
many millions and keep track of what
has happened to 1t. Likewise, it can
not be dissected and its internal
structure studied. Moreover, bsc-
terra were found to be more suscepti-
Bile to the rays Of radium than larger
living things, and consequently If
subjected to the influence OF radium
rays for too long a period, at too
great an intensity, the cultures are
killed.
THESE difficulties, however, were
just that much more challenge
to the men Of science. and they took
up the enthralling possibilities Of the
question with spirit and vigor
Here at the institute" explains DR..
Levine, "our study Of the effect Of
rays emanating from radium, upon
bacteria, and observation Of possible
changes, can be divided into three
problems.
First, we are studying the mutabil-
tty Of these micro-organisns, in an
effort to determine whether bacterial
mutation does occur and what its
causes are. That may prove Of prac-
tical application, for example, In
learning the reasons for the outbreak
Of new diseases, in both epidemic and
endemic form. If we can prove that
bacteria can be changed into other
micro-organisms, that may help us
to identify hitherto unknown forms
Of life that spring up as a surprise
and are responsible for epidemics.
Our second hope is to transform
micro organisms such as disease bear
ing bacteria, into other micro-organ-
isms that are nos disease bearing.
II this can be accomplished we can
experiment with the production of q
vaccine or serum containing the non
disease-bearing organisms, which, be-
cause of their similar immunity pro-
during properties, may be used to rem
der people immune against the orig
inal harmful organism. or to treat
them in case Of infection from the
harmful type. AS sort of 'side-issue'
of this second study, we hope to secure
some knowledge about the mechanism
Of the action of the radium rays on
micro-organisms, which may explain
their value in the treatment of cancer.
"The third problem presented by