Evening star., 1937-01-02
Bv James Nevin Miller.

judged on its merits.
Such are the woman scientists at
tached to Uncle Sans great research
laboratories in Washington. They
include not many more than bakers
dozen. but they are all among the
"Who's Who" of their profession.
Included in the group are three
biologists, two paleontographic illus
traitors. two medical bacteriologistS,
an explorer, one assistant curator, a
beverage chemist, nematodist and
cytologist.
Certainly an interesting story is
that of the three women connected
with the United States Geological
Surveyor. Florence Bascom, DR.. F.
A. Jones and DR.. Julia A. GaHdner.
This little group comprises the
highest ranking woman biologists of
the United States. Indeed. most
biologists who now are prominent in
commercial pursuits have spent an
apprenticeship with the Geological
Survey, which is admittedly the best
training school for experts on rock
formations.
But to return to the story.
II begins some years ago and has
q collegiate background-Bryn Mawr.
A young geology instructor there. a
Miss Bascom, had such a charming
personality and rare power OF visual
izing the truly fantastic phases OF the
science that the course was very much
In demand; so much SO that news OF
the young woman's ability reached the
interested ears of certain officials OF
the United States Geological Survey.
A position was offered her subject to
the customary civil service regulations.
Miss Bascom accepted, much to the
regret of the faculty and students OF
Bryn Mawr.
It is a coincidence that two of
Miss Bascom's most proficient stu
dents. Miss F. A. Jones and Miss Julia
A. Gardner. who were graduated a
few years later, also found excellent
posts with the survey. Today Miss
Bascom is regarded with great deal
Of affection and respect as the dean
of the Nations woman geologists. She
and her two former students have pub
lished number of authoritative works
on the geological formations OF Amer
tea. Besides, some years ago to Miss
Bascom came the honor Of being the
frst woman to belong to the Geo
logical Society Of America.
WORKING hand in hand with both
Nv man and woman geologists are
two well-known paleontographic illus
traitors Of the Geological Survey. Miss
Frances Wieser and Miss Mary Ring
Summer. In their chosen field these
two experts rate with the foremost
in the land. An important phase Of
their work consists Of making draw
ings Of fossil rock formations. dating
back perhaps millions of years, and
retouching photographs of other rock
specimens. A powerful microscope is
usually necessary In this connection,
for often the specimens used to make
such pictorial material are smaller
even than the finest pin point.
The dents. cracks and cevices
which such drawings and pictures
show are Of vast importance to State
and national geologists, for they are
the direction signs which indicate
where new supplies of oil, coal and
valuable rock may be found and at
approximately what distance below
the surface Of the earth the deposits
are located.
If the rock specimens are tiny they
are mounted on special glass slides
and are studied carefully under
microscope which magnifies as much
as 200 times. This device also has a
: delicate micrometer which measures
the specimen so that drawings may
be made in scale by the biologists.
Two bacteriologists who have made
notable discoveries to s:d the Gov
eminent In It's relentless warfare
against mysterious diseases are Miss
. Alice Evans and Miss Sara e. Bran
than. both of whom are connected
with the hygienic laboratories of the
United States Public Health Service.
Truly Miss Evans is living martyr
to medical science, for again and
again she has risked her life IN
connection with her research work.
Already she has suffered severely from
undulant fever, which usually is
caused by drinking the infected milk
Of goats or COWS. doctors have found
THIS strange malady has been
puzzle TO the medical fraternity.
both as to cause and possible cure
So far no cure has been found, but
science now knows that thorough
pasteurization Of milk will serve as
preventive. Miss Evans contribu
ton TO the world knowledge Of this
disease has been Of great value.
AS far back as 1918 she made the
discovery that there is close re-
lationship between the organism
which carries undulant fever to
, humans and that which causes con-
tagious diseases in hogs and cattle
and other animals.
1t was found that the two or
eanisms cannot be told apart by Or
dinary laboratory methods, although
q slight difference can be detected
by the Use of certain complicated
and tedious tests. The discovery by
Miss Evans was confirmed later by
qualified investigators in the United
States, Austria. the Netherlands,
Egypt. Japan and South Africa.
The only woman in the entire Smith
sonian Institution who rates the i'm
portant title OF assistant curator is
Miss Doris Cochran of the division
Of reptiles and amphibians. Every
year she catalogues between 1000 and
5000 specimens Of creatures that rate
scientifically as cold-blooded" verte-
brates, with the exception of fishes,
none OF which achieves the steady
high temperatures characteristic Of
animals.
This Is the second largest collection
in the world, the largest being in the
British Museum. Included are tur-