Evening star., 1937-03-18

Sinus infections, from which the ma
jority of WashingtOnianS are supposed to
suffer at one time or another, may be
closely allied to meningitis, according to
findings just announced by Drs. Frank
H. Pike and David l.. Poe of Columbia
University.
They made their studies with animals,
mostly cats, who share with man the
liability to sinus troubles. In eighteen
per cent of the animals examined they
found, there were marked changes in
the frontal sinus blood vessels.
This convinced u.s." says their report,
that sinusitis is not disease limited
to the mucous membranes, as has been
commonly taught, but a most serious
condition. Our study revealed that not
only had great changes taken place in
the blood vessels, but that in many
instances the effects OF the infection
were apparent in the bones and even in
the marrow"
Close relationship with meningitis is
evidenced by the extension of these ef-
fectS as far back as the meninges, or
Innings of the BRAIN To the infection,
they believe, may be due not only the
fatal meningitis, but also disease known
as retrobulber neuritis, gradual paraly-
sis of the nerves behind the eye, which
leads to progressive blindness.
"It is entirely likely" the two doctors
say, that the meninges may be critically
affected as result of the sinus infec-
ton, quite apart from brain abcesses
which sometimes follow the malady. The
changes we have observed in the blood
vessels definitely suggest the existence
of localized meningitis. The almost
invariable relation between ordinary
colds in the head and intlammations of
the nervous system, referred to as en-
cephalitis lend good clinical support to
this view"
They warn that failure of diagnos-
ticians to recognize the meningitis symp-
toms often present with sinus trouble
may often lead to serious consequences,
whereas they might be avoided II the
conditions were treated in time.
Measurement of smells by freezing
them has opened the way to a new
method of filtering odors from the re-
circulated air of railroad cars, according
to an announcement just issued by the
American Chemical Society.
The research work was done by DR..
v. A. Cant of the University of Illinois
and H. D. Shaw of the Pullman COM
pany. They conducted their tests in
lounge car where passengers were
eating, drinking, smoking and sleeping.
They found that the reconditioned air
became objectionably odorous in short
time. Odors of tobacco and liquor,
especially, were drawn directly into the
intake.
The problem was to measure the
smells individually so that an efficient
filter could be designed to eliminate
them, and this was accomplished by
f1ltering the air from the car through
dry ice. They report:
"The frozen odor and moisture were
placed in wide -mouthed bottle properly
fitted with cork collar through which
was inserted an osmoscope, an instru-
ment permitting the measurement OF
smells by measuring the concentration
of fresh air at the time the odor becomes
apparent to the nose Of the observer
Once they had been measured 1t was
necessary to devise filter which would
remove them without itself exuding any
odor, as chemical filters were found
to do.
"The best medium for this purpose
was activated carbon. The filter was
devised on principle similar to that OF
the first gas masks used in the World
War. which contained filter Of nut