Evening star., 1938-07-14
OF STARS
MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Prolress
in Field, Laboratory
and Study.

SNOteDOOk Oh science ffOSreoo
in Field, Laboratory
and Study.
BY THONAS r. HENRY,
The lowest infant death. rate in the
history Of the United States was
births-according to the f1nal statistics
prepared by the Public Health Service.
These figures show that there were
11o,700 infant deaths during the year
as compared to 122,53S In lo36-repre-
senting . new advance in . movement
which has been in progress. with va
rious ups and downs, for the last two
decades.
while the reduction shown in the
infant mortality rate for the country ~
q whole Is encouraging" the Public
Health Service report stresses, "the
possibility Of further reduction Is indi-
Gated by some Of the rates for large
cities. For cities Of 100000 or more
population, Rochester, N. Y, is credited
with rate Of only 272 per 1000 and
Long Beach, Calf, with rate Of 2S4."
Adelaide, in South Australia, made the
greatest advance In this respect with
1887 infant mortality rate Of q per
1000 births, compared with an average
Of IS for the nine proceeding years.
This marked reduction Is attributed
to such factors as improved milk sani-
tation, maternal and child health edu-
cation and q reduction in the number
Of flies as q result Of fewer horses and
stables.
Final figures show q slight increase
in the Nations birth rate after 4 two
year decline. This rate has been going
down pretty steadily since 1915, with
only five years In which there were
slight increases over the preceding
years. The lowest birth rate is that for
New Jersey, 1875 per 1000. That State
also Is credited with the lowest NOR
tality rate, 1914 per 1000. The lowest
death rate was that for North Dakota,
IT per 1000 live births. New Mexico
had both the highest birth rate and
the highest infant mortality rate for
1887.
A curious quirk in the Public Health
Service death statistics for 1897 is the
finding that there are most deaths
from trafhc accidents where there are
the fewest cars. It would be expected
that the highest rates would be found
in States with large cities and the high
est concentration Of population. Ac-
tually they were found In the Western
States with the lowest concentrations
Of population and the least trafnc con-
gestion. The highest motor vehicle
death rates were in Nevada with "A
fatalities per 100000, Arizona with 500
and New Mexico with 491. Compared
with such records were those Of New
York with q rate Of 214 per 1000,
Illinois with 3l.6, Pennsylvania with
243, New Jersey with 26l and the coun-
try as a whole with 2o.7. The conclusion,
naturally, Is that bad roads and lack
Of trafdc safeguards are more significant
factors in the trafhc death rate than
concentration Of motor vehicles.
One Of the obscurest Of industrial
maladies, metal fume fever, Is being
studied by the National Institute Of
Health.
It is q condition resembling grippe or
influenza which results from breathing
the gases Of zinc, brass, nickel, cadmium,
arsenic, antimony, copper, mercury
iron, cobalt or silver The condition,
reports DR.. r. r. Sayers, chief Of
the division Of industrial hygiene, IL
entirely distinct from poisoning with
these metals. although repeated BREATH
ing Of metallic fumes may produce such
q concentration Of the atoms in the
blood stream as to result in such poison
ing eventually. The symptoms of metal
fume fever. which do not vary much
with the kind of gases breathed, usually
come on some hours after the workman
leaves the factory First comes dryness
in the throat. followed by . dry cough
and q feeling Of weight in the chest
The temperature then rises and the
fever is accompanied by sweating. Pulse
rate and, as rule, blood pressure are
elevated. These symptoms pass OF in
from IL to "A hours. A diagnosis Of
influenza or pneumonia often is made.
One Of the dangers of the disease IL
that workers grow to be contemptuous
OF it and because Of this contempt may
neglect . real case Of pneumonia.
Immunity to the malady soon IL ac-
qu1red, but 1t lasts only q short time
Attacks are most frequent on Mondays
because workers lose this immunity over
the week end. The remedy. it Is pointed
out in the Public Health Service report,
Is better ventilation of factories where
heavy metals are brought to the boiling
point, or the adoption of some form
40 6SS HlHSA IOT Clc W0EXeTB.
- .c
The life Of the leper II made easier
BY discovery Just announced by the
Public Health Service that the agony
due to acute neuritis, the one painful
manifestation Of the disease, can be
stopped by injection into the muscles
Of vitamin B concentrate, already used
successfully In cases OF non-leprous
neuritis. The mode Of action Of the
drug is unknown, but it is believed to
Offset some poisonous effect in the body
which is responsible for the swelling and
Inflammation of nerves.
y
A disease Of rats, the organism re-
sponstble for which Is superhcially in
distinguishable from the germ OF plague
but which actually seems to give infected
animals some degree Of protection from
plague infection, Is reported by the
Public Health Service.
Transmitted to guinea pigs, however,
the disease was rapidly fatal The pos
sibility that 1t might be q milder- acting
variant of the plague organism was
considered, but experiments to date indi-
cate that 1t always reproduces itself
true to form and should have the status
OF separate disease.
This disease, pseudotuberculosis, does
not make the rats seriously i'll.
Gyl