Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-06-21
OF STARS,
MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Prosress
in the Laboratory and
Field.
By Thomas r. Henry.

causes Of all sorts of obscure illnesses
in papers presented before the annual
meeting Of the American Medical As
ISOLATION last week.
Noise was blamed especially by DR..
Carey p. McCord Of Detroit, chairman Of
a special committee of the association
to study the effects of air conditioning
on the health OF the American people.
One result Of the air conditioning Of
factories has been to shut out the turmoil
Of the street.
The most obvious, but not necessarily
the most important, effect Of noise is
directly on the ear. Studies undertaken
by the committee showed that it also
produces transient changes in blood pres
sure, in pressure within the brain, caused
a higher pulse rate and irregularities in
the rhythm Of the heart and disturbs
the flow OF saliva and the digestive
processes Of the stomach.
Deafness due to noise probably has its
beginning In fatigue, DR.. McCord re-
ported. Demonstrate changes take
place in the tissues OF the ears, their
location and the extent Of the damage
depending on the type Of the noise and
the duration Of the exposure. Sustained
noise in factory, the committee found,
may cut down production or 8 per cent.
Noise may be reduced in three ways,
the committee decided. Manufacturers
of machinery, by making noiselessness
an objective, probably can cut industrial
noise in half. 1t also may be eliminated
by the use of sound-deadening material.
DR.. McCord cited radio broadcasting
studios, which, even in noisy city districts,
are able to eliminate as much as 30 per
cent OF unwanted sounds. Some personal
protection is possible. Workers may
wear "ear defenders" Of wax, cotton or
soft rubber. Soft-soled shoes are helpful
when vibration is a factor in the noise.
In very noisy industries the periods to
which workers are exposed to the dis
turbance should be shortened, the COM
mittee urged.
Anything that interferes with the
smooth running of a persons affairs may
reported DR.. Charles Mayo and DR.. E. G.
Wakefield OF Rochester, MINI.
The celebrated Rochester surgeon pro-
posed classification of sociological dis
order" that have their be-
ginning in some such incident as loss of
Job or money. death in the family, be-
trayal Of confidence by friend. migra-
ton. or change Of church. party or oc-
cupation. In every case, DR.. Mayo said,
definite organic disease should be con-
sidered first When 1t cannot be To-
Gated 1t usually will be found that the
sufferer has passed through a period Of
insumcient rest, fear, anxiety or pro-
longed tension.
Modern man, the two doctors reported,
has imposed on himself an exacting COM
petition and machine-like routine. ac-
counting for his time by time clocks,
trading at bargain counters and paying
his bills on the installment plan. Such
matters as intrigue and politics are not
physically dangerous. they said. but
may produce disabilities just as effec-
lively as blow on the head
They stressed especially the effect of
fear of disease in modern life. Up to
certain point it is a good thing. but it
is abnormally exaggerated by claims for
proprietary medicines, and warnings
against maladies of the digestive tract
Heredlty seems OF little importance,
they observed. Most Of persons mental
habits. hours of sleep. food and drinks
are intimately associated with his
environment, although closely related to
the physical endowment of heredity
1T is not true" they declared. that
what man is was fore-ordained when
he got his supply of genes in the germ
cells.
Cure of sociologic disorders of the
colon. they stressed, cannot be accom-
plished by treating the patients for
"coitis.' Scientific control of the ad-
verse sociological conditions must be at
tempted. although 1t is not always pos
sible. The defects in education. gov
eminent, religion, morality, philanthropy
have to be corrected.
100 large amounts Of drugs admin
istered in child birth cause damage to
the brain OF unborn infants, it was re-
ported by DR.. Frederic Schneider of
Detroit. His paper was based on a study
OF 500 children with degenerative
changes In their brains. He found that
about 10 per cent of those whose con-
dltlon at birth could be determined had
not heathed Immediately after birth,
or had shown difficulty in breathing
during the first few days of life. He
concluded. therefore, that disturbances in
baby's breathing, whatever the cause,
injure the brain. Post-mortem examina-
lions show. he said, that deficiency in
oxygen causes microscopic changes in
the brain, and he pointed out that the
difference between still-born child and
an infant with the brain damaged from
this cause probably is only one Of degree.
Then DR.. Schneider studied the con-
ditions under which the children were
born to learn whether obstetrical drugs
had any effect. He argued that since
one Of the defects Of pain killing drugs
Is to depress the respiratory apparatus,
this might occur in the mother to such
q degree that the unborn child is en-
dangered. This point has been de-
termtned In animal experiments.
In one group Of 100 cases in which
pain-killing drug was given, he found,
seventy-seven Of the children had had
difdculty in breathing Immediately after
birth. In this particular group, the hos
pital records showed, the average dose
had been four times that recommended
for general use and the largest doses