Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-06
WASHINGTON, {, THURSDAY,

troduced Psychologists have specu-
lated as to its possible value in
checking the ravages of the tubercle
bacillus, still one of the great
scourges of the human race. Early
experiments from Johns Hopkins
University and from Europe have
shown that in very heavy doses the
drug has the power to inhibit the
increase Of the bacilli in animals
Tut the amounts given are very close
to the poison limit in man. The
effect is so weak and the danger so
great that all experimenters in the
past have recommended against the
use of the substance for this disease.
One trouble has been that, unlike
the streptococci and other virulent
germs that get into the blood stream,
the tubercle bacillus is protected by
an almost impenetrable coat Of fat
The sulfanilamide alone has very
little power to penetrate this waxy
armor to get at the living germ.
The New Jersey chemists linked
various substances closely allied to
sulfanilamide with molecules of a
fatty organic acid. The fatty acid
they thought, would enter into a
solution with the fat coat of the
bacillus and in this way carry the
poisonous drug itself into contact
with the organism.
Considerably Less Toxic.
Tests on guinea pigs have shown,
the chemists reported, that the new
drug is considerably less toxic than
sulfanilamide. Massive doses of hui
man tubercle bacilli given the ami
ma ls-doses sufficient ordinarily to
have killed them rapidly-formed
only local sores at the sites of the
injections when the new drug was
given. 1t apparently prevented any
generalized tuberculosis.
Low concentrations of the product
were able to inhibit any growth of
colonies of tubercle bacilli in test
tubes for as long as 80 days. they
reported. 1t does not, they stressed,
cure the disease. 1t only serves to
prevent the spread of the infection
until the body's own defenses are
built
There is a possibility, they said,
that for the first time medicine NAV
have an effective chemical agent not
only against tuberculosis but also
against leprosy, the causative or
ganism Of which is another fat-clad
bacillus, very closely related to the
bug which causes consumption.
Two new compounds closely related
to sulfanilamide, one of which is
considerably less poisonous but
much more effective against pneu-
mococci in mice. were reported by
Drs. George w. Raiziss L. w. Glenn
ems, M. Severac and J. C. Moetsch.
Philadelphia chemists. BY admin
lSterlng this drug into the stomach
they were able to keep the animals
alive for week or more after they
normally would have. been dead
They don't know what the effect
would be on humans.
New Anti Goa gulant.
AT the same meeting there was re-
ported from DR.. Sullivans labora-
tory at Georgetown the discovery of
new anti-coagulant of the blood.
thus far tried only in test tubes.
which promises to have considerable
value for medicine.
1t is aspartic acid, one of the basic
amino, or nitrogen containing, acids
into which protelns are split by the
processes of digestion. and which is
a common constituent of many
vegetable foods. Normally, DR.. Sui
Ivan explained, blood in the body
does not clot. In the rare cases
where is does, following a wound or
a surgical operation. the clot either
must be absorbed by the blood itself
or it is likely to prove suddenly fatal
when it hits the heart or brain.
Once blood is removed from the
circulation-this is now a common
practice in getting supplies of blood
for blood banks to be used for future
transfusions-it clots rapidly and
becomes useless unless some anti
coagulat is added to it. The sub
stance commonly used is sodium
citrate. This is very effective, but is
not normal constituent of the
body. When such blood is transfused
something is being put into the blood
stream Of the patient which does not
belong there.
Aspartic acid, DR.. Sullivan said,
must be at least one of the basic fac
tors which prevents CLOTHING in the
body itself. 1t is normally present
IN the blood stream in considerable
amounts at all times. Consequently,
when it is given in TRANSMISSION, it is
no more a foreign substance than
the blood itself.
When injected intramuscularly
into rabbits, DR.. Sullivan found. the
acid had no marked poisonous effect.
Also there was no harmful effect
noted when blood was taken from an
animal, mixed with aspartic acid and
then reinjected into the rabbit from
which 1t came. When the acid itself,
in the form of a sodium salt, was
given by injection. 1t did not pro-
long the bleeding time of wound or
delay the natural coagulation of the
blood DR.. Sullivan also warned
however, against making any use OF
the substance in medicine until ex-
hauStive tests have been made.
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