Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-07
Sound Waves Found
To Slow Growth Of
Some Tumors
Chemists Are Told of
Experiments Tried
At Maryland u.
By THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star STAN Correspondent.

Star Stan Correspondent.
BALTIMORE, April 7-Experi-
ments with inaudible sound waves
on cancer tissue were described
before the American Chemical So
ciety here yesterday afternoon by
Francis F. Beck and John C..
Krantz, jr., of the University of
Maryland School of Medicine.
Placing rat tumors in the path
Of ultrasonic vibrations far above
the range of the human ear, they
found a paradoxical effect in which
the growth of the neoplastic masses
was slowed down while at the same
time their rate of living was
speeded up. The tumors seemed to
be stunted in growth by leading
fast life.
The experimenters stressed that
they do not claim to have found
new weapon against malignant
growths because they do not yet
know what the effect would be on
normal cells subjected to the same
treatment. 1t may be, they said,
that eventually the sound waves
would be found to have differen-
. tial deleterious effect on cancer cells
compared with those Of the sur
rounding tissue. They are faster
nvers anyway.
Experiment With Sugars.
The experiments started they ex-
planned, with studies of the effects
of certain rare sugar derivatives IN
cancer growth. These were injected
into the animals in the hope OF
finding some kind of sugar, the fuel
of all animal life, which normal
cells could burn but cancer cells
could not. This might have pro-
yided the basis of dietary treat
ment Of cancer. None seemed to
work
They did find. however, that three
substances, one of which was ordl-
nary glucose, produces in the alb
normal cells greater amount of
Tactic acid, the end product of sugar
burning in the body. They then
tried the effects of the ultrasonic
waves in association with these
same sugar injections and found
chat the resulting Tactic acid pro-
duction was greater.
This could only mean, they
pointed out to the chemists, that
the appetites of the abnormal cells
had been stimulated so that they
were buring more sugar. Theoretl-
cally the growth of the rat tumOr
should have been stimulated. The
fact that it was somewhat repreSSed
could be explained logically by the
assumption that the cells might be
having a gayer life than they could
: stand They might be compared
to children on drunken sprees.
Theory of Treatment.
The theory of most non-surgical
treatment of cancer rests on the
fact that the malignant cells re-
produce faster and easier. Thus
there are always more newly born
cells in cancerous than normal It's
sue. These cannot stand as much
rough treatment and are killed
more easily. This is the principal
on which both x-ray and radium
treatments are based. The radi-
ations are bound to injure the nor
NAL cells through which they pass,
but they hurt the infantile cancer
cells worse. When an extended
series of small doses are given,
spaced a few days apart, they are
bound to find some cells which
have just divided and kill them.
The ultrasonic wave treatment
Is based upon somewhat the same
principal Living tissue placed in
the path of such inaudible sounds
for any extended period is badly
shaken up and eventually killed.
This is illustrated in the use of such
vibrations to kill the bacteria in
milk. In the present case the can
Ger tissues were kept in the path
of the vibrations only two minutes
at time. Fifteen treatments were
given, spaced two days apart. Other
wise it probably would have been
possible to kill them, but any nor
NAL cells in their path would have
been killed at the same time.
Both Miss Beck and DR.. Krantz
emphasized that they are not claim
ing a successful treatment of such
superficial cancers as can be placed
in the path of sound vibrations, but
are only venturing on a new line of
approach which might eventually
have limited usefulness.
Two New Drugs.
From two rare, Notwithstanding
alcohols found in corn sirup have
obeen produced two potent new drugs
one valuable in the treatment of
swellingS and the other as dilator
of blood vessels useful in treatment
of high blood pressure and angina
pectoris, it was announced by DR.. c.
Jelleff Carr of the University of
Maryland.
Hitherto, he said, these alcohols
have been laboratory curiosities, but
now they can be extracted from corn
strip for few cents a pound. One
Is manitol. 1t is very close to sugar
and Is obtained as white, crys-
talline powder. It can be used in
small amounts to sWeeten foods. One
Of its derivatives, obtained by de-
MIGRATING it, is the swelling remedy,
isomannide. When nitrogen atoms
are added to it, it becomes the blood
vessel dilator.
The other alcohol is sorbitol which
already has some place in medicine
as q sWeetener of diets for diabetes.
The potential usefulness of these
compounds and others that can be
obtained from corn sugar seems
almost unlimited, DR.. Carr said. They
have found place in the production
OF CLUES, leather, plastics, Vitamin c,
cosmetics, shoe polishes, radio con-
densers' and related products.