Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-17
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henri.

And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.
A new value Of thismin chloride vita
min 81, as a probable preventive of
leprosy infection has been found by
United States Public Health Service doc
tors
This vitamin, which plays a vital role
in the oxygen respiration of cells, has
long been known as strengthening the
general defenSes of the body against in
lection.
DR.. L. F. Badger and his aides at the
Public Health Service laboratory in Hon.
olulu experimental with rat leprosy,
, which is almost Identical in its general
symptoms to the disease in human be-
ingS. They inoculated with the dreaded
disease two sets of animals-one with
none of the vitamin in their diet and
the other with a plentiful supply. They
found that those maintained on the def
cient diet were definitely more suscep-
tible to infection and that, when heavy
NEGOTIATIONS were given, they developed
the disease much more rapidly than the
others.
The difference was traced directly to
the effects of the vitamin when it was
found that animals kept on a generally
inadequate diet, but receiving plenty of
thiamin chloride, were no more sus-
ceptible than normal rats. Theories have
been advanced In the past that lack OF
sufficient calcium in the diet played
part in leprosy susceptibility. The Pub
lie Health Service experimenters found,
however, that this was not fundamental
factor. Lack of calcium played a part
only through the fact that IL made the
rats unable to utilize the amounts of
the vitamin normally present in their
food. Tests with other vitamins of the
b complex" showed that they had no
significant role.
The physicians believe that the results
with rats were essentially the same as
they would have been with human be-
ings, If men and women could have been
used for experimental purposes. Lep-
rosy, whose germ is very similar to the
tubercle bacillus causing tuberculosis, is
not very contagious and has a foothold
at present only in places where the nor
NAL diet might be considered defective
Normally, it was concluded the human
BODY cells are hostile to the invading
germs and are able TO throw them of.
But when these cells themselves are
weakened they lose this power TO a large
extent.
Venezuela is seeking grass-kinds that
will grow On drought-StriCken and wind
swept high plains and make them suit
able for cattle. sheep and goat pasture.
For this purpose DR.. Agnes Chase
custodian Of grasses of the Smithsonian
Institution. has just spent four months
in that South American republic as a
guest of the government. She has made
survey of the varieties of grass now
growing in various parts of the country
and their possibilities for forage.
Venezuela is now facing some Of the
problems which have been faced before
in the Southwest of the United States
and in South Africa, and great areas now
are barren.
AT home in Washington DIR. Chase has
in charge the most extensive collection
of grasses in the world and recommended
to the Venezuelan Minister of Agricul-
ture that a native botanist be sent here
to continue the work she started on a
systematic basis.
There are thousands of grasses Ma
tnro SaenS IN how nrodncaf some variety
for almost every condition except that of
the extreme desert. The problem is TO
hit upon some variety which not only will
grow under set conditions but which is
nourishing for stock, and the combina-
ton often is difficult to find.
Perhaps the most curious form of
grass found by DR.. Chase was thorn
grass" adapted by evolution for survival
in high, dry areas of thin soil 1t has
beat the wind" by extremely low growth
and its seeds are equipped with spines
which stick in the skins of passing ami
mails and thus are spread from place to
place.
new infectious human disease musk
rat lever, mas JuSt Dccn IcpOf 70 tIlc
United States Public Health Service.
The malady, apparently spread in some
way by contact with muskrats, is charac-
terized by fever accompanied by painful
ulcers on the hands and arms. Its GEN.
ter is Nevada valley, many of whose
inha bitants are engaged in muskrat
trapping, but some of the victims them
selves have no actual contact with the
animals
Blood tests of patients show that the
disease is not related to plague, carried
by rats, or to tularaemia, which is spread
by rabbits-the other two serious animal
carried maladies known in the United
States
Gives Youth Forum Platform
In Reply to Knox.