Evening star., 1940-07-11
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

By Thomas r. Henry.
Possibilities Of pandemic sweeping
out of war-ravaged Europe seem slight
and confined to influenza.
The very rapidity OF the German
advance and the efficiency with which,
for protection, they are reported to
have cleared away the dead and repaired
water and sewerage systems reduces the
likelihood of outbreaks of such diseases
as typhus, cholera and bubonic plague.
At the same time the extreme restriction
Of trafic between Europe and the United
States makes the probability of any in
fection of these diseases reaching this
continent quite remote.
Such is the opinion Of Surg. Gen.
Thomas Parran. charged with the Job of
keeping these invaders out of the coun-
try At present, DR.. Parran admits,
there is almost complete mystery as to
| health conditions east or the British
Isles. The International Health Once.
whose headquarters were at Paris, and
which was one OF the worlds chief
safeguards against the spread of
disease, apparently has suspended opera
tions. For months, its director told DR..
Parran while on visit here in May,
he himself has had little confidence in
the reports received from Central
Europe
But 1t is almost certain, Dr. Parran
said, that the conquerors are keeping
a close watch over contagious diseases
in the conquered territory. Even an
outbreak of such a childhood malady
as mumps might have serious backfire
in their own forces. 1t is actually one
of the breads of modern armies For the
| first time there is an effective vaccine.
first made in the United States, against
typhus. the greatest killer of wars in
the past
The one thing against which they can
do nothing, DR.. Parran points out. is
influenza, which killed multitudes the
world over in the course of the last war.
There Is no evidence of any particular
virulent flu virus in Europe at present,
and it would not be excepted to make its
appearance before early fall. Great con-
centrations of men are ideal for such
virus to spread and increase in virulence.
But prospects of widespread hunger
| In Europe this winter and even the
| present malnutrition of refugees. he
! pointed out are of far more than senti-
! nfoI
! There is increasing evidence from
animal experiments that lack of suffi-
cient food with the essential vitsmins
and other constituents acts generally to
reduce the immunity of a population to
disease In general. 1t would reduce the
natural and acquired resistance of the
european populations to the flu virus
and enable it to gain hesdway with
great rapidity. There can be little doubt.
DR.. Parran said, that the Germans are
watching for any flu outbreak, although
they probably will be helpless to do
anything about it If it starts.
The virtual suspension OF passenger
service, he stressed. is a ma jor protec-
ton to America. During the last war
this continued fairly heavy. With the
fastest liners which have come into
service since even a case of typhus might
get into the United States undetected
since the germ has five or six day In
cubation period. Now however. it is
virtually impossible to cross the Atlantic.
except by plane, within less than two
weeks. Airplane trafflc is very light and
subject to rigorous inspection.
Shut off from reliable sources OF in
formation. DR.. Parran stressed the at
titude of the Public Health Service must
be one of watchful waiting, but at
the same time assurance that there is
no visible cause for alarm. Protection
OF large bodies of men against any sort
OF disease are so uncertain that no army
however ruthless, can afford to allow an
epidemic to start in its neighborhood il
anything can be done to protect it.
Possibly major safeguard against the
spread of flu epidemic from Europe.
other Public Health doctors point out.
is the widespread use of the two new
drugs, sulfanilamide and sulfpyridrine
These are not effective against influenza.
per Sc. 1t Is virus disease for which
no chemical antidote has been found,
They are, however, quite effective against
pneumonia which results from influenza
and is the major cause of death. They
may play major role in preventing an
epidemic gaining in virulence.
Some influenza is to be expected in the
United States every fall. Usually it in
creases into the winter according to a
definite pattern which is known to the
Public Health Service doctors and it is
only when there is variation in this
pattern that there is cause for alarm.
The day-by-day pattern this fall will be
watched very closely so that any notable
increase in virulence can be detected at
the outset. This will be for the protec-
ton not only of the United States but
OF Europe as we'll, for it Is now believed
that the first World War pandemic actu-