Evening star., 1940-01-04
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

BY Thomas r. Henry.
A weird inherited human disease
whose victims must live in bathtubs or
cool cellars all summer, has just been
reported to the American Genetics So
ciety here.
These persons he born without sweat
glands in the skin. Consequently they
are without the most important mech
anism Tor getting rid of surplus heat
in the body.
One North Dakota family is described
in which the malady, ectodermal
anhydrotic dysplasia, has appeared sue
cesslvely In three generations-grand-
mother, daughter and grandson. When
the temperature rises above IS F. they
are subjected to acute discomfort and
develop high fevers. Associated with the
lack Of sweat glands are thick lips, ten
dencies to headaches lasting week or
more, and bad stomach upsets.
One OF the victims had to be taught
to take his maps during the summer IN
tub of cool water. The North Dakota
case is reported by Drs. Lie. Glass and
Darrell H. Yost
Altogether they have found references
gene apparently is lacking whose func-
ton is the development Of the outer
layer of skin. Not only is there an
absence Of sweat glands and heat in
tolerance, but number Of associated
skin defects may be found, according
to the report just published in the
Journal of Heredity, official organ of
tho society.
The skin itself is glossy and dry, the
nails often are spoon-shaped, teeth may
be absent or pegged, there may be lack
Of hair, special sensory nerve endings
in the skin may be deficient, there is
often no well defined vermillion border
to the lips, the lips may be thick and
protruding. The effect sometimes ex-
tends to the tear glands and the victim
is unable to shed tears, regardless of
any emotional upset. The bridge of
the nose is likely to be depressed, and
large, bony ridges may be found in the
forehead over the eyes. These two
characters were normal for primitive
human beings who lived in the world
before the emergence Of the true human
race of today.
There is no sweating whatsoever it
is shown by very delicate tests in which
calcium chloride is applied to the skin.
1t then turns red when sweating Is pres
ent but remains blue when 1t is absent
There can be no question Drs. Glass
and Yost report that the condition is
inherited, although they cannot de-
termine exactly what hereditary line
is followed 1t seems to vary markedly
from the sex-linked anomalies-such
as the bleeding disease of various Euro
pean ruling families-Which are passed
on from mother to son or from father
to daughter
The same condition has been reported
In dogs, hogs and cattle.
The only boy in family with two
or three sisters somehow gets head
start in the world.
DR.. Frank L. Apperly of the Medical
College Of Virginia has just reported to
the American Genetics Society study
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scholars have come. They are selected
on the basis of powers of intellect,
leadership and social ability"
His study shows, he reports to the
Journal of Heredity, official organ Of
the society:
A great preponderance of eldest sons
in small families. AS the size of the
70 roi1v Jv,or tbo ohor
of eldest sons in the highly selected list
becomes fewer and fewer
In the largest families with 10 or
more children the tendency is reversed
and the cards seem to be stacked in
favor Of the youngest son.
But most remarkable of all, says DR..
Apperly, lis the especially predominant
position of the only boy. According to
an analysis of American families by the
Census Bureau IA per cent of all families
have one child. We can assume that
half, or per cent of these, are males
find that 8!4 per cent Of all the Rhodes
scholars were only children. On the
other hand, the only boy constitutes q
per cent Of the entire group. This would
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has some slight preponderance the only
boy is outstandingly preponderant.
The fact that the only boy with
sisters is so far ahead Of any other boy
with corresponding number Of brothers,
or brothers and sisters, would appear
to indicate the operation of some home
influence rather than an Economic or
biological factor. It may mean that
the only boy in family of girls is less
distracted from his studies than he
would be by brothers. He may have
more personal freedom. He may be
given more chances for education than
he would have If these had to be shared
with brothers.
But whatever the answer may be, it
would seem fairly clear that the eldest
child in small families Is more likely to
have the fullest development of his
! powers of intellect, leadership and social
ability, and therefore be of greater value
to the community"
Other studies, DR.. Apperly says, have
shown an undue proportion of first
sons among those attaining high de-
gree of success in life, in spite of the
fact that they are more likely to suffer
from birth defects and have higher
rate of early mental deficiency and epi-
lepsy. Some have maintained, however,
that intelligence decreases sharply with