Evening star., 1941-04-20
By THOMAS r.. HENRY,

CHICAGO, April lo.-1he SYM
pathetic nervous system Of man
the intricate communication system
OF the body through which are
carried out many Of It's automatic
activities-has been disconnected
from the brain and spinal cord
without causing death or any seri-
GUS injury.
The first successful surgical opera
tions Of this sort were reported to
the American Physiological Society
here today by Drs. Ali 3. Alviny,
Keith s. Crimson and Wright
Adams Of the University Of Chicago.
1t had previously been carried out
on dogs, but surgeons have ven
tured very cautiously In applying 1t
to human beings. It Is the ancient
nervous system of the animal body
which for countless millions Of
years has been superseded, 70 far
as conscious life is concerned, by the
central nervous system and the
brain. 1t has retained, however,
many Of It's old functions.
IL Operations Successful
The operation was carried out
for the relief OF high blood pressure
and was very successful, the Uni
versity Of Chicago surgeons reported.
Eleven patients submitted to 1t sue.
cessfully. The blood pressure was
lowered Immediately and all ability
to sweat was lost. There was no
effect on the activity Of stomach,
bladder or lungs. as some surgeons
had feared.
Total sympathectomy has been
demonstrated to be compatible with
a relatively normal existence in
man." DR.. Crimson concluded.
At the same time, before 4 meet
ing Of the Federation of Biological
Societies here, was announced the
discovery OF a hitherto unknown
engine in the human body, sec
retinase. Engines are chemical
compounds In the body which cause
specific biological changes to take
place without themselves entering
into them.
The discovery was reported by Drs.
Andrew c. Ivy, Irving +. Stein, jr,
and Harry Greenssrd of North
western University. When food is
eaten, it was explained. the stomach
produces an engine known as secre-
tin. This travels around the body
in the blood stream until it reaches
the pancreas, which 1t causes to
secrete fluids that aid in the diges-
ton Of foods. After the food has
been digested the pancreas ceases
to function.
Scientists have long believed that
the human body contained . special
for removing secretin
from the blood in order to stop the
pancreas from secreting. Secreti-
nase, which they have Just found In
experiments with dogs, is the answer,
DR.. Ivy and his associates reported
Mental Fatigue Measured.
A new method of determining
mental fatigue has been developed
which, it was reported here, may
prove useful In calculating more ac-
curately the effect upon working
efficiency of certain types Of effort
in defense industries.
1t consists Of testing q persons
ability to tell whether . light is
glowing steadily or fiickering OF and
on rapidly. Research on it was re-
ported by Drs. Ernst Simonson and
Samuel s. Blankstein OF Mount Sinai
Hospital, Milwaukee. a-
Fifty-six experiments with 1s
normal persons engaged in occupa-
tions In which the fatigue is chiefly
Notwithstanding tipping and sec
retarial work, showed q marked de-
crease in the ability to detect flick
ering at the end of the day. they
said. The more tired . person Z
brain, 1t was concluded, the more
difficult it Is to detect 4 rapid flicker
This is predominantly = function OF
the brain and not Of the eye, the
doctors said.
They reported other experiments
showing that the ability declines
rapidly with age.
The human eye sees" complete
darkness as well a. light, it was
concluded from experiments report
ed by Drs. Haldan K. Hartline and
A. Wilska Of Cornell University.
"A Characteristic activity of the
optic nerve in all vertebrates," they
said, "is that . strong discharge of
impulses occur along the nerve in