Evening star., 1941-04-18
Smaller Killer Carriet
0nfiIterabIe Virus
Back, Tests Hint
Diseose-Beorine Agent
Moy Be Living Thing
Or Chemical PurticIe
px a statt Cnrrrsnondent Of The Star.

new world of the infinitely little
a Indignantly hostile world to hu-
manity-are ajar to biologists.
First were the bacteria, minute,
one-celled plants, visible under the
microscope, agents of diseases like
pneumonia and tuberculosis.
Then, about 80 years ago, came the
first knowledge of the filterable
viruses, supposedly living organisms,
too small to be seen under the most
powerful microscope, accused of
causing influenza, the common cold,
yellow fever, and host of other
plaques of mankind. These later
became visible, in sense, under the
new electron microscope.
Now, according to observations re-
| ported to the Federation Of Biologi-
cal Societies here today, the virus
itself is about to be supplanted by
still smaller fiend of the un-
known-something less then three
billionths of an inch in diameter.
1t may be living thing, or chem
ical particle.
Carries Killer on Its Back.
The long dreaded virus serves as
the old man of the mountain, carry
ing the newly found killer on its
shoulders.
One study was reported by Drs.
Leslie A. Chambers and Werner
Henle of the University of Pennsyl-
vania. 1t now is generally accepted
that influenza is caused by virus.
Lungs of mice can be infected with
this virus and when preparation
of these lungs is injected in other
mice the disease is transmitted to
| them.
The two University of Pennsyl-
vania doctors took such a prepara-
ton of infected mouse lung and
placed it in clay filter, the method
commonly used for separating
virus. The almost inflnitesimal
particles of the disease-bearing
organism pass through the pores of
the filter. The material they OBJ
tanned was extremely potent.
Heavier Particles Separated.
Then they put this in an ultra
| ICllll usC. d dlOl al
rangement revolving several thou
sands of times a second. This
separates the heavier from the
lighter particles. The particles
thrown off, they found, we're just as
potent in producing influenza in
mice as the original filtrate from
the infected lungs.
Here, it might seem, was the true
virus trapped at last, and perhaps
the first purified preparation Of
such an organism, of great value in
further studies of means of produc-
ing immunity.
Then, to be on the safe side. they
made a preparation of uninfected
mouse lung, passed it through a
clay filter, and centrifuged the
residue. They obtained exactly the
same sort of particles as from the
influenza infected lungs. They
examined them under the newly
developed electron microscope, sub
jected them to all sorts of chemical
and physical tests. There was not
particle of difference, except that
they would not cause FLU"
Might Be Chemical Change.
Whatever it is responsible for the
disease can be obtained from the
fluid of incubated chicken eggs in
fected with influenza. This fluid
contains, so far as can be ascer-
tanned, no particles at all. 1t was
mixed with the particles obtained
from normal mouse lungs. These
particles absorbed the infective
agent and at once became as potent
disease producers as those which
had come from infected lungs. APP
parently a much smaller thing has
crawled on the back of the already
sub microscopic particle.
The only other explanation, they
said, is that something which is
normally present in all lungs all the
time suddenly becomes infectious
by some subtle chemical change in
structure.
Speed of Motion Tested.
The same problem was approached
in another way by DR.. Jaques
Bourdillon of the University of
Pennsylvania. He found evidence of
the ultra-ultra disease carriers not
only in the case of influenza but in
a type of virus used for smallpox
vaccination and a third type COM
monty found in the brains of mice.
A new method of studying viruses
by their rate of movement through
a liquid was used by DR.. Bourdillon
in his research. 1t indicated that
in addition to the large" particles
sub microscopic in size-there were
smaller and more rapidly moving
ones which may be the real cause of
a virus disease.