Evening star., 1941-08-28
Of fStors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory. Field
And Study
Bv Thomas r. Henri.

AND Stuoy
BY Thomas r. Henry.
Feeding COWS on air Is . dramatic
possibility now being investigated by
dairy scientists 1t the University Of
Wisconsin.
Similar experiments were started in
Germany 20 years ago and presumably
many cattle of the Reich now get 4
considerable part of their nourishment
out Of the atmosphere.
COW, in order to produce high quality
milk and cream, must have q lot of
nitrogen containing foods, the proteins,
in her diet. This is usually supplied in
American dairies by cottonseed meal,
Inseed meal, soy beans or alfalfa. Some
substance OF this sort comprises about
sixth Of the diet of . good mich COW.
One OF the simplest Of all nitrogen
containing substances Is urea. In the
animal body 1t Is formed by the break
down of proteins In the digestive process.
1t can be made synthetically out of
nitrogen from the air. coal and water.
The nitrogen is the chief constituent.
The synthetic produce is sold for about
cents q pound.
Nearly two decades ago the German
experimenters found that COWS and other
cud-chewing animals can build up urea
again into proteins through the action
OF bacteria in the rumen, the first stom-
ach, and subsequently can digest it in
the fourth stomach. This cannot be
done by man or any other carnivorous
animal, possessed of only one stomach.
Man must get his proteins in the form
Of beefsteak, milk or eggs.
The German problem was to determine
whether cows thrived on this urea, or
air, diet. In the files of the Bureau of
Dairy Industry Of the Department OF
Agriculture there are reports OF about
70 experiments In every case, 1t was
found, at least . third of the entire
protein ration could be supplied in this
way with an actual improvement in the
quality OF milk and cream, increased
| 8AoW0iis dAiN SSklCl al 8OOu ISdlII.
American dairymen paid little atten-
ton to these experiments until they were
taken up about a year ago by Drs. I. w.
kupel, 8. Bonstedt, w. I. Wagner and
C. B. Hart of the University of Wis
consin. Their tests, to date, have veri-
fed in general the German work
A calculation made by q Bureau of
Dairy Industry scientist shows that urea
is about twice as cheap a cattle food
as cottonseed meal. assuming that there
Is no loss in converting the chemical
into protein and that it has equal nutri-
tive value
Urea now Is being made industrially
on large scale. The process is much
the same rs that for making ammonia.
This, in fact, is one of the stages passed
through in converting air, coal and water
into the protein-creating substance The
vital need Of ammonia for explosives
may bar the use of mitch urea for cattle
fuuBesfdes;~|frS--unityd States has:
surpluses of cottonseed and soy bean
meal In continental Europe, the situa-
ton is quite different. There Is q short.
Nh of proteiH s3oDA eAAmonia facSos
ries have been built up. especially in
more than adequate to meet the vastly
increased explosives need.
But with the increased demands for
dried milk and cheese to feed England,
the American supply may be tapped
because Of the cheapness of the product.
In any event, cheaper milk and cream
is promised after the war when the
ammonia demand drops.
4
Every time an electric discharge passes
through air there Is created a pungent-
smelling gas known as ozone"
1t is popularity reported to be pep"
gas. without q thin shield of it about
20 miles above the earth, which stops
most Of the ultraviolet radiation of the
sun. there could be no life in the world.
For the first time the actual physio-
logical effects of this gas on animals
and human beings have been reported
to the American Chemical Society by
DR.. Clark E. Thorp, Chicago chemist,
after extensive experiments with mice
and men.
He found that 80 parts per million in
the atmosphere of 4 room caused mice
to lose consciousness in about five hours
Smaller amounts had no observable
effect. The animals revived quickly
when brought into normal air. Five
hours exposure to 50 parts per million
killed mice and 100 parts per million
were fatal in less than an hour. A one
minute exposure of human beings re.
suited In dried skin and severe sore
throat. There was no evidence Of exhil-
aration In either man or animals, but
minute plants in water showed an accel-
Grated growth.
The effects of ozone with minute
hydrogen impurities was much more
marked. One part per million-the
limit at which 1t was considered advis-
able to test humans-produced severe
headaches in two hours and sore throat
in three hours. Ten parts per million
killed mice in five hours.
Ozone is used commercially for steri-
lizing water, purifying air and bleaching
Since men must work with it, the physio-
logical properties were tested This is
especially important ut this time since
the gas is being used In some war indus
tries.
A curious fact uncovered by DR..
Thorp is that while small amounts of
ozone apparently are not very poisonous
per sc, they greatly increase the toxicity
OF nitrogen oxides, gases made up Of