Evening star., 1941-01-16
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.


in 1910 than in 1889, according to tenta-
tive figures just prepared by the United
States Public Health Service based on
reports for the first six months.
1t amounts to only about tenth OF
a person per thousand of the popula-
ton, but the increase is largely con-
centrated in the middle-age and elderly
groups whose maladies are the present
outstanding challenge to medicine.
These include cancer, diabetes, cerebral
hemorrhage and heart disorders. The
latter led all the rest, with mortality
rate of more than three persons per
thousand.
There was an alarming four per cent
increase in the death rate from acc1-
dents. This has been on the decline
for several years, with the introduction
of traffic lights and constant safety
campaigns. But, the Public Health
Service figures show, the rate for the
first half of 1910 was more than seven
per cent above that for the correspond
ing period in 1899. 1t was generally
distributed over the country.
The year seemed to be unusually free,
the reports show, from outbreaks OF
the principal diseases of childhood
diphtheria, measles, scarlet fever and
whooping cough The death rate from
all these maladies was one-third less
than the rate in 1889 and two-thirds
less than in 1898. This may be due in
part, Public Health Service officials be-
lieve, to improved preventive vaccines
and is a marked acceleration of move
ment that has been gathering force for
a generation
Especially marked was the decline in
infant and maternal death rates. The
number of infant deaths per 1000 live
births for the six months was nearly
six per cent lower than in 1889 and
two per cent fewer women died in child
birth
There was an almost imperceptible
increase in the birthrate, the figures
show-amounting to two-tenths of a
baby per thousand of the population.
Balancing this against the death rate,
the Public Health Service statisticians
find a natural increase of population of
SIS persons a thousand over last year.
The figures obtained for the first six
months, the statisticians say. usually
hold good for the whole year unless
there is some unexpected epidemic of
major proportions in the fall or early
winter
For most weeks during the year, the
reports show, the influenza incidence
has been above the five-year average.
During the past ten months 174921
cases have been reported. These by no
means include all that have occurred
In the country. Although the figure is
above the average there were 279,394
cases during the same period of 1887
and the curve of increase with the ap-
proach of winter is not particularly
alarming
Measles and whooping cough also
have remained above the rate predicted
by the statisticians and this has been
one of the worst poliomyelitis years yet
experienced.
A collection of more than 10000 rep
of which are new to science, has just
been brought to the Smithsonian In
stitution by Dr. Hobart M. Smith, who
held for two years the institutions
Walter Rathbone Bacon travelling fell
lowship..
One of the most curious of the new
creatures is a crowned frog, little
creature with group of upright spines
around its head bearing considerable
similarity to the human insignia of
royalty While other crowned frogs
have been known, this one is not men
toned in scientific literature.
Still another was little frog which
spends its entire life in the leaf-formed
cup of a bromelia, plant somewhat
similar in appearance to a small CEN
tury plant but which grows exclusively
on trees where its roots get precarious
foothold. During the rainy season this
cup becomes filled with water. There
the little frog lays it's eggs which hatch
into polywogs. BY the time the cup Is
dry the metamorphosis into frog has
taken place The creature then lives a
life similar to that of other tree frogs.
Bromelias and banana trees, DR.. Smith
said, were his most fruitful hunting
grounds They constitute a biological
world hitherto little explored and the
variety of life they shelter illustrates
the tendency of living things to populate
any habitat available to them.
1t hitherto has been recognized DR..
Smith says, that bromelias were fruit
full source of material at certain times
when they are filled with water. Dead
and dry plants were found to conceal
many snakes, none of them poisonous.
These snakes deserted them after heavy
showers, during which the plants ac-
cumulated considerable water
Bananas" he says, afforded the most
amazing results. The loose outer leaves
on the trunks of the plants hold sufi-
cient moisture to protect amphibians
during the dry season. when they seek
refuge there in untold numbers For
example, in one large banana patch
three men, including myself, collected
537 specimens in two hours. Had we
saved all the specimens of the most
common species the number would have
been nearer $50. The total number of
species found in. on or under bananas
In this region was 23
Dr. Smith collected several creatures
associated with native superstitions.
l.