Evening star., 1941-10-16
Of Stors. Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
Bu Thomas r. Henry.

This is all made from a culture de-
rived from the blood of single in
dividual in the Panama Canal Zone,
name unrevealed, who is a typhoid car
rier" and is kept under constant super
vision by Army doctors. He does not
| himself suffer from the disease but car
ries the germs about with him and can
transmit it to others under circum-
stances against which extreme cautions
are taken.
In the past year the output of typhoid
vaccine derived from cultures taken from
this individual has increased more than
eightfold, total of $500 gallons, valued
at about S1,500O0O. All is made at the
Army Medical School in Washington. 1t
| is used not only for American soldiers
and sailors but is supplied to the Public
Health Service, the c. C. c., the Indian
Service and the government of Porto
Rico. Some has been furnished to other
South American governments on request
as part of the good -neighbor policy.
The original typhoid culture, with de-
rivatives of which nearly 5000 men were
innoculated during the first World War,
soldier who died Of typhoid in the Boer
War. Recent investigation showed that
this strain had lost its potency and that
new start was necessary. The finding
of the Panama carrier was a stroke of
luck for the Army.
The Army laboratory in which the
vaccine is made is the largest Of its kind
L.. IL, l,oe n
bottling of the vaccine are carried out
in aforementioned cubicles constantly
steralized by live steam. During all the
operations filtered and sterilized air is
pumped into the chambers maintained
at a pressure above that of the atmos-
phere in order to prevent the entrance of
unsteriliZed air.
The vaccine is sterilized by the use OF
an electric eye so that all the patches
will be of the same strength. From
mixing chamber it passes into an auto
matte bottling device TO be sealed in the
final state for issue to Army stations.
Control tests are made on every run of
vaccine at every stage Of production.
These tests extend over period of four
clearance.
The extreme precautions make practl-
cally impossible the presence of any con-
taminated batch at any military post.
The cultures are preserved in glass
tubes by a special process Of freezing,
at a temperature of l08 degrees below
zero, and sealing in q partial vacuum.
H.
served for long periods.
Two new treatments for ivy and sumac
poisoning have been developed this year
by physicians of the United States Pub
lie Health Service.
The first, tested by Drs Louis
Schwartz and Leon H. Warren of the
Public Health Service staff, is tannic
acid long used as remedy for severe
burns. In its superficial aspects plant
poisoning is somewhat similar to burn.
A 10 per cent solution of tannic acid in
water is applied TO the ivy inflammation
after the area has been cleansed with
alcohol. In several cases where tests
have been made itching and discomfort
stopped in one or two days and all
symptoms disappeared at the END of
week.
Tannic acid should not be used, the
physicians warn. except on the advice of
the family doctor, because plant poison
ing is likely to be misdiagnosed by the
layman.
Also developed by the Public Health
Service is vanishing cream containing
10 per cent sodium perborate long used
in treatment of sore mouths by dentists.
The value of this drug is that it releases
/ tiny bubbles of oxygen which combine
with the specific agent of the plant
poison and render it much less irritating.
The chief value of the cream is as
protection against ivy poisoning, rather
than as a cure. 1t can be applied by any
body before venturing into the woods.
The cream is rubbed into the skin before
exposure. 1t must be washed off with
soap and water and renewed every four
hours
The poisonous substance in both ivy
and sumac, it is explained by the Public
Health Service doctors, is an oil known
as urushiol, which is powerful skin ir-
ritant. All parts of the plant contain
this oil, even after long drying, but the
growth in which sap is abundant is most
dangerous. Hence the leaves are most
poisonous in spring and summer and
least in the late fall. Both ivy and sumac
foliage, however, turn a brilliant red
with the first frosts and is likely to be
gathered for its beauty.
UruShiol acts in extremely minute
quantities. Hence actual contact with
the plants is not necessary to contract
the poisoning. 1t can be caused by
handling clothing, shoes or other
articles which have been in contact with
ivy. Dogs and cats may carry the poison
on their fur and susceptible persons may
be poisoned by petting them. Some of
the severest cases are caused by smoke
from burning plants in the fall.
1t is doubtful, the Public Health
Service doctors say, whether anybody is
entirely immune. Certain individuals
have high resistance but this decreases
with repeated exposures. In fact, it is
doubtful if anybody is poisoned at the
first contact, but is sensitized. Persons
who have handled ivy and sumac reck-
lessIy for years with no i'll effects sud-
denly develop severe cases of skin
poisoning.