Evening star., 1941-12-27
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory. Field
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.

of Bolivian haciendas whose workers and
their families may reveal whether medi-
c2l science has conquered the most
dreaded epidemic disease-typhus.
Dr. Rolla E Dyer, assistant director of
the National Institute of Health, has just
returned from Bolivia, where he made
the first controlled tests with human
beings of a supposedly effective vaccine
produced by Public Health Service work.
ers nearly two years ago.
TyphuS exists, although not on en
epidemic scale, in Bolivia. DR.. Dyer and
his associates vaccinated half the people
on each plantation. The other half were
left unvaccinated. The rate of typhus
infection in the two groups will tell the
story.
1t will be at least six months before
there can be any definite conclusions, DR..
Dyer says For nearly two years. ever
since the vaccine was developed at the
Public Health Service laboratories at
Hamilton, Mont. the epidemiologists
have been seeking a testing ground.
1t works perfectly in the laboratory.
There is a high presumption, but no
guarantee, that it will be effective with
men and women.
IF this presumption is not true" says
DR.. Dyer, we want to know it as soon
as possible SO that some other line can
be followed"
Meanwhile the long-feared epidemic
of typhus appears to have broken out in
Eastern Europe and the whole problem
might be solved had the Axis powers
been willing to cooperate few months
ago.
The new vaccine can be turned out in
practically unlimited quantities. 1t is
produced by the incubation of incu-
bated hens eggs with a form of the
typhus virus. The only limit is the num-
Der of eggs available and the facilities
of the plant.
An appreciate time, however, is re-
uuired to make the vaccine. Fortunately,
typhus does not strike whole popula-
ton without warning. 1t RACES in one
locality, dies down and flares up in an
other This. at least, was the experience
in the Balkan countries and the Ukraine
in the greatest epidemic of modern times
following the first World War.
Considerable supplies already are on
hand in the United States and the setup
is such that full-speed production could
be started at any time.
The Bolivian government is giving full
cooperation in the experiment.
Another typhus vaccine was produced
a few years ago by DR.. Hans zinnser,
noted epidemiologist who led the fight
against typhus in Serbia in 1919. This
also has not actually been tested with
human beings, although full reports of
it are available in medical literature for
any physicians faced with an epidemic.
The Public Health Service vaccine
works just as we'll in the laboratory, is
much cheaper to make and can be pro-
duced much more rapidly.
Vaccination is the one known protec-
ton against a filterable virus disease,
such as typhus. There is no general
principle to be followed, however. with
much hope of success. No vaccine is
available against some of the deadliest
of all virus maladies, although the causa-
tive agents themselves have been iso-
lated. The preparations simply do not
work-nobody knows exactly why. Also
no positive conclusions as to human re-
actions can be drawn from those of
experimental animals.
Faced with what may be the greatest
danger of the war, so far as her civilian
population is concerned, Germany has
no typhus vaccine-so far as is known
Examination of German medical jour-
nails for the past ten years shows no re-
port of a single typhus study, according
to epidemic disease experts of the United
States Public Health Service.
Early in the war an offer of the newly
developed American vaccine - made
purely in the interests of humanity-to
be used experimentally in Polish con-
centration camps was rather churlishly
refused. While no explanation was
offered, the United States experts believe
that this may have signified that the
Reich possessed its own vaccine which
it was keeping secret from the world
The Hungarian government took
quite different attitude and several gal
Ions were sent to Hungary to be used in
experimental vaccination of several viii
lagos. But the nation soon was drawn
into the war and no report has been re-
ceived of the use to which the substance
was put.
For the past ten years intensive work
on typhus prevention has gone on In the
United States-where the motive was
altruistic since this country Is the last
spot on earth where an epidemic is to be
expected-the Pasteur Institute in Paris,
and the laboratories of the Polish Health
Service in Warsaw.
The French developed workable, but
rather dangerous vaccine. 1t was tried
experimentally in North Africa with in.
different results. Several died OF the
vaccination.
The Polish results also were indiffer-
entity successful. Reports last spring OF
a developing epidemic in Spain brought
an immediate response from the Public
Health Service which shipped large
amount to the stricken country. Here
also there has been no report on the re-
suits. Spain remains the danger spot OF
Western Europe because of the poor
sanitary conditions and general malnu-
triton there. The malady might easily
break over the Pyrennees into France.
In the halfway decent world Of past
wars, no government has considered a