Evening star., 1941-12-23
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
In Laboratory, Field
Notebook Of Science Progress
And Study
Bu Thomas r. Henry.

By Thomas X. Henry.
Now it is blood for America"
Early next month, is metropolitan sta
tions will be at work obtaining q pint of
blood each from 100000 persons, At q
rate Of well over 1000 a day.
Each pint of blood provides one unit
of the foamy, brown powder, blood
plasma, which the American Red Cross
is providing for the Army and Navy.
Already approximately 10000 units
have been produced, and there was a
fairly adequate supply in Honolulu at the
time of the Pearl Harbor disaster.
Blood collecting stations either are in
operation or are being set up in Balti-
more, Boston, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleve-
land, Indianapolis, New York, Philadel-
phia, Pittsburgh. Rochester, Detroit.
Milwaukee, Chicago, st. Louis, Los An
geles and San Francisco.
In Washington blood is being collected
for liquid plasma, valuable for emer-
gency transfusions. 1t can be kept how
ever, only about six months under the
best conditions, while the safe limit for
the dried plasma is five years.
The blood is being processed in seven
laboratories provided by large drug firms.
Activity is centered in the l6 cities be-
cause it is essential that the fresh blood
be within II hours shipping distance OF
one of these laboratories. Also, there
must be adequate provisions for refrigera-
ton on the spot. This makes collections
other than in the immediate suburbs
impractical.
The movement, under the direction OF
the Red Cross, started last year with the
collection Of 1900 units for shipment to
Great Britain. This was discontinued
last February, when England had set up
her own plasma- laboratories
to process blood from local donors
The available facilities were then
turned over to building up the mammoth
American plasma supply. The work pro-
ceeded slowly, with the collection Of 49,
900 units up to october l. when it was
put into high gear. Another 150 900 units
have been produced since.
The response, Red Cross officials say.
has UccU lCIldi hdplc SIlC6 lllc SldlI Ol
the war All sorts of groups are volun-
teering en- masse.
In Washington, where the liquid
plasma is being processed at the Navy
Hospital, many of Great Britain's 1000
employees in the American Capital already
have given pints OF blood and 1t is ex-
pected that every one in reasonably good
.,i11 hut ie
to repay in part the blood sent to Eng
land About 800 of these men and women
are English. The remainder are Cana
dams. Australians and Americans
Among the donors have been several
invalided r. A. F. officers on duty here.
One English woman clerk already has
given five pints of blood, in addition to
| 10 which she gave in her home country
before coming here. British oficials here
are urging every employe to give one
or more pints.
It is entirely possible, Red Cross ON
cials say, that the 200,000-unit goal will
be greatly increased during the year, If
| facilities can be obtained. The entire
rural and small city population Of the
| United States is unable to respond to
the appeals because Of lack Of these
| facilities.
Seven minutes is required. under the
| method now practiced, to draw the blood
| 1t Is Immediately refrigerated and rushed
| to . plasma processing center. There 1t
| is placed in a centrifuging machine.
which works on the principle Of a cream
separator.
| This takes out the red and white blood
which is frozen and the water extracted
from it in a high vacuum. Each unit
then is placed in a sealed flask. With it
| is packed another sealed flask Of distilled
| water, by addition Of which the foamy
| powder is transformed into liquid plasma
again.
The plasma is turned over to the Army
present plan is to produce 1000 units
each for Army and Navy. It also Is
proposed to build up large reserve sup
| plies at strategic points throughout the
country to be available for any sort
| OF disaster.
The stratosphere has . vobbly floor.
This may be fundamental element
in world weather.
Such are the conclusions Of Dr. Henryk
Arctowski, noted Polish meteorologist now
in exile and conducting investigations
at the Smithsonian Institution.
DR.. Charles G. Abbott, secretary Of the
Smithsonian, has established long since
that the heat Of the sun varies frequently
by as much as half Of per cent, and
sometimes several times that.
But the fact that the outer atmos-
phere of the earth is receiving more heat
from the sun on a certain day than on
the day before does not mean that the
whole surface Of the earth will be that
much warmer The radiation must pass
through an ocean Of atmosphere at
least 100 miles thick before it strikes the
surface of the planet. On an airless
body like the moon presumably the effect
would be direct and immediate. On the
earth it is delayed and the mechanism
extremely complex.
Some parts of the globe become warmer
and some cooler due to such factors as
changes in degrees Of cloudiness, effects
on wind direction and intensity, effects
on the movements of air masses In the
high atmosphere, etc.
But somewhere there is direct hit, y
as 1t is described by DR.. Arctowski.
In seeking the point OF this direct