Evening star., 1941-02-06
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
Bu Thomas r. Henry.

And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.
At least 100000 men will be re-
quired to meet the draft quota Of 800,-
900 expected by July /.
approximately 100000 will be turned
away because of physical defects, with
out considering the vast numbers who
will be exempted because Of families,
or because they cannot be spared from
essential industries.
This is the estimate OF the United
States Public Health Service from an
intensive study Of the disposition of
the second million men drafted in the
frst World War. It assumes that the
general health Of the men Of draft age
Is as good as 1t was In 1918. 1t is prob
ably, public health ofdcials say, slightly
better. On the other hand defects not
recognized then, such as certain pre-in-
sanity symptoms, now will be causes for
rejection.
The study was made by Public Health
Service Statisticians Rollo H. Britten
and George ST. J. Perrott because of pro-
posals that either their home States or
the Federal Government rehabilitate,
wherever possible, men found unft to
serve their country in the ranks.
In 1918 approximately 40 out of each
1000 called by draft boards had bad eyes,
although not necessarily bad enough to
cause their rejection. This is probably
worse today Thirty-eight had crippled
or paralyzed limbs, and 80 were handi-
capped with nat feet. Thirty Of each
thousand were underweight, "a had
teeth too bad to be admissible In the
army. About four In each thousand were
insane or epileptic
The rate Of reflections varied enor-
mously according to States. In Rhode
Island nearly so per cent Of those called
were turned down, while in wyoming
only 18 per cent were rejected. This was
due in part, the Public Health Service
statisticians say to more rigid exan1ina-
tions in some places, but in part 1t re-
veals q real physical difference between
the young men of different parts Of the
country. Rhode Island has a large in
dustrial population, whereas the youth
of wyoming was largely rural. brought
up IN the open air and accustomed to
vigorous physical exercise. There is
little reason to believe, they say. that
the relative status has changed very
much.
The age limits from which the second
million was chosen in 1918 were 81 to 81.
1t required l,s7266l to obtain 967 .4s6 At
for full service. After 80. physical de-
fects begin TO increase quite rapidly, 50
the difference in age limits of the present
draft should more than offset any i'm
provement in the general health. BY the
time the drafting Of the second million
started. Drs. Britten and Perrott point
out, the examination procedure had be-
come standardized so that few were es-
Gaping service for pretended ailments.
There Is every reason to expect, they
believe, that at least a third Of those
called in the present draft will not be
fit for full military service. although some
Of them may be At for limited training,
or for work in various war industries
$50
A hitherto unknown and extremely
virulent type Of pneumonia germ has
just been discovered by United States
Public Health Service psychologists.
This increases to 80 the known kinds Of
the microscopic organism, the pneumo-
coccus, which invades the lungs and has
always been one Of the worst killers of
the human race. While the maladies due
to all these types are essentially similar,
it is necessary to know which kind of
bug has gotten into the lungs in order
to protect patient with the appro-
pirate serum.
This has become very important in
the last decade since serum treatment
with pneumonia has greatly reduced the
death rate It still is considered at least
equal, and sometimes superior, to the
sovereign pneumonia remedy, sulfapyri-
dine, and many physicians prefer to
use it. Serum produced against one
type, however, is usually worthless
against another type. Several States
and some cities have established test
ing laboratories where types of pneu-
mococcus are determined for physicians.
The new bug" was discovered in the
course Of cooperative survey of the
prevalence Of various types in Northern
California by the Public Health Serv-
ice and the California State Department
Of Health. Tests at the Public Health
Service laboratories in Washington, just
reported by Psychologists Alice l..
Chinn and Bernice E. Eddy. leave no
doubt that 1t is different from all the
others. and possibly one of the most
virulent.
In Northern California it was found
to be more prevalent than four other
types. 1t is likely to be confused with
| five others in the laboratory and its ex-
istence greatly increases the difnculty of
determining the exact kind Of organism
that has caused the disease
There is a possibility, it is explained
that the new type of organism Is what
is known to geneticists as "muta-
| tion"-a new form of microscopic life
which has just appeared in the world.
The pneumococci are believed to be in
state Of rapid change, which may have
resulted in the hitherto recognized 80
types evolving from a single type In
relatively few generations.
r. =, NIL