Evening star., 1942-03-26
Of Stars, Men e
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory. Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

There is no rest for the weary-or even
the sick-in Germany or Italy today.
Extensive data on health conditions in
the Axis countries have been prepared
by British officials here with excellent
sources of information.
tuberculosis all over the European
continent is reported to be on the
increase. Before the war the white
| plague" had reached a low-water mark.
So notable has been the upsurge that
early this winter an international con-
gress on means of checking it was held
in Berlin, attended by specialists Of all
the Axis countries
1t was not that the German medical
autocracy cared for the tuberculosis
victims themselves, but fear that infec-
ton was slowing production. Conse-
quently the physicians. obeying their
| masters voice, went on record to the
effect that the disease was not very
infectious after all. Their opinion was
promulgated in a circular issued by the
Reich Ministry of Labor.
The circular says, according to the
British Press Agency's information, ''the
fear of infection is greatly exaggerated
as the danger is strictly limited. Even
coughing cases Of open tuberculosis are
infectious only for their close surround
ings.
LAS long as cough is not too bad and
the proper precautions are taken, people
suffering from open tuberculosis consti-
tute less of danger for adults under
normal working conditions than modern
traffic conditions.
1T is only from children that cases
Of open tuberculosis must be separated.
or If the tubercular person has strong
and constant cough and does not show
the necessary discipline. There Is no
necessity for any further measures at
the place of work. Indeed, further
measures are undesirable, as the German
economy cannot dispense without good
reason with the labor OF tubercular
workers"
Much Of the alleged tenderness for
the sick, the reports reveal, is pure
verbiage. For example, the Doctors
Syndicate" in Italy has drawn up long
| list per persons entitled to extra milk
rations. An individual, however, must
have a certificate from a physician and
the certificate must bear special label
for which the physician who issues 1t
must pay 20 lire. OF this 8 lire goes to
a doctors welfare fund" and II lire
to the government physician who issues
the certificate.
Naturally few private physicians will
neglect to collect this 20 lire from the
sick patient. Otherwise 1t comes from
their own pockets.
A good deal of the effort Of the Ger
man health officials is expended in trying
to convince the people that they are
well of in spite Of empty larders. Said
DR.. Cont, the German health leader:
Food conditions are much better to-
day than in 1915 and 1917 when Germans
got only half their present rations. The
meat shortage need not be bad thing.
The trouble is solely that German
housewives have not yet learned to
prepare really good raw vegetables which
are an excellent meat substitute. In the
future Germans must be taught to use
wild herbs in their kitchens and in
restaurants.
THE health Of the army and OF the
population must be regarded as very
good. Nerve diseases are much rarer
than during the last war. although there
is more tuberculosis in Germany. This
is due to the blackouts, to staying
indoors, and to night air alarms. Dental
diseases are showing great increase
because of the war. This is unavoidable.
as the population receives insufficient
calcium. owing to the shortage Of cheese
and milk
WESTINGHOUSE engineers for the first
time in the laboratory are producing
glass lightning"
They are catching manmade lightning
bolts in buckets Of sand to produce the
curious "fulgurites" sometimes found
buried in deserts, which result when
certain type of natural lightning hits
the earth. They are rigid, hollow glass
like tubes.
"Fulgurites might be called 'petrifed
lightning" says DR.. P. l.. Bellaschi di-
rector of the experiments, since they
have the same crooked shape as the
bolts that formed them. They are
formed when lightning surges through
dry earth in search Of moist ground to
neutralize it's electrical charge.
Natural fulgurites are discovered rarely.
because conditions must be just right for
their formation. The sand must be OF
the proper composition and 1t must be
struck with hot nghtning'-a type that
lasts longer than average strokes. Since
fulgurites are concealed In the ground
they are discovered only by accident"
In order to produce one Of these spec1-
mems, he explained, 1t must last at least a
hundredth of a second. Most bolts last
only few millionths of SECOND. Such
short strokes are known as cold light
ming, since they do not last long enough
to produce great heat in the substances
through which they pass. However, they
do exert explosive forces. shattering
telephone poles and trees, blowing earth
into the air, and causing thunder.
Since it lacks the explosive force OF
cold lightning hot lightning does not
cause thunder. 1t destroys quietly.
Strokes of hot lightning sometimes last
as long as tenth Of a second-long
enough to set fire to wooden structures
or melt sand, rock or power wires. Many
natural lightning bolts have hot and cold
elements and so can start fires as well