Evening star., 1942-04-21
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas K. Henry.

q
Sterilization Of the air Of stores. fac
tories. Offices. trains and other places
where people are brought together in
close proximity, may be the long sought
protection against epidenics Of colds
and flu
When a chemical known az propylene
glycol. in the form OF gas, is mixed In
proportions OF one part to 1000 900 parts
Of air virus germs do not survive. It has
been determined by DR.. O. H. Robertson
and his colleagues at the Douglas Smith
Foundation OF the University of Chicago.
Successful steriliza ton of air by means
Of ultraviolet rays has been reported,
but the chemical mixture appears to be
q simpler and cheaper procedure. A
direct clinical application, however. has
not yet been suggested by the Chicago
investigators.
Crucial experiments have been carried
out by Drs. W. Henle and J. H. Zellat
OF the University of Pennsylvania, ac-
cording TO reports to the American Med
ical Association. Air streams from two
stomiZers were mixed in a Sitter bot
tie. One atonizer contained diluted
virus the other either propylene glycol
OF water The concentration of the
glycol in the mixture was approximately
to 100000.
The virus-glycol mixture was sprayed
into cage containing five white mice.
After As minutes exposure the mice
were removed to individual cages The
death rate, and the degree OF lung in
volvement of the survivors, was deter
mined on the eleventh day.
AL mice exposed to undiluted virus
died between the sixth and eleventh
days Half Of those exposed to l-to-l0
dilution of the same virus with water
died before the eleventh day. and in
the survivors there were evidences Of
advanced lung LESSONS. With a 1-to-100
dilution Of the virus water none died,
although all showed some lung involve
ment
DR.. Robertson and his associates found
that when the chemical was released in
the air In the form of gas q ratio Of
l part to 2,oOO, 900 would completely
protect mice against a concentration of
virus which would regularly kill all ami
mails exposed to 1t inside 10 days. In
other words, it was perfect protection.
Both flu and cold germs belong to
the class Of filter viruses, most minute
OF organisms, against which the various
sulfur drugs have little effect. Vaccines
have proved indifferently successful. The
bugs" usually are picked up where
crowds congregate and where steriliza-
ton Of the air with the gas would not
be unduly expensive.
An hitherto unknown sea animal from
the waters of Lower California has just
been described by the Smithsonian In
stitution and named for President Roose-
velt.
Neomeganphopus roosevelt. as the tiny
creature has been called, was collected
by DR.. Waldo L. Schmitt, biologist of
the Smithsonian staff, who served as
naturalist on the Presidents cruise to the
Galapagos Islands aboard the Inflated
cruiser Houston in 1888.
Neomeganphopus belongs to the gen.
eral family Of amphipods, widely dis
tributed over the world and especially
In the seas, where they form a major
item in the food of certain fish and
whales. They are closely related to the
shrimps and more distantly to the crabs
and Holsters. They seldom attract notice
because Of their small size and the
fact that they live hidden in algae or
even buried in the sand.
Actually they are highly developed and
efficient creatures. The new genus is
only about quarter inch in length and
appears innocuous enough until looked
at under the microscope, when it takes on
the appearance of an ancient night
mare
Neomeganphopus roosevelt may be an
animal indirectly Of considerable eco
nomic Importance. Apparently 1t exists
in billions. A single bucket Of sand
yielded quart. Magdalena Bay. where
it was found, Is one of the worlds finest
fishing grounds. The fish probably are
there because of the amphipods. This
one appears to be the dominant species.
Nothing is known Of the habits of the
little creature. Presumably, like others
Of its family, 1t Is an ocean marsupial,
like the kangaroo and opposum among
land animals. The eggs are deposited in
q tiny pouch formed in the plates which
cover the underside OF the body Of the
mother. There they hatch and there
the young remain until they are suffi-
ciently developed to swim for them
selves. How they are nourished In the
pouch is unknown.