Evening star., 1942-04-07
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.
| For the new scent piece which will
be minted soon Treasury oficials are
experimenting with q manganese copper
combination which will have exactly the
same electrical properties ~ the old
nickel.
The nickel is the chief coin used in
slot machines. Many Of these were pre-
cisely adjusted electrically to the old me-
tallic composition which now Is being
discarded to save the vita. metals, nickel
and copper. The saving, in any event,
will be considerable. In the 3l5 5,000, 900
nickels struck in the last fiscal year =
total Of 1908 tons Of copper and 434
tons of nickel were used.
1t first was decided to make q scent
coin Of half silver and half copper, thus
eliminating all Of the nickel and one
third Of the copper. Bureau Of the Mint
oficials, however, admit that there is .
possibility the formula will be changed,
In view Of researches now In progress
with other compositions.
The object Is to replace. with as little
change as possible. metals vitality needed
for defense by those Of which the Nation
has an abundant supply. OF the Gov
ernments total silver stock, more than
one billion and . quarter ounces are
available for this purpose. Only about
Z per cent OF this amount would be re-
quired annually for the proposed coins.
Mint ofdcials do not propose to call in
the nickels now in circulation for melting
down. Such salvage would be extremely
expensive.
II the original plans are adhered to,
the new scent piece will present few
mechanical dimculties and require no
change Of design. The coins will present
. bright, silvery color when newly struck.
but the experts say they gradually will
take on . yellowish appearance after
they have been In circulation . few
months.
Samples which have been struck are
OF the same weight and diameter IS the
scent piece now in use but are slightly
thinner.
Present plans call for saving about
100 900 pounds Of tin . year through cut
ting down the tin content OF the penny.
A billion l-cent pieces issued In the last
fiscal year required 3,2el tons Of cop
per. "a tons of tin and 1877 tons Of zinc.
The new cent consists Of approximately
s5 per cent copper and 5 per cent zinc,
with the tin reduced to a bare trace.
Hair graying Is Q deep-seated process
involving the damping Of the fires Of
life.
One of the functions Of hair is to re-
move from the blood the dead, inert
particles Of the dark pigment, melanin.
which is formed as one OF the products
Of metabolism-the chemical burning o.
food.
As one grows older this process Is
slowed more and more.
Such Is the conclusion, Just reported
to the American Medical Association, Of
Dr.. Ales Hrdhcka, Smithsonian Insti-
tuition Curator Of Physical Anthropology.
who has made = long study Of hair colors
and forms Of various races.
The process is so fundamental, says
DR.. Hrdlicka, that it Is difncult to believe
1t can be arrested by any treatment,
other than temporarily.
Says DR.. Hrdlicka: The hair is not a
mere appendage Of the skin which serves
for protection Of the surface of the body.
| It aids in cutaneous sensitivity. On the
| head and face it has aesthetic and sex
significance. Through its pigment it is q
fairly important means of elimination Of
by-products Of metabolism.
Enlarge the hair q thousand times
and it viii be seen to contain a great
many grains Of melanin which, directly
or indirectly, have been distracted by
1t from the blood. Make a count Of the
| hair that . man cuts and loses during
Nfe-the material thus eliminated will
assume q respectable proportion.
The ordinary graying of hair signifies
| not that the melanin is changing in or
losing color, but that less and less of 1t is
formed. The thoroughly gray or white
hair Is that which is entirely free from
melanin.
Now it is quite conceivable that under
starvation or prolonged, severe nervous
stresses the production OF melanin, and
hence its elimination, may be diminished
or even cease, and that when conditions
are restored to normal the formation
| and elimination of the substance through
the hair recommence.
"A really sudden grayness, however,
would seem impossible. The melanin is
dead and inert and cannot possibly be
decolored through any mental effect. If
sudden graying is a reality, which has
not yet been scientifically established,
then the loss of color must be due to
other factors-perhaps the sometimes
suggested bubbles Of gas in the medulla
of the hair.
"If the hair and it's pigment are viewed
in this manner, and the normal graying
is regarded as a gradual decline in the
production of melanin, it is difficult to
! see how any vitamin or other substance
could restore former conditions.
Something of this nature could con-
ceivably be possible for time in the
early stages of the process, but would
steadily grow more difficult with time
until it became impossible. It would be