Evening star., 1942-06-30
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory. Field
And Study

." so0Os0tVsys TIeIO
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.
Pre-selection Of white men to coionize
the tropics, somewhat as air pilots now
are pre-selected by physiological tests to
determine their reactions to high alti-
tudes probably will follow the war.
This is the prediction Of DR.. Robert G.
Stone, Harvard University meteorologist,
in report to the Department Of Agri-
culture.
The possibility Is of exceptional inter-
est in connection with the refugee
problem.
1t long has been known. DR.. Stone
points out, that some North Americans
and Europeans adjust well In tropical
lands-although they seldom do much
physical work there-while others 60 to
pieces rapidly. There probably are, he
believes, certain deep-seated physiologi-
cal differences. One Is the ability to
sweat. A beginning Of this sort Of test
has been made, he says. in some 'hot
cradle differences are found among in
dividuals. Probably the man who sweats
easily can adjust to a hot climate much
more readily than others.
A white man in the tropics often be-
comes victim Of alcohol. He may have
BEEN an abstainer at home. The reason
Is not necessarily weak will or innate
depravity, it is stressed in the report. but
lack Of the normal stimulation brought
about in temperate climates by frequent
changes in weather. The monotony
affects both the mind and the body. This
tendency might be overcome, DR.. Stone
points out, by vigorous sports-but these
in turn call for a good sweater"
The tests, DR.. Stone points out, remain
for the most part to be worked out. The
ideal type Of man for the tropics" he
says. must do more than sweat He
should have nervous and emotional sta
bility. no trace Of hyperthyroidism and
no abnormally high metabolism. He
must tolerate regular doses Of quinine
and other prophylactic drugs.
Research is needed on the various
constitutional factors, such as the fex-
ibility and efficiency Of the co-ordina-
ton between metabolism, circulation,
muscles and nervous system, before any
satisfactory procedure Of selection can
be applied. When 1t can be 1t will save
great sums of money and many broken
lives"
Tropical physiology, DR.. Stone declares,
still is far from an exact science. 1t is
generally agreed, he says, that there is
This probably results from slight ex-
pansion Of the capillaries with heat. The
volume of blood increases slightly to fill
them. This makes possible increased
sweating and . further dilution Of So
dunn, calcium, potassium and chlorine
from the body.
Muscular activity produces a large
amount Of body heat, only 80 to 40 per
cent of which actually Is used by the
muscles The rest must be stored or
given of to the environment as surplus.
unless the environment Is so cold that
1t is needed to maintain body tempera-
ture. The disinclination to work or en-
gage in any physical activity in the
tropics probably largely IS due to an
ticipated discomfort Of this heat surplus.
The amount of oxygen is less In a
cubic foot Of hot air than In cubic foot
Of cold air. Oxygen Is q vital require
ment It's restriction in small amounts
over a long time either may diminish the
effectiveness of all bodily functions or
force the body to learn to use oxygen
more effectively. There Is some tndica-
ton that both effects probably occur
but their full significance for tropical
acclimatization remains to be explored.
Most effective mechanisms Of physical
heat regulation under warm conditions
sweating and dilation Of the capillaries-
have . tendency to produce deleterious
effects on the blood chemistry and the
general tone Of the internal organs, with
the result Of lowered resistance to In
fection. Thus the human body's de-
fenses against heat do not seem to have
been well designed by nature for more
than short exposures
Gelaxies Of stars-plate-Ahaped forma.
tions 500 900, ,ooo, 900 900 900 miles from
rim to rim and each containing billions
of stars-combine in pairs, one revolving
about the other, or even form clusters. as
q result of the same gravitational force
which keeps the moon spinning around
the earth at the relatively puny distance
Of 23s, 900 miles.
Evidence for this theory is presented by
DR.. Erik Holmberg, Swedish astronomer
OF the University of Lund, In a report to
the Astrophysical Journal. He bases his
claims on research using a novel type OF
apparatus, Stimulating two galaxies by
means of sets of electric light bulbs.
Astronomers have thought that gravi-
tation is not strong enough to account
for the capture OF one galaxy by an
other, since 1t will not even cause two
much smaller bodies, such as stars, to
adhere to each other. The mutual at
traction between the sun and q comet,
for example, is too weak to do more than
merely defect the comet from its path.
With his model. however, DR.. Holm
berg showed that when two galaxies meet
at close range, violent tidal distortions
occur, draining energy from both and
thus permitting one to capture the other.
DR.. Holmberg explained that, since the
same physical laws govern both the
transmission of light and the interplay
Of gravitational forces, his model which