Evening star., 1942-07-09
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henrr.

By Thomas r. Henry
Thousands OF canaries are q signif-
cant part Of Americas defense forces.
They are serving in laboratories all
over the country in the development Of
possible new drugs to replace quinine
In treatment OF malaria-the most seri-
Gus Of all tropical diseases and at present
the greatest problem In military medi-
cine.
1t was malaria which struck the
knockout blow to American forces in
Bataan after supplies Of quinine had
been exhausted. 1t is bound to hit
nearly all soldiers sent to mosquito
infested tropical lands.
Both the United States and Great
Britain prior to the war obtained about
80 per cent OF their quinine supply from
the Dutch East Indies, now in the hands
OF the enemy. South America, native
home OF this product, produces little
more than enough for its own use.
Long before the outbreak of hostilities
the United States started piling up
quinine stocks adequate for several
years. The present status is q military
secret but, with the necessity Of supply
ing both the American and British Ar
mics, they cannot last forever, or be
diverted, to any great extent, fof the
victims at home-from 100000 to g.
100000 a year.
Up to 1924 quinins was the only
known remedy. To find a substitute it
was necessary to test thousands of drugs
against the disease. Only two mammals
other than man-the monkey and the
bat-are susceptible to this mosquito
borne malady. Monkeys were too ex-
pensive, bats too difficult to handle.
Then German ornithologist, j. B.
Roehl, made the momentous discovery
that canaries contracted q form of
malaria. The door was wide open.
Germany's gigantic I. G. Farbenin-
dustrie started synthetic search.
First. the German chemists hit upon a
drug known Is plasmochin It Is dan
gerously poisonous and does not affect
the clinical form Of malaria-that is,
it does not cure anybody sick OF the
disease, although it is valuable In pre-
venting an epidemic spread.
There are two major forms of the
extremely minute one-celled animal
which causes malaria, Public Health
Service specialists explain. One form
In fn,A 4.
which infests the mosquito. Their prog
eny, also male and female, are injected
by the mosquito into man. Some of
the third generation are not sexed ami
mails but reproduce by dividing In the
blood stream. 1t Is these which cause
the disease, and they are immune to
plasmochin.
The disappointed I. G. chemists turned
to their canaries again and tested them
with literally thousands Of drugs. Most
OF these were highly poisonous to cana
ries but harmless to the malaria organ
isms. Some killed both malaria and
canaries. Many thousands Of canaries
died before the chemists finally hit upon
atebrtne, q drug made out of coal tar.
Six years Of constant experiment were
necessary for this accomplishment
Atebrine was patented by the I. G.
Farbenindustrie and an American firm
was licensed to manufacture it. 1t Is
effective in about one-fourth the doses
OF quinine. Unfortunately, however, 1t
is by no means as safe. Malaria victims
can dose themselves with quinine con-
stantly. An overdose has no serious
effects-only temporary headache and
ringing in the ears. Atebrine should be
taken only under the directions OF
physician, and American doctors must
learn how to use 1t.
The German chemists and their thou
sands Of canary victims unwittingly
relieved the forces Of democracy from
dependence on quinine. 1t can be made
in the United States in any amount
desired to serve the world outside the
Axis-controlled nations.
But, unfortunately. the Germans did
not do perfect job. So the canaries-
and other birds since found susceptible
continue to die as more and more drugs,
many Of them variations on the atebrine
formula, are tried. What works on
canaries. it has been found. usually
works on man.