Evening star., 1946-07-04
Blood Gifts in War
Lent New Weapons
In Fight on Disease
By Dr.. Milton SiIyermon

Science Writer, San Francisco Chronicle
SAN FRANCISCO, July 4 (NANA)
The American people--the men
and women WEo freely donated
100000 pints of their blood dun
ing Wartime-Were created here
with making possible the isolation
and mass production of more than
a dozen potent weapons against
disease.
One is an effective agent 10 pro-
tect children against measles.
Another prevents fatal hemor-
rhage in victims afflicted with
hemophilia, the "bleeder's disease
A third controls bleeding in nor
NAL patients and makes it possible
for surgeon to replace delicate lin
! ings of the brain.
| A fourth isolates the chemicals
responsible for blood types.
These and other substances were
described before scientific sessions
of the American Medical Association
by Dr. Charles A. JaneWay. Harvard
University, chairman of special
advisory committee of the Amer
ican Red Cross.
He described this vast pool of do
mated blood as virtual treasure
trove, a source of materials that
have only just begun to be tapped.
More than 100 other substances,
he guessed, were still awaiting isola-
ton by future investigators. All
these are in addition to the purified
blood plasma and the whole blood
which proved their worth in Navy
hospital wards and on Army battle
fields.
The search for the purified COM
ponents of blood, DR.. JaneWay told
the doctors, was spearheaded by a
Harvard group under the leader
ship of DR. Edwin Cohn, world
famous physical chemist. In 1941
scores of other workers were called
in under the auspices of the office
of scientific research and develop
ment.
Then the lid of military secrecy
was put on. The scientists worked
behind closed doors. Their findings
were reported only to cleared per-
sonnel.
The first completely open review
was presented to the medical pro-
fession during the convention here.
The medical profession-or at least
that part of it which could squeeze
into the San Francisco Opera House
was impressed.
I'VE used to think" said one doc
tor in the audience, that blood is
blood, and that's that. 1t isn't. It's
the doggonest accumulation of
chemicals, hormones, proteins, fats,
engines, metals, salts, vitamins,
drugs, medicines and what-not you
could imagine!
It's as though you took every
thing in drugstore and poured 1t
into one big vat, painted it red, and
then started to analyze the stuff. -
This stuff" particularly the
concentrated chemicals isolated
from it-has already saved lives.
1t has made it possible for bleed
ers" to undergo with complete
safety the extraction of tooth
once a fatal operation for them.
1t has also enabled physicians to
treat shock, either on the battlefield
or on the operating table. with
literally amazing results.
DR.. Janeway said that proper use
of one of the blood fractions al
ready has safeguarded thousands
of children from measles.
Without any vaccination" he
said, "of every 100 children ex-
posed to the infection, about &C
might come down with a serious
case Of measles, about IS with g
mild case. With the vaccination
our tests showed, Sc per cent escaped
infection entirely, the remainder
| had only mild cases.
Equally remarkable results were
obtained by using this same fac
ton of blood to vaccinate against
epidemic hepatitis, new and seri-
Gus liver infection.
1T is apparent" he said, that
here in blood We have group OF
agents highly valuable for the treat
ment of many types of disease
They were proved during the wal
by thousands of doctors. under
every possible condition, in every
kind of climate. Why can't we get
blood supplies for peacetime?"
He urged strongly a peacetime
blood donation system, possibly to
be directed by the Red Cross, with
blood donated without cost, pro-
cessed by the largest and most ex-
perienced laboratories and distrib-
uted without cost through regional