Evening star., 1947-09-19
Radioactive Light
Produces Photos Of
Tissues on Contact
By Thomas R. Henry

radlo-autograph," new technique
by which leaves, seeds, insects and
preparations of human or animal
tissues are photographed by their
own light induced by feeding radio
active elements, was described be-
fore the American Chemical Society
meeting here yesterday.
Preparations are laid on a photo
graphic plate. When the plate is
developed, dark patches are found
These indicate the precise areas to
which the food substances tagged
with radioactive materials have
found their way. The action OF two
war gasses, mustard and 1ewisite
have been investigated in this way
it was reported by Drs. Joseph G.
Hamilton and Dorothy Axelrod OF
the University of California. Stud
les also have been made of the ad-
sorption of iodine by the thyroid
gland.
In studying the action of the two
sasses, mustard gas was synthesized
with radioactive sulphur and lewis
lite with radioactive arsenic, it was
explained. They then were applied
to the skin. Then the radio-auto-
graphs showed that while lewisite
was deposited only in the outer
layers of the skin and the hair
mustard gas was deposited in deep
layers OF the skin and in blood
vessels. Thus was explained for
the first time the deep burns
caused by this gas in battle.
PoisOns Can Be Studied.
With the aid of radio-autographs
1t now is possible to study the trans
portation of minerals in roots and
leaves and the precise action OF va
rious poisonS on insects.
Twelve stable substances remain
undiscovered in nature, where they
undoubtedly exist in minute ouan-
titles, it was reported by DR.. H. L.
Johnson of Ohio State University
and Capts. Elwood M. Doushett
Arthur R. Frithsen and Claude K.
Stambaugh of the Army Air Forces
These are isotopes-chemicaIly in
distinguishable forms-of the ele-
ments beryllium, titanium. chromi-
UNI, iron and some of the rare
earths.
More than 500 isotopes, essenti-
ally hitherto unknown basic forms
OF matter, have been produced in
the Governments uranium piles
but are radioactive. They degener-
ate into we'll known forms of matter
in some period from a few seconds
to a few hundred thousand years
Thus any OF them which may have
existed at the time of the creation
OF the earth long since have disap-
peared.
The twelve stable substances.
however, still should be as abundant
as they were at the beginning.
Uranium Found in Shale.
The presence of uranium in shale,
OF which there are enormous de-
positS in the United States, makes
the mining of this half coal
profitable for the first time, the
society was told by DR.. Gustave
Egloff. research director of the Uni
versal Oil Co.
1t now has been found. DR.. Eeloff
said. that each 5000 tons of shale
contains about one ton of uranium
oxide-the equivalent of about three
million tons of coal in atomic en-
ergy, If this ever is achieved. It
might even be practical to mine the
shale for uranium alone with the
gasoline merely as a biproduct. Both
oil and uranium are being extracted
from shale in Sweden. which in
vested about $35 100000 in equip
ment for the process in the past
year, DR.. Egloff reported.
Although flour whitened for bak-
ing by the most effective bleaching
agent-used on approximately half
the -four used for baking purposes
in this country-causes convulsions
in dogs when fed in large amounts,
there is no evidence that 1t is HARM
full to human beings, 1t was reported
by Drs. Jack L. Radomski, Geoffrey
Woodward and Arnold J. Lehman Of
Washington, chemists of the Food
and Drug Administration.
They verified the convulsions
caused In dogs. first reported last
year from England and found that
flour treated with nitrogen trichlo-