The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1948-11-12

known to science that nerves generate cleo
tricity for their functions but it was also
assumed that certain chemical compounds
were necessary in transmitting the crucial
nervous impulse from the nerve ending to the
reflector CELL" which carries out the order.
Two German scientists, Drs. O. Meyerhoff
and David Nachmansohn, attached to the
Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin, made the
search for this chemical compound their
lives work Both had to leave Germany
when the Nazis came to power. Meyerhoff
going to Philadelphia and Nachmansohn to
the Neurological Institute of Columbia Uni
versitys College of Physicians and Surgeons.
There in 1887 Nachmansohn discovered
that the chemical compound known as "chol-
inc esterase" was the one essential to the
nerves in performing their crucial function.
Nachmansohn found that once this chemical
is destroyed in the body, nerve action ceases
and life comes to an end This was true of
all members of the animal world from the
lowest living organism to man himself AL
though Nachmansohn would have been hor-
rified at the thought of converting his abs
tract scientific researches for human welfare
into deadly weapon, the Nazi scientists had
no such scruples. They Immediately under
took to create gas which would destroy the
vital nerve chemical Tabun was the out
come.
The possession by the Germans of the
deadliest weapon yet developed was, of
course, most serious threat to Allied arms.
They had nothing with which to oppose it.
The atom bomb still year off. 1t was
absolutely necessary, therefore, that they de-
velop Tabun themselves in order both to de-
wise a method of defense against and to hold
it as threat of retaliation should the Nazis
consider using it.
Obtained Formula But Not "Know How"
The actual formula of the gas had been
obtained through intelligence sources but the
production process was still unknown. So,
the Chemical Warfare Service launched an
intense effort to experiment with it at several
American laboratories. The magnitude of
the effort may be judged by the fact that the
Toxicity Laboratory of the University of Chi
cago alone used 10000 volunteers in testing
1900 gases. Finally gas, labelled "DFP'
(di-isopropy l-fluorphosphate was produced
that had the correct ingredient and seemed to
have the same characteristics as Tabun.
But when this DIP was first tested, it's
effect was found to be "reversible"- is,
nerves exposed to it suffered only tempo
rary inhibition and recovered Either the
formula was incorrect or else Tabun attacked
the nerves in a different and, as yet, un-
appeared refuted.
While many scientists accepted the first
result of the DIP tests at face value and
rivals actually gloated over Nachmansohn's
failure, the Army remained convinced that
DIP actually was Tabun and turned to Mach
mansohn himself for help The scientist, put
ting aside his scruples, willingly entered the
service of the nation that had given him
refuge
The subsequent investigation, ranging from
laboratory in Manhattan's
West 168th Street to the entire Western
Hemisphere, rates as one of the most dra-
matte scientific detection stories in history
At stage in his intense research, Mach
nansohn was using certain species of squids
for his experiments with DIP, but the re-
suits were unsatisfactory. What he needed
vas Eiectrophorus electricus the electric eel,
he species which produces the largest guam
lily of choline esterase to maintain its power
Jul electric organ. Electric cells were COM
nandeered from all the aquaria of the United
States and Canada and shipped to him. But
hey were not enough.