Evening star., 1948-05-17
Cold vaccines
Not Effective,
Doctors Told
100 Attending Course
Heor How Influenza
Virus Was Isolated
By George Beverides

New vaccines have proved effective
in preventing prevalent types OF
influenza, but effective cold vaccines
simply don't exist" group Of
doctors was told today.
The physicians are attending .
five-day postgraduate course In in
ternal medicine at Gallinger Hos
pital, sponsored by the American
College of Physicians. About 100
doctors are enrolled.
1t. Col. Arthur P. Long, Army
Medical Corps, assigned to the Ma
tional Institute of Health, outlined
developments which have led to
isolation Of virus believed to cause
certain types of influenza. He said
three types of virus now are con-
tairled in vaccines which have proved
effective against mild types of the
disease.
He said their effectiveness for
widespread general use, however,
has not yet been recognized.
Value in Epidemic Doubtful.
Whether these vaccines would
prove effective in big epidemic.
such as the catastrophe outbreak
in 1913, is not known because med
ical science does not yet know what
virus was responsible for that epi-
demic, Col. Long said.
Since 1920, In fact, there have
been at least 18 influenza epidemicS
of more moderate nature, he pointed
out. Vaccines for the common cold.
also believed caused by virus In
fection, simply don't exist, he said.
Col. Long explained the so-called
cold vaccine contained numerous
bacteria but no forms of virus.
DR.. Norman H. Topping, Of the
health Institutes infectious dis.
eases section, stressed that develop.
ment in research on the common
cold still is in the preliminary
stage. Last December. however. DR..
Topping succeeded in isolating .
virus which produced all the symp-
toms of the common ailment.
Experiments with the virus give
sufficient evidence to indicate at
least a large percentage Of colds
definitely are Infectious he de-
clared
Cites $1,000, ,0O0, 900 Cost.
DR.. Topping cited estimates thai
colds this year will cost the Amer
lean people over $1,000, 900, 900 in
medical care and loss of working
days. The average persons suffers
two colds a year of average dura-
ton of five days. he said.
He added more than 10000 600
work days will be lost this year
because of the ailment.
In another talk, DR.. Lloyd D. Fell,
ton. medical director of the public
health service at the health insti-
tute. warned doctors to be careful
about use of pneumonia vaccines.
He said experiments at the health
center have demonstrated that in
excess amounts these vaccines have
paralyzed the immunological sys-
TENS of mice in which they have
been tested
This destroys the body's power to
create natural antibodies to fight
the disease and makes the system
more susceptible to the infection,
if the animal tests hold true for
humans, he explained.
Outlines Uultraviolet Study.
DR.. John E. Dunn of the health
institutes Industrial Hygiene Sec
ton. outlined a study at the Ma
tional Training School for Boys on
the effect of ultraviolet rays against
respiratory disease forming bac-
terra. Thus far. he said, results
have not indicated widespread ap-
plication of the plan.
This afternoon the doctors win
hear panel discussions on syphilis
and the postwar problems Of tropi-
/ cal diseases