Evening star., 1949-08-20
Plant of the Century

II the facts involved have been accu-
ratc'y set forth, the news story that should
have everybody's attention right now is
the story about the American scientific
mission en- route to Africa to gather up a
large supply-in seed form and otherwise
Of rare plant known as Strophantus
sarmentosus. In terms OF human health
and happiness. the mission holds out one
of the most dramatic, most spectacular
and most heartening promises of the
century.
To appreciate the significance Of all this,
it is necessary to go back to an announce
ment made last April by group Of Mayo
Clinic doctors. At that time the doctors
reported the development of newly syn
thesized adrenal gland hormone called
cortisone-a remarkable substance with
virtually miraculous effect on arthritic
sufferers Administered in small doses to
a few individuals crippled by the disease.
it filled them with new life, wonderful
sense of physical and spiritual well-being,
a renewed ability to move about freely,
normally, without pain walking and dane
ing where before they had been invalided.
In addition, it was found to have
similarly miraculous meaning in connec-
ton with the treatment Of rheumatic fever
and probably also in connection with a
number of other ailments, including
mental illness like melancholia or
schizophrenia.
But the cortisone described by the Mayo
doctors was made from OK bile, and the
amount of it needed every day In the
treatment OF single patient would require
the output of 40 head Of slaughtered
cattle-a fact making it 50 costly and so
limited in supply as to render it practically
useless for large-scale application. 1t Is
here that the sarmentosus plant enters
the picture with tremendous meaningful-
ness. For science, according to the United
States Public Health Service, has found
that the seed of the plant-which Is vine
that climbs to height OF 80 feet on African
trees-yields more than $4,000 times as
much raw material for cortisone as does
OK bile and that 1t is more closely related
to the substance than is the bile. In erect,
this means that pound OF 1t, oesides
lending itself to easier chemical CONVEX
sion, is better than 10000 pounds OF the
beef product for the purpose OF manufac-
turing the synthetic hormone.
In giving out this story, the Public
Health Service has tried, quite properly, to
avoid sensationalism lest too many people
get their hopes up too high too fast Yet
repressed excitement can be detected In
It's statement that there Is every reason
to hope" for the best The sarmentosus
plant will grow only in tropical climes ana
years will be required to transplant 1t from
Africa and cultivate it in large quantities.
Unless present indications are all wrong,
however it is likely to yield immense
supplies Of cortisone in the not-too-
distant future. A number Of "ifs" are still
involved, but assuming that everything
goes well. arthritics, taking the substance
more or less as q diabetic takes insulin,
will then be able to lead normal lives;
rheumatic fever will cease being a major
killer: chronic degenerative diseases are
likely to be brought under much better
control; and certain types of insanity may
become durable
This Is the great promise implicit In
strophantus sarmentosus-the plant OF the
century In the United States, third OF
our heart disease deaths Is caused by
rheumatic fever, and there are about
100000 suffering from arthritis. Add to
this the statistics for other lands, and no
more need be said about the vast, bright
potentialities of the American mission now
on it's way to Africa.
Some day, perhaps in less than genera
ton, this story may be recognized as one
of the most important in the history OF
disease and health. 1t is overshadowed at
the moment by headlines about five
percenters,' scarce dollars and ornaments
but in it's potential meaning it seems to
tower over all of them, and certainly it
shows up man in far finer light.