Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-11-21
Brain Drug Found to Roise
Intelligence for II Months
Mentally Retarded Children Respond
To Clutamic Acid Temporarily
By Thomas X. Henry

~
By Thomas r. Henry
The brain drug. glutamic acid. unques-
ttonably raises the intelligence level of
mentally retarded children, but only for
about IL months.
This Is the conclusion reported to the
American Journal Of Psychiatry by DR.. Fred
erick T. zimmerman. BESSIE B. Burgemeister
and Tracy J. Putnam Of New York after q
years test with 80 children ranging in age
from to 16 years.
All the subjects were given intelligencs
tests and assigned los before the glutamic
acid treatments started. For the first six
months the results were phenomenal. There
was gain in intelligence level such an
would be expected Of normal children in a
year and half. Altogether In one year tho
subjects gained as much as normal children
would be expected to gain in two years,
During the second six months. however, the
advances were not 30 pronounced. At tho
end OF the year the children still were gain
Ing. tests showed. but very slowly.
Given In Foods.
The results were approximately the same
regardless OF the type Of intelligence test
used. Personality tests indicated that even
more far-reaching changes were taking
place. There were better social and emo
tional adjustments.
The technique is to give the glutamic acid
IN food in progressively increasing doses
until the gain in intelligence becomes appar-
ent and then to maintain a constant level.
Overdoses 1t was found. produce distract
ability and even insomnia, especially II they
are given at bedtime. The taste is unpleas-
ant and the drug usually is given mixed
with apple sauce.
The general effect Of the drug, it has
been demonstrated, is to speed up the
metabolism of the brain. It has the same
effect on white rats as on children.
The fact that intelligence can be in
creased, apparently permanently, by drug
WILL make necessary far-reaching revision
OF the whole concept of intelligence az
something inherited and invariable. the re-
port says. 7
A IS per cent increase in the wearing
resistance of sole leather has been made
possible by National Bureau of Standards
scientists.
This has been accomplished, the bureau
announces, by impregnating the leather with
chemical known as butyl methacrylate. The
wearing qualities Of the impregnated leather
were tested on the bureaus abrasion ma
chine, which essentially duplicates the con-
dltions OF walking on city sidewalks.
Altogether three methods of impregnation
~~o
Rene Oehler and Timothy j. Kilduff of tho
bureaus leather laboratory In one, rubber
solutions were incorporated in the leather.
While this does not greatly improve wearing
qualities it makes shoes much more water.
proof.
War Started Investigation.
The investigation started with the enor-
nous demand for high quality shoes by the
armed services during the war when acute
shortages developed both in hides and tam
ming materials Various oil and wax treat
ments were studied and it soon became
evident that shoes could be made to wear
almost twice as long,
Water absorption, tests with some of the
new feathers show, is reduced from third
to tenth over that of untreated material.
Preliminary research with rubber solutions
has shown that as much as 20 per cent
rubber can be deposited in unfinished vege-
table-tanned leather.
They still are only at the threshold Of
what may be accomplished bureau scientists
believe. The techniques consist in general
merely Of immersing the leather in the solu.
ton under the proper chemical conditions.
An important consideration is the saving in
tanning materials. which are becoming
Scarcer each year.. eH7@ 7sfEs