Evening star., 1949-08-10
Atomic Guides Devised
In Fight Against Cancer
Chemical to Lead Exploding Atoms
To Diseased Parts of Body
Bv Thomas r. Henry


Atomic guides" are being devised by
Atomic Energy Commission scientists to lead
exploding atoms to diseased parts Of the
body.
Most significant is a chemical known as
stilbamidine which is being synthesized with
exploding carbon atoms at the commissions
radiation laboratory at the University Of
Chicago. Previous tests have shown that the
greater part Of this chemical when injected
into the body Is absorbed by cancer cells in
the bone marrow This Is disease Whlcn
occurs only in humans
The hope is that by attaching to its mole
cule other radioactive isotopes means will
be at hand of concentrating intense cell-de-
structive radiation in this particular type OF
cancer.
Guide to the Kidney.
Another good prospect is guide to the
kidney. When kidney tissue Of mouse IS
injected into a rat that rat kidney builds
up an antibody to resist this invasion Of
foreign material. The rat then Is killed and
this antibody extracted. When it again is
injected into a mouse 1t finds its way to
the kidney with extraordinary rapidity.
Various types of exploding isotopes. it has
been found. can be incorporated in the SUBJ
stance. The possibility of finding similar
material which will carry radioactive atoms
directly to the kidneys Of human cancer VIC
remains to be done.
First of the guides, it explained in the
semiannual report of the Atomic Energy
Commission, was radio-iodine nearly all Of
which is absorbed by the thyroid gland or
by patches of cancerous tissue which have
spread from this gland to other parts Of
the body. While tests along this line have
not been entirely successful they have opened
up new field of research from which de-
Vyo1Ny, nofs nf YNnHinoV
science are expected.
Diagnosis Of heart maladies through the
finger tips of patients may be possible with
a new instrument just reported here.
It is the pneumo-p -plethysmograph, devel
oped by DR.. Travis Winsor Of the University
of Southern California and DR.. George Burch
of Tulane University.
It diagnoses, according to DR.. Winsor,
diseases Of the blood vessels. chief cause Of
heart disease, with little chance of error.
It makes possible immediate correlation Of
heart rate, pulse volume, blood pressure and
perspiration.
Looks Like Radio Set.
The machine looks like three-dial radio
receiver set with a couple Of dozen wires
sprawling out of it to the patients fingers
and toes. It is especially adapted. according
to DR.. Winsor, to measure emotional changes
through minute variations in the size OF the
finger tips as blood flow changes. A subject
asked to multiply two times two showed no
change in fingertip size. but when he was
asked to multiply eight times IL that blood
went to his head so markedly that de-
crease in size promptly was recorded.
The plethysmograph and its recorder
have been used in several experiments in
volving tobacco, alcohol and emotional
shocks. It has shown that alcohol increases
the flow of blood but that tobacco has de-
pressing effect. It also showed, however, that
If alcohol and tobacco were used together
the depressing effect Of the latter prevails.
The machine eventually will md some
use in mental hospitals, DR.. Winsor believes.
1.-The technique" he says should be
great value in discovering what Is disturbing
a mental patient through measurable blood
flow reaction to sights and sounds that have
emotional significance.