Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-01-28
States Are Concerned
Over Disposal ofAtom
Waste, ScheeIe Says

The problem of safe disposal of
waste atomic materials is a mat
ter of increasing concern to State
and local health authorities, Dr..
Leonard A. Scheele, surgeon gen.
eral of the Public Health Service,
has informed Congress.
In testimony before House ap-
preparations subcommittee, made
public today, DR.. Scheele said the
service is cooperating with the
Atomic Energy Commission in
attempting to find the answers to
a growing flood of questions as to
what should be done to safeguard
the public from the effects of
atomic radiation.
Although we have made prog
ress in training Public Health
Service personnel in Pathological
health and safety, similar pro-
gram is not yet available to State
and local workers." he reported.
1.-The widespread use of isotopes
brings waste disposal problems to
all communities"
The service plans to study pos
sible radioactivity in the Column
bia River in Washington in CO.
operation with the Acc, he said,
land we expect that findings on
that river will be applicable gen.
orally to streams receiving radio
active wastes"
Mark D. Hollis, associate chief
of the Bureau of State Services,
told the subcommittee that I'VE
cannot delineate at this stage just
what the full impact of the So
called atomic age will be on
health"
Doubts Present Danger.
He emphasized that the present
indications are that the atomic
waste problem "is not at a dan
gerous level as yet
. In justifying a requested in
crease in funds to study radio
activity as related to public health,
Mr.. Hollis pointed out that the
Aces shipments of radio-isotopes
"has increased more than 600 per
cent in the last So months"
There were more than 1900
such shipments in the month
period ending last June, he said.
The United States is missing
good bet to eradicate malaria in
the Nation in five years or less,
DR.. Justin M. Andrews, officer in
charge of the Communicable Dis
ease Center, told the subcommit-
tee at another point in the
hearings.
Virtual elimination could have
been accomplished within five
years from 1947, if the level of
activity against the disease had
been maintained, he said, but
appropriations were reduced.
TO me, it is a great shame, now
that we have got it down so low,
that we don't finish the job" he
commented.
Otner countries Active.
Other countries in the world
are doing exactly that: Sardinia,
Tobago, Cyprus, Mauritius, Italy.
Venezuela is doing the very
same sort of thing. Brazil. a
much larger area, is starting the
same sort of program. Malario-
logists throughout the world be-
lieve that malaria can be eradi-
Gated" -..-. 80
There has been no notable ad-
vance in the treatment of polio
myelltis during the past year
only improvement in diagnosis.
Many cases of spurious" polio
have OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the
mild symptoms of the disease but
IN fact another form of virus in
lection.
Viral diagnosis requires the use
OF two or three monkeys, which
cost $35 or $40 each.
In the words of DR.. Justin M.
Andrews, in charge of the Public
Health Service Communicable
Disease Center. polio is "the most
terrifying communicable disease
we have"
The one = day treatment for
syphilis is a misnomer, and the
Public Health Service lis not in
position to recommend a one
injection treatment" according to
pr. Theodore j. Bauer, chief of
the Venereal Diseases Division.
There is promise of a short
treatment, but whether it is one.
two or three days we cannot def
n1tely state" he added.
Penicillin remains the favored
treatment, but patients apparently
cured" should be observed period
ically for five years.
District cases of early syphilis
Tor the fiscal year ending June
80 are estimated to total 1852
as against 1877 for the last fiscal
year.
In Justifying budget estimates
Tor the home-care program of
the service, DR.. Chapman gave
the subcommittee this example:
About so per cent of the Gal
Hnger Hospital patients could be
discharged tomorrow if they had
the proper home environment to
go to and certain portions of the
hospital services could be brought
INTO the home, rather than leav-
ing them there at $40 or more a
day."
sad f0hD, lady's, black, vic. 18th and M