Evening star., 1950-07-12
Chemical Found Linked
To Dementiu Precox
Treatment for Mental Ills
Moy Result From Discovery
By Thomus R. Henry

An obscure substance which may play
major role in causing the most dew
astating of all mental diseases is being
investigated by Mellon Institute chem
lists
1t has been observed for some years
that when victims of dementia precox
also suffer from diabetes. insulin has
little effect. DR.. l.. J. Medina Of the
Illinois sNeuropsychiatri Institute was
able to isolate from the urine Of sucn
patients crude material which, when
injected into animals, causes a pro-
nounced rise in blood pressure. This
substance does not exist in normal
people and promises to be the long
sought chemical difference between those
suffering from this weird form of in
sanity and the rest of the population.
The crude substance. per sc, has little
meaning. It is highly complex chemi-
cal mixture, only small part Of which
probably functions in raising blood sugar
and in resisting insulin. The job Of the
Mellon Institute chemists Is to break 1t
down into as many chemical fragments
as possible and then find which of them
is responsible for the effect. Tests are
being carried out with mental patients
in Pittsburgh hospital.
Victims Are Young.
The work eventually may lead to q
chemical treatment of this form of in
sanity, according to the Mellon Insti-
tute report. It is expected to lead at
least. to better understanding of the
malady, the so-called splitting of per-
sonality," which hitherto has resisted
all physical treatment.
nanentia nrnn0y iS Of Y,arfios,1o~
significance because it's most common
victims are young men and women who
remain burdens of the community for
the rest of their lives Only in the early
stages Of the disease has it been pos
sible to accomplish much with shock
treatments and many of the claimed
cures have not held up.
A '1ie detector" device capable Of
detecting changes of millionth~ Of an
ampere In electric current has been per-
} fected by General Electric Co. physicists.
1t already has proved effective in re-
vealing new type of abnormal person.
ality-one which displays no reaction
whatsoever to any usual stimuli This
is the "dead-pan" type. Eighty per cent
OF those in this classification have been
AAA 04o~ARAA4dAJ ulSIlIutlOIlS Ol some SOTC.
Basic to any lie detector is the fact
that emotion changes the electrical re-
sistance OF the skin. In highly emo
tional person this change may be quite
marked and occurs in response to almost
any situation.
Measures Emotional Change.
The type which gives no detachable
physical reaction to emotion-and sup
posedly feels none-was reported to the
General Electric Co. by Dr. Bernard r.
Higley. Columbus psychologist. The new
apparatus makes it possible for the first
time to state with certainty that there
Is no emotional change
The equipment notes the reactions Of
the subject to pictures which are flashed
on screen. Electrodes are taped to the
fingers. The pictures are selected to
portray environment, domestic situations
and other stimuli designed to induce
emotional reactions and so unearth pos
sible hidden causes of behavior.
Research now is underway in a mental
hospital to discover possible relationships
between the dead pan" reaction and
mental diseases which may develop later.
The instrument is being used primarily
to probe the emotional life of children
ana discover the causes of behavior prob
lens. 1t may become important in pre-
venting delinquency.