Evening star., 1950-08-28
Animals Walk in Circles
When Drug Affects Broin
Chemical Center Researches
Trace Enzyme Inhibition
By Thomos R. Henry

A drug that makes animals walk In
circles has just been reported from the
Army Chemical Center at Edgewood,
Md
1t Is di-idopropyl fiuorophosphate, the
effect Of which apparently is to knock
out temporarily q natural gyroscope
somewhere in the front of the brain. It
causes similar behavior in rabbits, cats,
and monkeys, according to the report Of
DR.. Carl r. Essig and his associates Of
the chemical center staff.
The drug is injected into the carotid
artery leading to the brain. Almost i'm
mediately the eye pupil on the side where
the injection is made becomes con-
stricted, the head turns in the opposite
direction, and the circling starts. This
continues for two or three hours. In
monkeys the circling continues when
the animals are blindfolded.
Physiological Action Wen Known.
The physiological action Of this par
ticular drug has been known for some
time. It's major function Is to inhibit
the action Of an engine known as anti
cholinesterase which inhibits the action
of potent nervous system chemical
The effect is the same when the laby-
rinth in the inner ear, which plays q
major part in maintaining erect posture
and orientation in space, Is removed.
The circling can be stopped immed1-
ately by the powerful drugs atropine or
scopalamine When a slightly stronger
dose than that which produces the cir
cling movement is administered the ami
NAL goes into violent convulsions.
Based on theoretical considerations OF
the path taken by the drug DR. Essig and
his associates report the conclusion that
the particular center affected must be in
the foreward part of the cerebral cortex.
Circling movements have been produced
by surgical operations on other parts OF
the brain.
Astronomical amounts of water are lost
from lakes and reservoirs by evaporation.
The United States Geological Survey
calculates for example, that the loss from
Lake Mead, which was created when the
Hoover Dam was built in Colorado, Is
somewhat more than Is billion gallons
annually, or enough to cover 5000 acres
a foot deep. This much water, II used
for generation of electric power, would
provide billion kilowatt hours, or enough
to care for the needs of city OF 100000
for more than two years.
But up to now nobody has been able
to measure this loss with any precision.
The Geological Survey has just started
such measurements. using Lake Hefner.
near Oklahoma City. as the subject. This
was selected after surveying more than
100 lakes throughout the West.
No Leakage From Bottom.
Practically all the water lost from this
sheet Of water about 21a miles in
diameter, is through evaporation. Little
escapes through run-of and this can be
measured accurately. The red clay bot
tom is almost impervious to any leakage.
The lake is described as an almost perfect
saucer with an unobstructed expanse Of
water.
The loss through evaporation is a
quite significant factor in planning reser-
voirs, reclamation projects and the like.
It depends on many factors which engi-
neers in the past hardly have taken into
consideration because there were no ac-
curate data available. Weather Bureau
measurements have been made, for the
most part, on water in shallow contain
ers. There is reason to believe that the
rate from large body Of water is SUBJ
stantially different. " -
Measurements will be made daily and
weekly and correlated with the amount
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