davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1950-10-18

Both usually take years to develop; both
can be entertained by the victim through
a lifetime. Both affect the skin.
"Dr. FACET thought that any drug ap-
parently effective against tuberculosis,
should be tried against Hansen's bacillus
the germ of leprosy.
"As it turned out, the drug has not
been proved effective against tubercu-
loSis.
"At the time. the only specific being
used to relieve the symptoms of leprosy
was chaulmoogra oil, from an Indian
nut, a treatment of doubtful value.
'Dr. FACET, Louisianan of an old
French family who had devoted his life
to the alienation of leprosy, called for
volunteers among the colonists, who
then numbered about $50. :.
about 20 came forward to take the
treatment which, they were warned,
would be rigorous. Each had to sub
NIT to intravenous injections several
times day. When this sort of thing
goes on for extended periods, it becomes
difficult both for the patients and the
doctor.
They kept it up couple of months
and nothing happened They continued
another month and nothing happened.
They went into the fourth month and
the fifth month without results"
DR.. Williams paused a moment and
looked at his luncheon audience, mostly
Evening star., 1950-10-18
BY Charles E. TroceweN
Robert Emmet Burke.

were afraid a magnificent specimen
was going to be run over. 1t flew up
just in the famous nick of time.
That is, in the very last second, SEEM
ingly.
Cardinals also are believed by some
never to bathe.
Unlike sparrows, starlings and robins.
which like splash and flutter SO that
all may see, the cardinal, naughty or
not, seeks bit of seclusion for his bath.
He likes to perch in a shrub or ever
green, on which a fine spray from the
hose is playing.
In this fashion he gets shower bath.
If watched closely, he may be seen
going into the bird bath or shallow end
Of the pool.
English sparrows are good parents,
after their fashion. This is one reason
why they are interesting and likeable
birds. The more one watches them, the
surer he is to admire them Then much
that has been said against them re-
solves itself into the familiar smear
campaign" At times one tends to think
of this technique as something new, but
actually it has been in existence for
centuries. Jesus suffered from 1t, and
many others. The term, smear cam
paign," may be new, but the thing itself
Is as old as the evil in the human mind
and heart.
Evening star., 1950-10-18
This and That

Apparently the natural parents recog-
rized and raised those young. For We
knew of at least one who attained power
enough to jump out of its nest in the
can.
Sincerely, x. E. K"
AS far as we know. male cardinals do
not help incubate the eggs.
They do. however. bring food. both to
the young and to the female.
After that, they feed the young in the
first nest, while the mother bird is
brooding second group of eggs.
In addition, the male cardinals do
great amount of singing, which no doubt
cheers up the females and keeps them
all happy.
Surely there are few better birds.
The naughty look of the male red
bird is more posture than anything else.
Once we read in book that the male
cardinal shows his haughtiness by never
walking on the ground as more common
birds do.
Actually, that is bit far fetched.
Redbirds do walk on the ground, often,
just as they bathe.
They do not seek worms. however, as
the robins do, and therefore will not be
seen on the common earth as much.
Redbirds prefer to fly down on streets,
it seems to us.
Going along in taxi one day, We
Evening star., 1950-10-18
By GEORGE Kennedy

A S RECORDED in the 10th chapter
L u of Matthew, Christ directed his
disciples to cleanse the 1epers." 1t is
the only direction in the gospel that
something should be done about
specific disease, and it has sent American
missionaries, medical and spiritual, into
the Steaming jungles of Africa and
South America and among the castoffs
of Asia's millions.
The 43rd annual convention of
American Leprosy Missions, Inc, which
sends most of the Protestant missionaries
to the leprosy colonies, is opening to-
day at the Calvary Baptist Church at
Eighth and H streets NV. Among those
who will be present are Dr. Eugene R.
Kellersberger, who has a long African
name meaning "the man who is not
afraid to touch u.s." Dr. William Rule,
who has returned from the Belgian
Congo for the convention and other
missionaries from afar.
The interesting thing about leprosy
today is that there are many optimists
among the experts who believe that the
time has come when this most frighten-
ing of diseases can be wiped out.
Contrary to popularity accepted belief,
the disease is one of the least contagious
among those called communicable. That
is what has always kept it low
incidence disease among the plaques that
aff1ict mankind. Instances of staff
workers at leper colonies contracting it
are almost unknown.
In the past 10 years, a method Of
"arresting" the disease in most of it's
victims has been developed at the Car
vile Leprosarium in louisiana Medical
scientists prefer not to use the word
cure"
DR.. r. C. Williams, who has the
leprosarium among his responsibilities
as assistant surgeon general of the Pub
lie Health Service. told the story the
other day.
THE late DR.. Guy H. FACET. who was
in charge of the leprosarium," said DR..
Williams, was reading one of the med
ical journals in l941. He became in
terested in an account of experiments
being carried out with a new series of
drugs, the sulfones, against tubercu-
losis.
THE bacilli of leprosy and tubercu-
losis are very much alike in appearance.
They cannot be told apart under the
microscope. All you can do is to in
ject strain into animals. If they be-
come infected, it's tuberculosis. Leprosy
cannot be transferred to animals
THE diseases have much in common.
Evening star., 1950-10-18
Letters to The Star

still less desirable to preserve them"
This plthy statement seemingly made to
order to fit the man. brings to mind the
words of Thomas de Quincy: IF a saying
has proverbial fame, the probability is
that it was never said" Then, too, it is
important to know that under Moham-
medan law it was forbidden under severe
penalties to burn Christian and Jewish
books acquired by conquest.
One of the absurdities of the story is
that there should have been enough
manuscripts in the library to feed the
furnaces of 1000 baths for six months.
Parchment makes poor fuel under any
conditions.
The true story Of the destruction of
the famous library of Alexandria should
prove of interest. Originally there were
two libraries: the Museum and Library
OF Alexandria, said to have contained
from 100000 to 100000 rolls of parch-
ment. lodged in the Bruchium, build
ing adjoining the royal palace; and a
second library of 48, 900 rolls, lodged in
the temple of Jupiter Scraps The
great library was accidentally de-
stroyed by fire in Al BIC. when Julius
Caesar in his war against Pompey, while
besieged in Alexandria, ordered the fleet
to be set on fire, and the wind carried
the flames to the building which housed
the library. This was nearly 700 years
before Amrou took the city. To console
Cleopatra for the loss of so great treas
ure, her lover Anthony, much to the
disgust of educated Romans, gave her
new library of 10000 rolls taken from
the city of Pergamum in Asia Minor.
The original smaller library and the
new library. together with the temple in
which they were housed, were destroyed
in 800 AID. by band of fanatical monks
under the leadership of Theophilus, pa
triarch of Alexandria, in compliance with
the orders of the Emperor, Theodosius
the Great, to destroy all pagan temples
of worship. This happened $50 years
before Amrou's invasion of Egypt.
Paul Orosius, a Christian theologian
and historian. contemporary of st. Au-
gustine, who visited the site of the
library about is years later, testified to
its complete disappearance. And so the
much-maligned Amrou should be alb
solved of all blame for the destruction
of the great libraries of Alexandria.
There were no libraries there for him to
destroy.
Walter Fischer.
Evening star., 1950-10-18
Initiation Threat

The article in Sundays Star by Her.
bert Bratter. analyZing the dollar-S -Situa-
tion, is most penetrating discussion.
Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Mr..
Truman cruises, while Federal financing
is in a growing muddle.
No one ever can or will beat imitation.
It spoiled the Roman Empire. In recent
years, Germany and China have been
ruined by it. Mr.. Bratter's analysis gives
food for thought as to its impending ef-
feet here. Already the public is growing
skeptical of buying bonds, for when they
mature they are redeemed in devalued
dollars. Thus, the effect of the failure
of Mr.. Truman to act decisively to stop
this performance well may be decline
in Government bond values. The Fed
eral Reserve cannot support forever a
market price based on inflated currency.
Once the Treasures fall below par dhey
are held there now only by pegging the
price, disaster will be on its way. The
again, thus shooting prices up In ratio
to the amount of devaluation. What
successive steps would follow cannot be
contemplated.
Meanwhile, the demagogues sit in
Washington, piously shouting that all is
well and praising Mr.. Truman's pros
perity" Con unsecured borrowing) when,
if they were worth even dollar year
on the public payroll, they would be
making the most intensive efforts to pre-
vent a calamity which, if not curbed.
can engulf everyone. What do we have
Federal officials for. if not for this?
Franklin Snow.
Evening star., 1950-10-18
This Tax Should Be Repealed

Last January District Assessor Edward A.
Dent recommended repeal of the personal prop
erty tax on household goods and furnishings
The Commissioners approved the recommended
ton. There was considerable delay in getting the
legislation prepared for introduction however,
and when this was done it was too late in the
session for action.
Recommendations for repeal of this tax have
been renewed by citizens appearing at the Com
missioners' Budget hearings. If some pressure is
put behind the legislation now from the District
Building there is possibility that the short ses-
sion of Congress, after elections, will approve it.
There are many arguments which favor
repeal. One is that the sales and use taxes now
in effect are paid when household furnishings are
bought and there is certain duplication in
continuing to tax their possession. But the most
persuasive argument for repeal is the inequity of
the tax and the difficulty of collecting it.
AS for the inequity, each householder is his
own tax assessor That is, he estimates the true
value of his possessions and submits the estimate
as an assessment The assessments vary widely,
one form of variation rejecting variety in per-
Sonal standards of honesty The result is that one
householder may pay relatively heavy tax,
while another pays none at ALL AS there are
about $4,000 tax returns in this field any careful
check by the assessor-requiring personal inspec-
tion and appraisal of household furnishings-iS
impractical Mr.. Dent has devised an ingenious
formula, which relates the value of household
goods to the value of the real estate and improve
ments. But this is an arbitrary approach in the
lack of something better There is no workable
system of assuring equal payment of the tax.
The revenue involved amounts to about
$500, ,0OO-out of $1Oo million or so. But Mr.. Dent
believes the loss of the revenue, by repeal of the
tax, would be more than offset by more thorough
attention and effort in other fields of tax collec-
ton. The Commissioners would do we'll to put
their strength behind repeal of an unfair tax
and get it off the books this year.
Evening star., 1950-10-18
Freight Train

Tossing her Sooty curls
Oper her rumbling back.
The locomotive hurls
Her bosom doa0n the track.
Her Smutty treSSes drag
Through toDnS along the plain:
At these the iron hag
BelcheS her black diSdain.
Her cars, the plain to,DnS see,
DeriUe from many lines
Assorted Uertebrde
From UariouS run1bling Spines.
Fatigued, she soon ,DiU purr
In her home gard. She will dose,
Her smoke pompddour
AboUe her hard black nose.
JOHN NIXON. J1.
Evening star., 1950-10-18
Federal Waste of Doctors

The current draft of doctors would meet with
less criticism if there any assurance that the
Federal Government had learned lesson from
the waste of medical personnel and facilities in
previous wars. 1t is true that under the uniflca-
tion law the Defense Department has eliminated
some of the overlapping and duplication in the
military medicine field. But the armed services
have a long way to go to reach the state of medi-
cal unification recommended by the Hoover
Commission 1t will take legislation, of course,
to effect such consolidation of Federal hospitals
and medical activities but Congress has been
unwilling so far to take the step.
The Hoover Commission found that 40 FEEDER
al agences-civilian and military-are engaged
in giving medical care to 24,000000 persons at
cost of So billion. 1t found that the agencies
have been competing for doctors and materials
in an extravagant way. The Hoover Report pro-
posed the creation of a United Medical Ad
ministration to take over all Veterans Admin
Stration hospitals and medical services, all
general and station hospitals of the Army and
Navy Except one medical center for each serv-
ice) and the Public Health Service. bill to
carry out this proposal never emerged from
committee during the past session of Congress
largely as result of opposition from veterans
organizations.
An editorial in the October issue of the
technlcal puDucatlon, surgery, GynecOlOgy ana
Obstetrics" expresses the viewpoint of many
members of the medical profession over the
present Federal hospital setup. "It is difficult
for the civilian doctor to understand" the edi-
torial states, "why the Navy, Army and Air Force
insist upon having separate and distinct hospi
tails under their own command. 1t is hard for
the surgeon to understand why a fractured
femur regardless of whether it was sustained in
ground combat, on ship or in an airplane acci-
dent, should not be treated in the same manner
in one hospital to which any soldier, sailor marine
or airman might be sent. 1t is difficult for the
civilian doctor to understand why unifcation, not
upon paper but actual unfcation, of the medical
services to the wounded cannot be effected"
A lot of non-medical people share the doc
tors bewilderment over these things. Perhaps
eventually public demands for an answer to such
pertinent inquiries would bring congressional &C
ton to correct the situation.
Evening star., 1950-10-18
Amrou and the Books
Car Owner.

In recent editorial of The Sunday
Star, entitled Red China Burns the
Classics" the statement appears in the
last paragraph that Stains Chinese ally
will be remembered with Amrou, the
handy man of the fanatical Caliph Omar,
who fed the books and manuscripts of
Alexandria to the furnaces of the public
baths during six long months in $40
AID" A popular error has as many lives
as cat. walking in long after you have
imagined it effectually strangled. Thus
it has been with the legend of how Am
rou destroyed the priceless library of
Alexandria. The Encyclopedia Britain
MICA. the German Brockhaus Lexicon,
and the great historian Gibbon, all
reject the story as unworthy of belief.
Still it lives on in some of our textbooks
and encyclopedias.
The story of the Saracen generals sup
posed vandalism first appeared in the
works of Gregory Bar Hebraeus, Chris
tian churchman and historian of the 18th
Century. more than 600 years after Am
rou took Alexandria. Strangely enough,
however, the event, if it occurred. was to-
tally ignored by earlier and contempo-
rary Alexandrian and Byzantine histori-
ans, who had even greater cause for
hostility towards the Saracens Bar
HebraeuS' account abounds in historical
errors and inconsistencies; John the
Grammarian, patriarch of Alexandria. is
blamed as partly responsible for the
librarys destruction, because in being so
over-anxious in requesting it's preserva-
ton as favor from Amrou, he only sue
ceeded in calling his attention to it, But
John had long since been in his grave
when Amrou captured the city.
The legend has it that when Amrou
asked the Caliph Omar for instructions
about the library. Omar made the IA
nous reply, IF the books agree with the
Koran, they are superf1uous; it, on the
contrary, they are opposed to it, it is
Evening star., 1950-10-18
New York's Scandal

All the denials in the world will fail to remove
the strong suspicion that political deal was at
the bottom OF the quick-change act which gave
New York its Republican ticket of Dewey for
Governor and Hanley for the Senate.
Whether the deal was one which comes
within the reach of New York's criminal statutes,
as the Democrats contend, is question for the
lawyers to decide On the evidence which has
been made available, however, there is no reason
to believe that the deal was tainted with cor
ruption. If anything, the reasonable inference
is to the contrary.
1t must have taken great deal of pressure
to persuade Lieutenant Governor Joe R. Hanley
to bow out of the gubernatorial race in Governor
Deweys favor. Inducements must also have been
offered to get him to agree to run against Senator
Lehman. 1t is hardly possible to read Mr..
Hanley'S letter to Congressman Macy and come
away with any other conclusions.
There is another significant fact, however,
which emerges from this business The picture
Of Mr.. Hanley is not merely that of tired,
aging and ailing politician. He is also revealed
as man of simple but rugged integrity He
borrowed the money for his preconvention cam
paign and agreed to repay it with interest
Twenty years ago, as a matter of honor he
assumed debt of 100000 which he could have
avoided by taking refuge in bankruptcy. After
spending the best years of his life in New York
politics, from which many men have emerged
richer by far than their incomes warranted
he finds himself at IA virtually penniless and
unable to provide for his own or his family's
future.
The way of the voters is an unpredictable
thing In too many cases they have remained
Indifferent to the most fragrant corruption in
public Office. This time it may be different
They may turn against the Dewey -Hanley team
But the Democrats had better handle this one
with care. 1t is not going to be easy to make a
fraud charge stick against a man with Joe
Hanley's record, and any attempt to do so is
apt to become a political boomerang.
Evening star., 1950-10-18
Parking Plant

I have just come in after hunting in
vain for a parking place on the street
somewhere near where live, and am so
incensed at the way some people park
their cars, that I feel something should
be done about it!
When the parking problem is so acute.
why don't people drive up reasonably
close to the car in front or behind, and
thus make room for more cars on the
street? 1t is most annoying to see sew
eral cars parked with half a car length
between them, when by giving con-
sideration to others. room could be made
for more cars.
Let every motorist take for his slogan
Remember the Other Fellow" and the
parking problem would be eased to some
extent.
Car Owner.
Evening star., 1950-10-18
News About Smoking

Thanks to The Star for publishing the
recent news item, Smoking Called
Treatment Block in Blood Disease" Such
news items are seldom seen in news
papers.
Perhaps this type of information is
available but most publishers refrain
from publishing it, only because they
may fear an unfavorable reaction by
both the readers and advertisers. Hence.
The Star is to be commended for it's
courageous move in publishing such news
as this.
Robert Emmet Burke.
Evening star., 1950-10-18
Progress in "C|eonsinq the Lepers"

men connected with the Leprosy Mis-
sions. Il was about to say" he con-
tinued, that wondered what the hell
would have happened if they gave up
then. But see several preachers are
here.
Toward the end of, the fifth month
lot of things began to happen. The
sores of most of the volunteers began
to heal and the scabs to drop off.
Microscopic examination showed that
many of the patients were negative
that it was safe to discharge them
Others whose sores had healed were still
positive; that is, when nasal washings
or blood specimens were examined under
the microscope, the bacilli were still
there. But their condition had been
alleviated, and their lives probably
heightened.
To-day the discharge rate at Carville
Is three times as high as it was. We
are able to discharge about IS each year.
It used to be 10 or H."
The sulfone drugs are now going to
leprosy colonies all over the world. Vari-
ations of the drug have enabled physi-
clans to give it in pill form instead of
in constant hypodermic jabs.
Leprosy is usually contracted at less
than Is years of age, after the victim
has lived for some time in the same
house with leprous person Appar-
emily the body throws off initial infec-
tions and succumbs only to constant
exposure. AS the germ is in the nasal
fluid. it is thought it is passed on by
hand, perhaps entering the body of the
new victim with food.
World War II sent thousands of Amer
ican servicemen into areas where leprosy
is not uncommon. There are about Is
cases among the veterans, but all except
two of them, DR.. Williams says, are
from States where leprosy is endemic
Louisiana, Texas and Florida. His
theory is that these 13 cases were con-
tracted before the victims went into
uniform. The other two are soldiers
who were tattooed in Africa. In all there
are about 1900 known cases of leprosy
in the United States. There is at least
one arrested case working in Washington.
One reason why optimists feel that
leprosy can be eliminated is that in
each case the contact, theoretically, can
be traced. This is difficult in the Orient.
however. 1t is not easy even in New
York. Recently a young Negro woman
with leprosy was sent back to Jamaica.
For six years she had been making a
living by baby sitting in Harlem.
Evening star., 1950-10-18

product consisting of hranched parafin
hydrocarbons. This alkylate must be di-
verted to military aviation gasoline. of
which it is an essential ingredient. Alkyl-
ate contains no benzol or other aromatic
hydrocarbons. Finished aviation gaso-
line contains significant percentage of
aromatic hydrocarbons, but little or no
benZol.
III. X. Cummings,
Division of Heat and Power. Bureau
of Standards.
Evening star., 1950-10-18
Wrong Answer
Walter Fischer.

The answer to question No. 2 in Tom
Henry's News Quiz, published in The
Star, October 10. is entirely wrong. 1t
is "alkylate," not benzol, which will be
lacking in our automobile gasoline.
The antiknock quality (octane num-
ber) of motor gasoline has been in
creased somewhat since World War II
by the use of alkylate, synthetic
Evening star., 1950-10-18
BY THE HASKIN SERVICE.

@. Where is the church shaped like a
wine barrel?-R. E.
A. The Church of Our Lady of Mount
Carmel at Asti, Calf, is built to resemble
a huge barrel. Asti, in the Russian River
Valley of Northern Sonoma County, is
the pioneer wine growing district of
California.
Evening star., 1950-10-18
Questions and Answers

A reader can get the answer to any question
o.. o. iaet by writing @ The Evening Star 1nforma-
tion Bureau, 1900 Eye street NV, Washington
5, D. C. Please inclose 3 cents for return
postage.
Evening star., 1950-10-18

Q. Should copper leaders and cutters
be painted or not? Does the paint pre-
serve them or is paint harmful to
copper?-J. H. o.
A. The National Bureau of Standards
says that copper cutters and downspouts
are generally used in the unpainted con-
dition. Painting offers protection against
general atmospheric corrosion and would
be OF benefit in highly industrialized
localities. Painting the copper is not
harmful to it and will prolong it's life if
properly applied.
Evening star., 1950-10-18

@. Where are the toughest seas in the
world to be found?-D. C. N.
A. Explorers say that the toughest
seas are encountered at the edge of the
Antarctic Continent, where the Pacific,
Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.
Evening star., 1950-10-18

A pseudonyn, is permissible only
Uhen letter carries correct name
and address of 10riter. Please be brief.