Evening star., 1950-01-20
Successful Flu Vaccine
Prospects Found FADING
Germ Apparently Has the Ability
To Change Its Form Rapidly
By Thomas r. Henry

Germ Apparently Has the Ability
To Change Its Form Rapidly
By Thomas X. Henry
Prospects for successful flu vaccine are
fading.
The influenza germ, one of the elusive
flterable viruses, apparently has the ability
to change its form with too great facility.
This recently was reported to the American
Medical Association by DR.. Joseph E. Smadel.
IN charge of virus-disease experimentation at
the Army Medical Center The Army's ex-
periments with thousands of troops have had
unsatisfactory results.
1t is well known that there are two major
types of flu virus. A and B. Some years one
runs wild. sometimes the other. During the
war much work was done in preparing a
vaccine against both these bugs" This was
due to fear of return of the great pandemic
which accompanied and followed the First
World War. There is no evidence, however,
that this was caused by either of the identi-
fled viruses.
Epidemic of "A" In a.
During the war years of 1884 O mild
epidemic OF "A" flu ran through the Army
camps. Only four in hundred of those who
had been vaccinated were victims. The rate
ran to twelve hundred among the unvac-
clnated. This represented a considerable
gain, but the cases were so mild anyway that
1t hardly was worth while.
In l946 there was an epidemic of "B"
also mild. The comparison between vac
cinated and unvaccinated was about the
same. The gain was so small as not to be-
worth the trouble
Then in 1947 another epidemic broke out.
1t closely resembled A influenza, but the A
vaccine did no good. The virus was placed
IN another classification, Az. An AZ vaccine
was prepared. The results from the sporadic
cases OF 1948 are quite doubtful, but it is
hlghly probably the vaccine will be of some
value.
This year the Army isn't vaccinating. ex-;
cept IN lew special areas. It seems hardly
worth the trouble, or to justify the slight
FISK involved IN any vaccinations.
ABOUT the only prospect, DR.. Smadel
polnted out, is to catch a new strain when
IL nrst appears and prepare vaccine in q
hurry. Thus there would be a possibility
OF keeping ahead Of the epidemic It looks
as II influenza always would stay one year
ahead OF preventive medicine
World Reports Made. Il
A nearly worldwide reporting service is In
operation. 1t is quite possible that If a par
tlcularly virulent form of the disease broke
OUT on some other continent it would be
W.
spread in North America-thus forestallin9
another pandemic
Inc AZ strain of 1947, for example. had
appeared eight months before in Australia.
Hao there been high fatality rate the
united States might have been ready for il.
Meanwhile, the association was told by
1T. John Dlngle of Cleveland, the virus pneu-
noilla 1.N rate mas reached an incidence ten
'iLaeS tnat OF pneumonias due to bacteria.
0lSC0Vprp6 ir, &t.s.
tlon usually runs mild course. but it defies
an the new miracle drugs, including peni.
CHM, and about the only thing to do is to
let it run its course. g
The northernmost town under the Aneri.
can flag is changing from q ramshackls
cluster OF Eskimo shacks into a trim, modern
little city.
This is the change brought about by Navy
and Army activities at Point Barrow. accord,
ing to scientists of the Nays Arctic Research
Laboratory on Alaska's thousand -laked
Arctic coast.
The transformation Is due in large part
to Eskinos who have acquired small fortunes
by working Is to 18 hours a day at high
pay. The old stone-and-mud houses and
those built of discarded packing boxes are
giving way to well-built new homes with all :,
~~AS%SA@A y
lights and gas stoves. =
About fifteen Of these houses now havs
been built The all-Eskimo City Council Is
trying to lay out regular streets in place of
the winding footpaths and is running into
lot OF opposition from the "conservatives"--
the packing-box dwellers who have no use
for new-fangled ideas.
Extensive Experiments -
Meanwhile, the scientists of the Arctic
laboratory, now managed under contract by .
Johns Hopkins University, are trying to get
at some OF the fundamental principles Of
cold-Weather living. They have carried out
extensive experiments with cold -blooded ami
mals-insects and fish-whose temperature
goes up and down with the environment,
They represent much more primitive stage
than the warm-blooded animals whose
bodies not only preserve fairly uniform
temperature, but who are protected by f,lrs. &
layers Of blubber, etc. Is
Some notable differences are being found
between these cold-blooded creatures of the
Arctic and those Of temperate zones. Cen
orally MISUNDERSTANDING by the rata
at which the body utilizes oxygen-increases !,
with the temperature up to the point OF
collapse. When the temperature sinks sum-
ciently low, condition known as cold
narcosis" sets in. This is complete rncon- ;. ;.
sciousness. 1l'
With the Arctic animals thus far studied,
the scientists have reported to the Navy, cold :,
narcosis and heat prostration both come,
at much lower temperatures than their
counterparts in the temperate zone Notable .
is the Arctic cod for whom the cold water
OF the open Arctic ocean apparently is too,
warm for comfort. These fish deliberately
seek out the coolest spots they can find, such
as crevasses in the ice where the average
temperature is about is above zero cent?
grade.
The reason presumably is q slight differ.
ence in the engines In the blood which en-
able animals to utilize oxygen. This differ.
ence apparently is too subtle to be found by
any ordinary chemical test.