Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-05
Cow Bears Others Calf
After Surgical Transfer
Experiment Is Successful
For First Time in History
By Thomas R. Henry

For First Time in History
By Thomas R. Henry
For the first time 1t has been possible
to make one cow the mother Of another
cows calf.
This has been reported to the Ameri-
can Association for the Advancement Of
Science here by DR.. E. L. Willett and his
associates of the University Of Wisconsin
and the Department of Agricultures
Bureau Of Dairy Industry.
A cow pregnant five days was slaugh-
tered and the fertilized ovum placed in
the uterus of yearling heifer of another
breed. An 84-pound calf was born 278
days later. It survived in excellent
health.
Blood type and other tests showed that
1t could have had no blood relationship
to the COW that gave it birth-a different
variety from both its real mother and
father
The technique actually dates back so
years to when an English psychologist
produced the same transfer of mothers
in rabbits. Since then success has been
reported with rats, mice and sheep.
Previous Attempts Failed.
AL previous attempts to produce the
same results with cattle have been
failures. There have been some partial
developments Of embryos but the calves
all have been born prematurely and dead.
In this experiment, carried out as
cooperative project between the Amer
lean Foundation for the Study OF
Genetics and the Agriculture Depart
ment, extreme precautions were taken
m oil st ;,,Fo
injury to the fertilized cow egg.
The method is expected to prove Of
value, DR.. Willett and his associates
report. in genetic studies of cattle and
especially in determining reasons why
valuable blooded stock cows are unable
to produce calves.
This, it is claimed. sometimes has
caused considerable loss to stock breed
ers. The experimenters are assured that
the method now has been improved to
the point where the operation will nearly
always prove successful. It is highly
complicated because of the necessity Of
various hormone injections at the proper
times. factor not taken into considera-
ton in previous experiments of this
sort.
It's long call from atomic bombs to
the family washing-still there's some
connection.
For some years University Of Michi-
gan scientists have been studying the
efficacy of various ways of laundering
to determine which 5nethod gets the
most dirt out of shirts with the least
effort.
A problem has been to determine how
much dirt is left after the clothes come
out Of the wringer.
To solve this they are feeding radio
active phosphorus, one Of the naturally
exploding elements. to bacteria. Then
these bacteria. living one-celled micro
scopic organisms, are mixed with q soil
preparation.
This exploding dirt"-because Of the
exploding bugs it contains-then is
smeared on squares Of cloth. The cloth
is washed, and the explosions counted
after the laundering process tell reliably
how much Of the original dirt remains
in the cloth.
This Is cited by Gordon Dean, chair.
man Of the Atomic Energy Commission,
as one Of the fields in which radio
isotopes are impinging on civilian life.
Other Uses Cited.
Other newly developed uses are:
Rutgers University is developing q
process for studying soil density with
radio-isotopes. The object is to deter
mine how different densities of soil
underlying roads effect traffic damage to
highways.
The U. S. Testing Co. is using radio
cobalt to make comparative tests in the
wearing characteristics of floor wax and
the B. F. Goodrich Co. Is using similar
technique to test various types of tire
treads.
The Bell Telephone laboratories are
using radio-strontium to study the pene-
tration of wood preservatives in tele-
phone poles in order to develop methods
for extending the life of these poles.
In Quebec radio-iodine is enabling the
North Shore Paper Co. to put out better
and cheaper newsprint by studying the
various chemical interactions which
take place.
Standard Oil of California recently
has placed on the market a new piston
oil developed with the aid of radioactive
piston rings which revealed the lubricat-
ing qualities of the oil in development
tests.
In agriculture radioactive insecticides
are being used to determine the efficacy
Of these poisons in killing insects and
their effects on food.
Questions and Answers