Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-02-12
New Measuring Rod
Available for Industry
Hundred MiIIionth-lnch
Accuracy Is Possible
By Thomos r. Henry

By Thomos R. Henry
The new-and probably ultimate
measuring rod of Creation is 21,00o,-
000th Of an inch long.
1t makes readily possible measure
ments accurate to within a 100, 000, 00Oth
Of an inch and is now. after about q
decade Of research, available for dis
tribution to American industry.
This has just been announced by the
United States Bureau Of Standards. The
measuring stick to be distributed con-
sists Of small glass tube in which is
sealed tiny bit Of peculiar form Of
mercury obtained by the transmutation
Of gold in atomic piles. When this tube
Is placed in the path Of high frequency
radio waves 1t emits pure green hight.
unaccompanied by heat, the wave length
OF which. unchanging through eternity.
is the length standard.
The official world length standard still
remains. the Bureau announces, q plati-
num-iridium bar one meter long, kept
in an underground vault in Paris, upon
which various lengths have been marked.
This is duplicated in the United States
and other countries.
Too Crude for Some Use.
But the Paris meter for some years
has been too crude for certain Of the
finer measurements demanded by SCI
ence and industry. It is impossible to
make measurements accurate to more
than one part in 100000 with much
assurance with this meter stick, accord
ing to the Bureau physicists.
With the new device the separation
Of two precisely fiat plates Is meas
ured In terms Of the number of wave
lengths Of the new mercury light con-
tanned in the distance between them.
Eventually, the Bureau physicists say,
1t Is probable that all measurements
requiring extreme precision will be
made with the new standard, which In
dustries can keep in their own labora-
tories.
A rare nervous disease which closely
Stimulates the long dreaded locomotor
ataxia, a syphilitic invasion Of the CEN
trail nervous system which quickly re-
duces its victims to pain-racked help
lessness, is described in a report recently
made to the American Medical Asso-
citation.
The symptoms Of the two diseases are
essentially indistinguishable. except by
experts. There is the same lack Of knee
jerk, the physicians most frequent test
for nervous disorder. There Is the same
failure Of the eye pupil to react to light.
Described In Report
False locomotor ataxia Is described In
the report to the association by DR..
Arthur B. Kern Of Providence. It is
known as Adde'S syndrome, known only
essentially to opthalmologists and neu-
rologists. There can be little doubt that
many mistakes in diagnosis have been
made. It appears to be an entirely benign
disease. Victims may continue for years
without knowing that anything Is wrong
with them until the condition is picked
up In some routine medical examination.
Then they may live in terror for the rest
Of their lives.
There is some reason to believe, the
report explains, that the false ataxia
is more common than generally is sus-
pected. The disorder usually Is seen In
young adults and occasionally is picked
up in children. There appears to be o
considerably greater incidence among
young women. zr~
The cause is completely unknown and
some students Of it still maintain that
syphilis is in some way involved All
attempts to support this with personal
and family histories, however, have
failed and no syphilis organisms have
been found.
One case Is cited in which the victim
was aware of the condition for almost
so years. without suffering any disability
or complications.