Evening star., 1951-11-07
Force Of Living Gravity
Found as Part of Nature
Scientists Report Finding,
In Study Of Cultures
By Thomos R. Henry

Dy InomoS x. 1enry
Living gravity" hitherto unrecog-
nized fundamental force in nature, re.
Gently has been reported to the Ameri-
can Association for the Advancement Of
Science.
The physical force of gravity holds the
universe together and the new biological
gravity, which apparently follows much
the same laws, may have an almost equal
significance in life and growth.
The phenomenon is reported in
Science, official organ Of the association,
by DR.. Allan A. Katzberg of the Uni
versity Of Oklahoma. The finding came
from growing fragments of living tissue,
this time bits Of the hearts of en-
bryonic chickens. in cultures.
When such a bit of living tissue is
placed alone in culture. Dr. Katzberg
explains. growth proceeds around the
center in all directions, somewhat after
the pattern Of the spokes of a wheel
around the hub. This long has been
recognized by biologists. When, however,
two such fragments are placed in the
same culture the pattern of growth of
both Is distorted, with the greatest
growth directed toward a point be-
tween the two. This procedure has been
recognized In the past. In some way the
two separated bits of living tissue seem
to have an affinity, or attraction, for
each other.
Measured With Precision.
In the experiments Just reported, the
force of this attraction was measured
with great precision. Its strength turned
out to be "inversely proportional to the
square Of the distance apart" Of the
two fragments.
The law of gravity discovered by Sir
Isaac Newton, which explains how the
planets are held in their orbits, implies
that any two objects in creation are
physically attracted toward each other
by force directly proportional to their
masses and inversely proportional to the
square Of their distance apart"
The newly found biological attraction
between living masses-subject also, of
course, to the physical law-apparently
comedies precisely with the second pos
tulate Of Newton. Growth apparently
follows lines Of gravity, just as do falling
objects, and this gravity of life" may
be the hitherto unknown force which
shapes all forms of existence
The force was found in operation over
a maximum distance of 65 millimeters,
or about quarter of an inch. No trace
of it could be found at greater distances.
1t always could be found over distances
up to four millimeters.
Growth of the bits of hearts in all
directions from their own centers, the
wheel-spoke pattern, continued but was
greatly reduced in all directions except
that toward the companion fragment
of living tissue.
Over the minute distances between
them the two fragments grew steadily
toward each other until they met. Then,
Dr. Katzberg reports, all growth ceased.
Life called to life and the calls ceased
when they were entirely answered.
An extraordinary and threatening
evolution is taking place in the germ
kingdom.
1t is brought to light in the report
OF hitherto supposedly unknown form
OF bacteria found in the blood stream
OF an 8-month-old baby at the Beth
Israel Hospital in New York. The child
was suffering from a protracted low
fever, diarrhea and general sickness for
which this germ appeared to be the
only cause.
The unusual case was reported by Drs.
Erich Seligmann and Ivan Saphra to
the National Institutes of Health here.
1t then was found to be very close to, if
not precisely identical with, a germ
which had been identified as responsible
for a hitherto unreported epidemic
among nurses in a Washington hospital
five years ago. The girls had very severe
stomach upsets, so that they We're off
duty for nearly two weeks.
Since then there have been two also
unreported minor epidemics in Georgia.
In both the Georgia and WASHINGTON
cases the bacteria was supposed to have
come from eggs into which they came
from the blood stream of the hens.
The New York case differed in that
the infant Is not known to have eaten
eggs.
Germ of Vicious Variety.
The germ, both in shape and in it's
chemical characteristics, belongs to the
large and extremely vicious family known
as Salmonella. Various members of this
family are responsible for typhoid fever,
various other fevers resembling typhoid.
meat poisoning epidemics, and several
serious animal diseases. 1t did not, how
ever, entirely fit into the salmonella
picture.
Somewhat similar to salmonella but
generally considered harmless is the
paracolon family of germs which invade
the intestinal tract. This particular bug
seemed to fall between the two groups.
The process of evolution apparently is
going on among the intestinal bacteria,
producing intermediate forms between
the two families. 1t apparently is acting
chiefly with the paracolon group. With
the same group it also is extending in
the opposite direction, tending to pro-
duce intermediate forms between these
bugs and those responsible for bacillary
dysentery. The new forms seem certainly
pathogenic for men and apparently a
whole new group of organisms inimical
to the human race is coming into the