Evening star., 1952-01-23
Heredity Effects Likely
In Use Of Antibiotics
Scientists Report on Studies
OF Streptomycin Aureomycin

Scientists Report on Studies
OF Stfeptomycin. Aureomycin
BY Thomos Z. Henry
some of the antihiotics. such as
streptomycin and aureomycin which
represent the most notable medical nd.
vance Of the generation and which now
are used inSenormous quantities may
have pronounced effects on heredity,
This has just been reported to the
American Genetie Association here by
Drs. q. b. Wilson and G. G. Bowen Of
Michigan State College.
The danger may be as significant, they
say. as that from release Of atomic
energy.
even 3 superficial survey Of the now
extensive literature on the geological
and genetical effects Of chemicals" they
say, ssis suficient to establish some fun-
damentai and perhaps even alarming
facts" /"
with respect to the specific medicines
on which they report. however. they are
extremely conservative. Aureomyctn.
terramycin, streptoEnycin and chloro-
mycetin, they found produced notable
effects On germ cells; but only IN con-
centrations far beyond any likely to be
administered incidentally. The field.
however. rapidly Is expanding ana some
as vet unknown drug Of medicinal value
may have quite profound genetlc
consequences.
New Species Cap' Be Created.
Heredity. it is known. can be pro-
foundly altered and even new species
created by various drugs notably
colchicine, an extract from the European
crocus, More direct hereditary changes
are brought about by radiation. botn
with X-rays and the gamma radiation
such as comes with the explosion Of an
atomic bomb. Effects very similar 70
those produced by radiation also result
ffo mthe mustard gases and lew
other chemicals.
The antibiotics, the Michigan ex-
uerimenters found, have effects on the
chromosomes similar to those which
seem to be necessary precursors to the
more urofound effects Of colchicine and
radiation. They might serve as door
openers.
Their experiments were carried out
with onion bulbs, but the mechanism
of heredity is similar throughout botn
plant and animal kingdoms.
.These facts mean simply" they con.
cI,,de. 'sthat the chemical environment
of organisms is potentially capable OF
inducing significant changes in their
eenetic makeup. It therefore follows
that the widespread use Of many po-
tential or actual chemical mutagens Is
not without genetic slgnlncance ana
deserves at least as much lnvestlgatlon
Aas is accorded the genetic consequences
Of the release Of atomic energy.
A new value for the speed Of light
most fundamental constant in the me-
chanics Of the universe, which is approx
imately II kilometers q second faster
than the present accepted value, mas
Just been reported by Coast ana
Geodetic Survey scientist.
The present value is stated as 299,77O
kilometers a second. with possible
error Of four kilometers in either
direction.
DR.. Carl I. Aslakson now reports
corrected value Of 299793 kilcmeters
second. based on precise measurements
Of the speed Of radio waves, precisely
the same as that OF light. over &C"
curately determined distances.
Applied to astronomical distances, the
differences would be quite appreciable,
amounting to almost 3 million years In
the distance covered by light in q year.
II would. for example. put the nearest
star to the sun about four million miles
further away than has been calculated.
Relation to Atomic Energy.
Even greater would be the difference
in the amount Of atomic energy OBJ
tanned from the destruction Of matter.
In the formula for which the square OF
the speed Of light Is the most important
factor.
!; The new figure Is based on the velocity
Of radio waves over network OF care-
fully surveyed distances covering much
Of Florida. This work was carried out
as q project Of the Air Force during
1850 and extensive corrections have been
made for light refraction and Other
factors.
Any estimate Of the speed Of light ID
necessarily an average Of many measure
ments but the present observations vary
so far from those averaged in the past
that, DIR. Aslakson says, the old value
should be abandoned altogether.
Extensive further measurements now
are In progress with precise distances to
be measured over from nine to eleven
new paths. It Is quite unlikely. how
ever, that these surveys viii result In
any further extensive change.