Evening star., 1952-01-09
Navigation to Fit Wind
Is Aim Of Navy Study
Meteoroloeists Calculate
Economy in Ship Operation
By Thomos R. Henry

Navy meteorologists are trying to tailor
navigation to at the wind.
Their calculations snow that not only
great economies in the operations Of
ships but notable increases In speed
could be achieved If ocean-going ships
went back to the old sailing-ship meth
ods instead Of following shortest dis
tances between two points on . map.
A progress report has just been made
to the ONCE Of Naval Research by Louis
p. Allen. staff oceanographer Of the
ONR's undersea warfare branch, show
ing some Of the major possibilities now
In the ofing. Even when there are only
normal winds. according to statistics he
cites, sailing with them instead Of
against them can increase the daily
mileage Of ship from 28 to 80 miles
with no increase In fuel consumption.
Possibilities have been neglected, he
points out, because only recently have
methods been available to predict winds
at sea with much accuracy.
But, Mr.. Allen says, meteorological
techniqueS now are available by which
the force and direction Of winds In any
region of the ocean can be predicted
with fair accuracy almost from hour
to hour apd ships course can be
changed In accordance with the shifting
pattern.
Resulted Largely From War.
These techniques. Mr.. Allen points
out in his ONR report. resulted largely
from the necessity for accurate infor-
nation when planning landing opera
tions during the last war. Since then
they have been largely neglected. The
old sailing-ship captain had no such
advantages. He had to feel his way
from wind to wind. Today route could
be selected almost with certainty.
He cites the case Of a ship which
makes Is knots under normal headwind
conditions, but only 13 in adverse
weather. II strong headwinds and high
seas existed along route which nor
mally required seven days to accomplish,
a captain could make the same time by
sailing as much as $50 miles out Of his
way. And he would be assured Of reach
ing port free Of damage and with far
less strain on his crew.
In the past, it is pointed out in the
report, individual mariners have had
their own systems of following the winds,
some of which were quite successful.
But they knew nothing of the scientific
predictions which now could be made
available.
Prevention of liver Diseases world
wide health problem-may be made
easier through experiments with anti
biotics and germ-free animals. accord
ing to report by DR.. Paul Gyorgy of
the University Of Pennsylvania.
He fed animals deficient diets which
ordinarily cause destruction of the liver.
But animals which were given certain
antibiotics did not get the disease SO
quickly, apparently because Of the ac-
tion OF the antibiotics against bacteria
in their intestines.
Germ-free rats lived twice as long
as -germ-free rats which were fed
the same diet. The non-germ-free ami
mails died of massive necrosis Of the
liver. The germ-free animals showed
no necrosis
DR.. Gyorgy says studies in the expert
mental approach to diseases Of the liver
had produced these four outstanding
results: Cd The recognition of purely
nutritional factors as important in de-
termining causes of hepatic diver in
jury; (2) The prevention, arrest, and
even possible reversal Of this pathologic
process simply by proper change in the
composition Of the experimental diet;
Cd The interrelation between dietary
and endocrine (hormonaD factors in the
development of liver injury; az The
concept that experimental dietary injury
to the liver is often combined In the
same animal with specific manifesta-
tions in the kidney. in particular with
acute necrotizing nephrosis death Of
kidney tubules).
One Common Denominator.
Diet factors that helped prevent cir
rhoSis of the liver Excessive formation
of connective tissue) had one common
denominator- sufficient supply of cho-
line, substance believed to be q mem
ber of the vitamin B complex, and its
precursors, including the amino acid
methionine. The benefit seen after ad-
ministration of vitamin B-12 may be
due to its choline-sparing effect. DR..
Gyorgy adds.
In acute liver disease with massive
necrosis or destruction, the beneficial
dietary factors are cystine and methio-
nine, both amino acids, or vitamin e.
Since vitamin E and amino acids are
SO different chemically, he said, 1t is
difficult to reconcile pure deficiency as
the possible cause of dietary hepatic
necrosis with the interchangeability Of
those compounds in preventing liver ne
crosis.
'The assumption has been made that
their beneficial effect more probably re-
suits from an underlying detoxifying
mechanism than from the supply of a
deficient nutritional factor" DR.. Gyorgy
stated.