Evening star., 1952-01-21
Powdered Liver Curries
ti-Fotigue Substance
SpeeioI Diet Turns Rots
Into Marathon Swimmers
By Thomos R. Henry

INTO MuI0tnOH SWImmefS
By Thomos R. Henry
There is some un-isolated anti-fa-
tigue substance in powdered liver.
It may be another vitamin or it may
be a still unknown hormone or en-
docrine gland secretion which acts as
chemical regulator.
This is indicated from experiments
with rats by DR.. B. II. Ershoff Of Los
Angeles. as reported In the PROCEEDINGS
of the Society for Experimental Biology
and Medicine. The report Is Summar-
lied in the journal Of the American
Medical Society.
In DIR. Ershoff,s experiments. so
young rats were divided into three
groups and fed three different diets,
each containing everything known to
be necessary for rat nutrition. The sec
ond diet, however, included excessive
amounts of the vitamin B complex. The
third contained also considerable
amount of powdered liver.
Rats on the second diet gained weight
a little faster than those on the sup
posedly adequate first diet. Those with
the added liver powder gained little
faster, still. These differences. however.
were not of great importance.
After three months. all these rats were
placed in barrels containing 18 inches
of water, and measurements were made
of the time each could swim before re-
manning submerged.
Some Swan for Two Hours.
Animals reared on the first two diets
proved about equal. They were able,
on the average, to keep their heads
above water for about Is seconds. Most
remarkable was the change in those
reared on the third ration. Three re.
manned swimming from So to 81 min
utes. The remaining nine still were
swimming at the end of two hours, when
the experiment was discontinued.
All the diets were synthetic, quite pos
sibly lacking in various unknown SUBJ
stances beneficial to animals. Another
group of rats were raised on natural
food diet. Their average swimming time
was about Is minutes. This is about
twice as long as the best records Of the
rats on the first two synthetic diets.
but far less than those Of the weakest
animals which were given the heavy
liver supplement. >
There Is no intelligence center In the
brain. .s
The relationship between brain and
mind still defies science-at least in the
considered opinion Of the American
Medical Association.
There is liaison, no one doubts"
the Association has replied to physi-
clan correspondent who asked the ques-
tion. But the how of it remains for
science, as for philosophy, riddle
pressing to be read"
Says the Association in its Journal:
'"The frontal association areas (the part
of the brain just back Of the foreheaO
when destroyed in either animal or
man leave certain intellectual deficits.
indicating that some Of so-called INTEL
ligence lies in this prefrontal region.
The cortex involved, Of great size in
man, is distinguished by the presence
Of conspicuous, small-celled granular
layer. It is most inexcitable to faradic
(electricaD stimulation. Removal in
monkeys and chimpanzees does not give
rise to reflex changes in skeletal mus
cles. ..-.,
Evidence Not Convincing.
"When only one frontal lobe Is re-
moved, no change in behavior or in the
higher intellectual functions can be de-
tected. In animals with both lobes
removed, restlessness, loss of weight,
great distractability, and a marked ten
dency to shift from one activity to
another are common findings. In man,
In addition to the distractability and
restlessness there is tendency towards
boastfulneSs and general euphoria (feel-
ing Of well-being). with lapses Of judg-
ment and decision"
But still, the Association doctors con-
clude. while the case for the prefrontal
areas as the site of intelligence remains
quite unconvincing, there is no con-
.vincing evidence that intelligence lies
IN other areas of the brain, such as the
occipital and temporal lobes. Localiza-
ton OF mind has been problem to man
since the first days of medicine. The
brain for long time was considered at
best an organ which produced mucous
which came out of the nose when
somebody had a cold.
In Egyptian medicine, the chief or.
gan was the heart, the center Of life.
Even Aristotle localized mind In the
heart. the brain only serving the heart.
AS things stand, we cannot be sure that
some OF the very terms Of approach to
mental health and unhealth are not
still on plane with the humours of
medieval medicine"