Evening star., 1953-03-11
Secrets of Life and Death
Souqht at Bethesda Center

awaited 1aclllCy Tor cllnlcal re-
search. The patients will round
out a new concept in medical
research. They'll be part of a
team. The team it takes to put
all the rare facts into one big
fact-then prove it-and add a
few years to your life.
But the big change in medical
research, the main reason for all
the brick buildings, had it's start
about World War II. This is
the shift of emphasis in medicine
and public health to the So
called chronic or long term ill
nesses-heart disease, cancer and
mental disorders. These are the
diseases which are striking peo-
pie in their middle and later
years. And Americans are living
longer.
Many Diseases Solved.
The shift stems from the VIC
tories over common infectious
diseases like diptheria, typhoid
fever, small pox, plague and
cholera. And effective treatments
are in use for tuberculosis, pneu-
monia, influenza, rheumatic fe-
yer and malaria.
Though many still remain
like polio, the common cold and
influenza-scientists and re-
searchers now have time to turn
their talents and attention to the
vastly more complex chronic dis
eases.
The Institutes look like a COL
lege campus. The men who walk
over the campus seem lost in
thought. Occasionally, two will
pass muttering something about
milligrams or at least it sounds
like milligramS. Sometimes a
whiff of sulphur or the stuffy
smell of a collection of mice
drifts over the campus.
In one laboratory, trays of
vari-colored mice fill three rooms
almost to the ceiling. A friendly
little laboratory technician can
tell you the family background
of each mouse. In some. he can
trace the strain back 100 genera
tions. Each carries a tumor, or
the inherited trait which soon
will produce a tumor.
TumOrs for Research.
The tumor strain is protracted
only if brother mouse mates
with sister mouse. They provide
the tumors the scientists can
pick apart. They are quite OBJ
livious to what they're contribut-
ing to the search for a cancer
cure.
Scientists and public health
officers come from all over the
country to work at the Institutes.
Each has his own particular sub
ject he'd like to investigate with
the Institutes equipment. He can
spend a year running down an
idea. He may find nothing, but
at least he's proved there's no
weight to the theory he once
had. He'll tell the scientific pro-
fession about it so nobody else
will spend valuable time re-
searching down the same blind
alley.
Most of them live in the Be-
thesda area and spend most of
their time at the institute.
They do everything but sleep
there and occasionally see their
families.
These men try not to over
look anything. They trace things
which might sound like screw
ball notions.
But one doctor, in charge of
channeling the research, points
out that while some ideas may
sound ScrewballiSh-who'S to say
they are until proven so? The
researcher, then, generally gets
the run of the lab.
DR.. G. Burroughs Mider, asso-
ciate director in charge of re-
search at the Cancer Institute,
says the scientists are perfectly
normal people.
'"They have a tremendous
curiosity" he said "and if you
can't interest them you can for
get it. The research man has
got to be a good gambler he