Evening star., 1954-11-12
Lost Of d Series.


conducting it. The search will
lead into strange byways.
1t should In time produce
enough evidence to give yes or
no answers, to the satisfaction
Of almost all physicians and
scientists.
One phase is a research pro-
gram by the Tobacco Industry
Research Committee, starting
with an initial half f-million doll
lars. This week It's scientific adj
visory board, headed by DR.. G. G..
Little, Bar Harbor, Me-, an
rounced the first Of six grants
totalling $s2,o00 for research
projects.
No Definite Proof.
This advisory board says no
one has vet proved a definite
cause and effect relationship be-
tween cigarettes. cancer and
heart disease. 1t has mapped q
broad program to- cover studies
OF humans and human lungs.
smoke tests on mice, human
habits, jobs and geographical
differences, the effects Of inhaled
smoke on animals nervous sys-
TENS. blood vessels and lungs,
and to make analyses of tobacco.
The British tobacco industry
has pledged 500, 900 q year for
seven years for research under
auspices OF. Britain's Medical
Research Council and the first
installment has been paid. One
Danish tobacco company granted
$4,000 to q scientist for re-
search with special reference to
lung cancer.
The American Cancer Society.
saying that presently available
evidence indicates an associa-
ton" between smoking and can
Ger and heart disease. has just
earmarked a special half-mil-
ion-dollar fund for more studies
on lung cancer.
This society is continuing its
study to learn what happens to
10000 men whose smoking
habits are known.
Veterans Habits Studied.
The Veterans Administration
and the National Cancer msti-
tute are making a similar study
Of smoking habits of 100000
World War I veterans to deter
mine any relationship between
lung cancer and smoking.
In some laboratories, scien-
lists are breaking down cigarette
tars, trying to find any specific
cancer causing agent or agents.
If one were found, and proved
--or strongly suspected-as a
cause of cancer. it might be re-
moved from cigarettes to make
them safe.
Development or use of new
types Of tobacco, shown to be
free Of suspected agents. has
been proposed.
Cigarette paper is being stud
led. If danger is found to exist
there, that could be removed,
or avoided.
In one human experiment. a
New York scientist is having his
skin painted with tobacco smoke
extracts, to see if they produce
skin cancers as tobacco tars have
produced skin cancers in mice.
His skin also is being painted
with other chemicals which are
known to induce cancer in ami
mails. He is relatively safe in
this experiment, for any skin
cancers which may appear could
easily be removed in ample time.
Research elsewhere in biology
physiology or other fields not
aimed at the smoking matter
might produce findings which
would have some bearing.
Link Suspected.
The build-up of evidence so
far has numerous well-known
physicians and scientists either
convinced or highly suspicious
that there is. a link or definite
danger in cigarettes, even though
the extent has not been accu-
rately measured.
To others, there seem to be
serious loopholes in the statistics,
or other explanations; in short.
lack Of sufficient proof.
DR.. Little, for example, says
the TIRC's Scientific Advisory
Board of nine prominent scien-
lists and physicians all believe