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Science News Capsules
CARBON MONOXIDE gases will be removed from a Connecticut highway tunnel before they reach harmful concentrations, by means of an automatic device now being installed. The detecting device, to go in the West Rock tunnel near New Haven, can detect as little as one part -of the gas in 1,000,000 parts of air. It will continuously sample the air in the tunnel and, if dangerous amounts of the poison gas are found, turn on ventilating fans to deliver fresh air into the tunnel.
PRODIGIOSIN, a new antibiotic substance, may conquer the hitherto incurable San Joaquin or Valley fever prevalent in our southwestern desert area. This forecast was made at the recent annual meeting of the American Chemical Society at Atlantic City by E. D. Botts and Arthur Lack, of the Birmingham Veterans Administration Hospital, Van Nuys, Calif. They reported that a dye extracted from the bacteria, B. prodigiosus, is effective against the organism causing this highly infectious disease (coccidioidomycosis), both in living body and test tube. The JAUNDICE INFECTION caused dramatic relief disease caused considerable trouble to U. S. troops from asthma for three chronic sufferers in cases re- . during the war. ported by Dr. Nathan Gorin of Harvard Medical School and the Children's Medical Center in Boston. FLUOROACETATE, a rat poison better known by The mechanism at work is unknown, but Dr. Gorin its war name of 1080, acts to "jam the cycle" of cell feels that these cases, and others in which jaundice chemistry in its killing course. This new theory of has relieved arthritis, point to certain reparative the poison's action was announced at a meeting of powers that are set free when changes occur in the the British Association for the Advancement of liver. Animal experiments and clinical studies of Science by Prof. R. A. Peters of Oxford University. The chemical cycle which flu oro acetate "jams" is this problem are now being ml;i.de. (J. Am. Med. known as the tricarboxylic cycle. No antidote for Assoc., 141: 24 [1949]). 1080 has yet been discovered. IMMUNITY TQ POLIO, acquJred by contracting WOOD ALCOHOL, found in small amounts in the the infection, may, be temporary rather than perma- tissues of a deceased person, may be a sign that the nent, as has been supposed. This is the conclusion person died of diabetes, even though this disease of a study made with March of Dimes funds by had not been previously suspected. The imporDr. W. McD. Hammon, epidemiologist in the Uni- tance in crime detection of ruling out diabetes in such versity of California's Hooper Foundation. The cases is emphasized by Dr. Henry Siegel and Harry physician bases his theory on accumulating evi- Schwartz of New York City's Chief Medical Examdence, including his study of a polio outbreak on iner's office. How the methyl alcohol gets into the Guam less than a year ago. He also reports re- body tissues is not yet known but the investigators sults indicating that climate influences the age of' say it may also be found in patients dying from other contraction of this disease, which appears earlier diseases complicated by acidosis. in hot climates. ANT BI~ES caused such a severe reaction in a FLAME-PROOF cotton and rayon fabrics treated soldier that he had to be helped to the hospital in a with a patented chemical compound, Erifon, have state of near collapse. A report of this case by Air been announced by the DuPont Company, and Force Colonel Charles H. Morhouse, Medical Corps should be available within the next three months. surgeon at Randolph Field, Texas, relates that The fabrics will not burst into flames when lighted, within a few minutes after feeling ant bites, the yet look and feel the same, and can be washed or soldier broke out in a rash and his eyes "swelled almost shut. The ants were removed by showering cleaned without removing the fireproofing. the patient and he was given oxygen to aid his DISPOSABLE OXYGEN MASKS have been breathing. Treatment consisted of pyribenzamine announced at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and procaine hydrochloride. " Dayton, Ohio, 'where they "'ere developed. The "COWS LIKE THE TASTE OF FRESH PAINT," masks could be~used for airplane passengers in emergencies when a plane must rise to unexpectedly high warns the American Veterinary Medical Associaaltitudes to pass over a storm." Inexpensive, the tion, and they suggest that farmers use non-Ieadcontaining paints on interiors of cow barns and masks are made from porous paper, pliofilm, and plastic tubing. Because they are never re-used, stables. Cows may lick the painted surfaces, and lead poisoning will result if the paint contains lead. they will not require sterilization. I
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PRODIGIOSIN, a new antibiotic substance, may conquer the hitherto incurable San Joaquin or Valley fever prevalent in our southwestern desert area. This forecast was made at the recent annual meeting of the American Chemical Society at Atlantic City by E. D. Botts and Arthur Lack, of the Birmingham Veterans Administration Hospital, Van Nuys, Calif. They reported that a dye extracted from the bacteria, B. prodigiosus, is effective against the organism causing this highly infectious disease (coccidioidomycosis), both in living body and test tube. The JAUNDICE INFECTION caused dramatic relief disease caused considerable trouble to U. S. troops from asthma for three chronic sufferers in cases re- . during the war. ported by Dr. Nathan Gorin of Harvard Medical School and the Children's Medical Center in Boston. FLUOROACETATE, a rat poison better known by The mechanism at work is unknown, but Dr. Gorin its war name of 1080, acts to "jam the cycle" of cell feels that these cases, and others in which jaundice chemistry in its killing course. This new theory of has relieved arthritis, point to certain reparative the poison's action was announced at a meeting of powers that are set free when changes occur in the the British Association for the Advancement of liver. Animal experiments and clinical studies of Science by Prof. R. A. Peters of Oxford University. The chemical cycle which flu oro acetate "jams" is this problem are now being ml;i.de. (J. Am. Med. known as the tricarboxylic cycle. No antidote for Assoc., 141: 24 [1949]). 1080 has yet been discovered. IMMUNITY TQ POLIO, acquJred by contracting WOOD ALCOHOL, found in small amounts in the the infection, may, be temporary rather than perma- tissues of a deceased person, may be a sign that the nent, as has been supposed. This is the conclusion person died of diabetes, even though this disease of a study made with March of Dimes funds by had not been previously suspected. The imporDr. W. McD. Hammon, epidemiologist in the Uni- tance in crime detection of ruling out diabetes in such versity of California's Hooper Foundation. The cases is emphasized by Dr. Henry Siegel and Harry physician bases his theory on accumulating evi- Schwartz of New York City's Chief Medical Examdence, including his study of a polio outbreak on iner's office. How the methyl alcohol gets into the Guam less than a year ago. He also reports re- body tissues is not yet known but the investigators sults indicating that climate influences the age of' say it may also be found in patients dying from other contraction of this disease, which appears earlier diseases complicated by acidosis. in hot climates. ANT BI~ES caused such a severe reaction in a FLAME-PROOF cotton and rayon fabrics treated soldier that he had to be helped to the hospital in a with a patented chemical compound, Erifon, have state of near collapse. A report of this case by Air been announced by the DuPont Company, and Force Colonel Charles H. Morhouse, Medical Corps should be available within the next three months. surgeon at Randolph Field, Texas, relates that The fabrics will not burst into flames when lighted, within a few minutes after feeling ant bites, the yet look and feel the same, and can be washed or soldier broke out in a rash and his eyes "swelled almost shut. The ants were removed by showering cleaned without removing the fireproofing. the patient and he was given oxygen to aid his DISPOSABLE OXYGEN MASKS have been breathing. Treatment consisted of pyribenzamine announced at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and procaine hydrochloride. " Dayton, Ohio, 'where they "'ere developed. The "COWS LIKE THE TASTE OF FRESH PAINT," masks could be~used for airplane passengers in emergencies when a plane must rise to unexpectedly high warns the American Veterinary Medical Associaaltitudes to pass over a storm." Inexpensive, the tion, and they suggest that farmers use non-Ieadcontaining paints on interiors of cow barns and masks are made from porous paper, pliofilm, and plastic tubing. Because they are never re-used, stables. Cows may lick the painted surfaces, and lead poisoning will result if the paint contains lead. they will not require sterilization. I
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