Evening star. [volume], March 29, 1936, Page A-7, Image 7

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
MORS LOCATE
DIABETES CENTER
Biochemists Given Data by
Dr. Ranson of North
western U.
BY THOMAS R. HENRY.
Location of a brain center for a
Common disease, diabetes insipidus,
was reported to the federation of
American Societies for Experimental
Biology, meeting here yesterday after
noon. by Dr. S. W Ronson of the
Northwestern University Medical
School.
Dr. Ranson and his co-workers have
found, working with monkeys and cats
with a relatively new surgical tech
nique. that the disease inevitably fol
lows destruction of a small area known
as the supra-optic nuclei in the hypo
thalamus. a part of the inner brain
lying below the cerebral cortex.
This section of the hypothalamus is
connected by numerous nerve fibers
with the posterior lobe of the pituitary
gland. It is apparently the starting
point of stimuli which cause this lobe
to secrete one of its hormones. The
diabetes insipidus follows when the
supra-optic nuclei are left intact when j
either the nerve tract or the posterior j
lobe is destroyed.
Different From Diabetes.
Diabetes insipidus is a quite differ
ent disease from the condition ordi
narily known as diabetes, which is a
disfunction of the carbohydrate meta
bolism of the body resulting in an ab
normal concentration of blood sugar
end which is treated with insulin, a
secretion from the pancreas. This
*other form of diabetes is a disturb
ance of water balance, symptomized
by a constant abnormal thirst, accom- j
panied by an abnormal excretion of
body fluids. The condition may con
tinue even for years without seeming
seriously to affect the general health,
but it is quite debilitating and Is like
ly to result in various complications
which may prove fatal. One of these
is the other form of diabetes, diabetes
meelitus.
It already had been determined that
the condition is markedly benefited
by treatment with pitrissin, one of the
anterior pituitary hormones. Dr.
Ranson and his associates found that
when the supraoptic nuclei or their
t.erve connection with the posterior
pituitary were destroyed the part of
, the gland which is believed to secrete
pitressin into the blood stream mark
edly degenerates.
Thus, it appears from the present
status of their researches as described
to the physiologists yesterday, this
particular part of the brain sends im
pulses to the posterior pituitary, which
responds to them by a secretion which
Testrains the water output of the
organism.
Anterior Lobe Removal.
However, they found that this con
dition does not result if the anterior j
lobe of the pituitary gland also is re-:
moved. Apparently one of the hor
monal secretions from this lobe %cts
to increase water secretion, not di- ,
rectly. but through its general control
over metabolism and acticity of the (
body system.
The primary role played by the
hypothalamic nuclei was determined
through a surgical technique which
made it possible to place small, dis
crete lesions at any desired point in
this part of the brain without at the '
same time injuring the pituitary' gland
itself. The gland can be left entirely
intact, but the diabetes insipidus re
sults just the same.
The evidence seems quite conclu
sive. Dr. Ranson reported, that the
only hypothalamic lesions that give
rise to a permanent over-excretion of
body fluid arc those which either de
stroy these particular nuclei directly
or interrupt the nerve fibers which
arise from them. Destruction of other
nuclei in the hypothalamus did not
have the same result. Moreover, they
found, both nuceli must be destroyed.
If one is left, or if only one side of
the nerve tract is severed, the condi
tion does not result.
The psysiologists found the disease j
l ,Is characterized by two distinct phases,
The first is marked by a very great in
crease in both water intake and secre
tion. which lasts for four or five days.
Then both return to normal and
nearly two weeks elapses before there j
is another increase, marking the start ,
of the second and permanent phase. !
Dr. Ranson and his associates believe
the transient phase may be due to
some injury to the pituitary itself, and
that the permanent phase sets in only
after the stored-up supplies of the
anti-diuretic hormone in the posterior j
lobe are exhausted. This may be pro
educed according to directions from the
hypothalamus, so that the production
ceases when "orders" stop coming
through.
Action on Kidneys.
The posterior pituitary hormone in
volved. Dr. Ranson pointed out. prob
ably acts directly on the kidneys and
serves to check their unrestrained ac
tivity. When it is removed, the ab
normal excretion immediately follows, \
and the intense thirst, causing an ab
normal water intake, results from the
defensive mechanism of the system.
An automatic self-regulating mech
anism controls the body's intake of
water, it was indicated by experiments
♦’-ported yesterday afternoon before a
symposium on water balance by Dr.
Magnus I. Gregersen of the Medical
School of the University of Maryland.
A lowering of the system’s water sup
ply. Dr. Gregersen said, is reflected
quickly in a lowering of the total
plasma, or liquid content of the blood.
This automatically causes a decrease
of the secretion of saliva from the
salivary glands. This, in turn, causes
thirst.
« He told of experiments with two
normal subjects who went without wa
ster for three days. The effect was
shown very quickly in the decrease of
plasma, with the resulting salivary
decrease of thirst. The plasma vol
ume rose again in a few minutes, after
the subjects had drank 1,500 cubic
centimeters of fluid.
The rapidity with which the fluid
may leave the circulation is illustrated.
Dr. Gregersen reported, by experi
ments on muscular exercise. During
two minutes of hard running three
subjects showed loss in plasma volume
running up to 23 per cent. Restora
tion was complete after an hour and a
half at rest and two hours after the
exercise the plasma volume was some
what higher than at the start of the
experiment.
Food Transformation.
By "tagging" organic molecules with
atoms of heavy hydrogen, bio-chemlsts
have found a way to solve one of the
fundamental problems of living nature
—the chemical transformation of food
into animal flesh.
This method already has shown that
the organic molecules, the ••bricks"
from which are built the cells which ]
are the fundamental units of the body. 1
continually are being destroyed and
resynthesized from fresh material.
The cells themselves, it long has
beep known, are forever breaking
down and being rebuilt. Now, it ap
pears. nature uses new bricks in the '■
building so that the body structure ]
continuously is being renewed and ;
strengthened with fresh material.
This fundamental advance was re- ;
ported to members of the American
Society of Bio-chemists, meeting here
today, by Rudolph Schoenheimer and
D. Rittenberg of Columbia University.
About five years ago Prof. Harold
C. Urey of Columbia University and
Dr. H G. Brickwedde of the United
States Bureau of Standards isolated a
substance chemically identical with
the well-known gas hydrogen, but with
an atom double the weight of the
ordinary’ hydrogen atom. This heavy
hydrogen, it has since been found,
exists throughout nature in the pro
portion of one part to every 5,000
parts of ordinary hydrogen. If com
bined with oxygen it forms "heavy
water." chemically indistinguishable
from ordinary water and entering into
every chemical reaction in the same
way as ordinary water. But it weighs
more and has markedly different bio
logical effects.
Now water is a constituent of all
foods—carbohydrate, fat or protein.
All of these foods can be made up in
the laboratory with ordinary water
molecules replaced with molecules of
heavy water.
Fats Essential in Diet.
Now, Drs. Schoenheimer and Rit
tenberg pointed out in their report,
fats are essential in the diet. It has
been impossible to find out. however,
what happened to them because there
was no way to distinguish the fat
molecules taken in the form of food
from those already in the body.
Fat gathers under the skins of
animals, where it is kept in storage.
Whether this was the original fat
consumed by the animal, or whether
this was broken down and reformed
by the chemical processes of the. body !
was not known. It also was known
that if animals were fed no fat at
all. but were given an excessive sup
ply of proteins and carbohydrates,
fat would collect under the skin just '
the same.
dy ieeuuig 10 mite iaw> comauiuig
heavy hyrogen, it was found that the I
greater part of the ingested fat was
carried directly to these fat depots
and deposited there. A small part of
it was found to be burned immedi
ately for the ordinary needs of the
animal, breaking down immediately
and forming heavy water, which was
eliminated with the body fluids of
the animal.
Just as the chemist in the labora
tory is able to make substances con
taining heavy hydrogen, so if an ani
mal is given heavy water to drink, the
susbtances which are synthesized by
the body will contain the heavy hydro
gen atoms. It thus can be used to
label those substances which are man
ufactured in the body. If mice on a
fat-free diet are given heavy water to
drink, the bio-chemists reported, fat
containing heavy hydrogen can be re
covered from the animals within a
short time after the beginning of the
experiment, despite the absence of fat
in their food. This proves that new
fats have been synthesized within the
animal body.
Quantity Not Increased.
Since the total quantity of fat in
the test animals did not increase dur
ing the experiment, it was concluded
that an amount of fat corresponding
to that manufactured had been util
ized or destroyed at the same time.
This was proved by giving mice fat
containing heavy hydrogen for a
period and then placing them on a
fat-free diet. The labeled fat was
found almost completely to have dis
appeared from the body of an animal
within a few days after the beginning
of the fat-free period—and to have
been replaced by an equal quantity of
newly formed fat, which contained
practically no heavy hydrogen. Thus,
it was clearly shown, while the amount
of fat in the body depots of adult mice
remains constant, there is a continu
ous process of destruction and re
synthesis of the body fats.
Similar results were obtained with
another important constituent of the
body, chlosterol.
Said the report: “The findings, which
were made possible by the use of heavy
water label, indicate that organic
chemical compounds which are stable
outside the animal body become un
stable in the living organism. Just as
in the living organism cells die and
are replaced by newly formed ones,
so organic molecules are continuously
being destroyed and replaced by new
materials of the same chemical struc
ture.”
-» -
CITY HEADS MAY OPPOSE
MOVING OF MONUMENT
Representative Ellenbogen’s proposal
to move the Pulaski monument from
the triangle at Thirteenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue to the larger va
cant area at Fifteenth and the Ave
nue. opposite the Commerce Building,
probably will be opposed by the Dis
trict Commissioners next week.
The Pennsylvanian's proposal, re
ferred to the Commissioners after its
introduction in the House, will come up
for consideration Tuesday.
Although no definite decision has
been reached, it was learned that the
Commissioners favor keeping the Fif
teenth and Pennsylvania area clear,
unless it is chosen for one of the pro
posed memorials to Grover Cleveland
or Thomas Jefferson.
W ild Life Destroyed
By Stray Dogs and
Cats “Gone Native”
3,800 Felines in National
Forest Slay Many
Birds, Officials Say.
B» the Associated Press.
HARRISONBURG. Va.. March 28 —
Domesticated cats and dogs that have
"gone native'* constitute two of the
greatest dangers to wild life in the
George Washington National Forest,
say forestry officers on duty in the
area.
The officers estimate that 3.800 cats
roam the National Forest daily and
that every cat is accountable for 50
birds a year. Not all their feathered
prey are game birds, but because quail
nest on the ground, it is believed they
make up a considerable part of the
cats' diet.
Stray dogs running loose in the for
est likewise are especially destructive
of nesting birds and deer, the foresters
hold.
Owners of cats and dogs are being
asked to keep their animals penned
up to save part of the cost of replacing
destroyed wild life.
I,Dependable
WATERPROOFING
O. D. WILSON CO., INC.
WATERPROOFING ENGINEERS
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OTHIR ONI WAY FAJU SAROAINS
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San Dlero 36.00 El Paso_20.05
Seattle _41.40 Dallas_10 50
GREYHOUND TERMINAL
1403 New York Avenue N.W..
Phone National 8000
Youngest Air Passenger
A/me. Goeta Ljungberg of the Metropolitan Opera Co. is
shown holding 8-weeks-old. Robert Glenn Geil, toho. with his
mother, were fellow passengers on an air trip from Pittsburgh
yesterday. Robert is said to be the youngest passenger to land,
at Washington Airport. —Star Staff Photo.
SCIENTIFIC UNITS
SELECTUFFK
Dochez of Columbia Head of
Executive Group of Bi
ology Federation.
By the Associated Press.
D. A. R. Dochez of Columbia Uni
versity, New York City, yesterday was
named chairman of the Executive
Committee of the Federation of
American Societies for Experimental
Biology.
He was also elected president of the
American Society for Experimental
Pathology, one of the four groups com
prising the federation. Dr. S. Warren
of Harvard University was elected sec
retary-treasurer of the same society
and became secretary of the federa
tion.
Memphis, Tenn., was chosen as the
1937 convention city.
Slate of Officers.
Officers elected by the societies were:
American Society of Biological
Chemists:
President—H. B. Lewis. University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Vice president—G. E. Cullen, Uni
versity of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Secretary—H. A. Mattill, University
of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
Treasurer—A. B. Hastings, Harvard .
University, Boston. Mass.
Councilor—W. C. Rose, University
of Illinois, Urbana, 111.
Experimental Pathology.
American Society of Experimental
Pathology:
President—Dr. Dochez.
Vice president—C. P. Miller, Uni
versity of Chicago, Chicago, 111.
Secretary-treasurer—Dr. Warren.
Councilors—M. McCutcheon. Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
Pa.; E. W. Goodpasture, Vanderbilt
University, Nashville, Tenn.
American Physiological Society:
President—F. C. Mann, Mayo Foun
dation. University of Minnesota, Roch
ester. Minn.
Secretary—A. C. Ivy, Northwestern
University. Chicago, 111.
Treasurer—W. O. Fenn. University
of Rochester, Rochester, N. Y.
Councilor—P. Bard, Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore. Md.
Society for Pharmacology.
American Society for Pharmacology
and Experimental Therapeutics:
President—V. E. Henderson, Unl
j versity of Toronto, Canada.
Vice president—O. H. Plant. Uni
i versity of Iowa, Iowa City. Iowa.
Secretary—E. M. K. Geiling, Uni
' versity of Chicago, Chicago, 111.
Treasurer — C. Gruber. Jefferson
Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa
Councilor—G. B. Wallace. New
York University, New York City.
-.
RIVERS AND HARBORS
CONFERENCE APR. 27
Congress Will Wrestle With
Flood Control Problem at
Annual Session.
The thirty-first annual convention
of the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress, which will be held at the
; Mayflower Hotel, April 27 and 28,
I probably will be the most important
| in the history of the organization,
according to Representative Short of
I Missouri, vice president of the congress.
The devastating floods have focused
i Nation-wide attention upon the need
I for immediate and vigorous control
action to prevent high water toll of
human life and property throughout
| the United States, Representative
Short said yesterday.
•'This, together with the adminis
tration's proposal to continue through
the coming fiscal year the public
I works-relief program for the assist
; ance of the unemployed, making
available funds for these useful, per
i manent projects, and the important
j far-reaching measures affecting water
ways, their control and use, now pend
! ing In Congress, probably will make
this session of the National Rivers
! and Harbors Congress the most im
portant in the history of the organiza
I tion,” he said.
The Projects Committee, which is
headed by Representative Driver of
Arkansas, will meet April 24 and
25 for consideration of individual
projects.
ART LECTURES PLANNED
Weisz to Deliver Last Two Talks
at Washington Club.
Eugen Weisz, vice principal of the
Corcoran School of Art, will deliver
the final two lectures of his series
on "The History of Art" on Wednes
day night of this week, and Wednes
day. April 8, in the Washington Club
auditorium, 1010 Seventeenth street,
under the auspices of the Yard School
of Fine Art. The lectures will begin
at 8:30 o’clock.
The lecture this week will be on
the subject, "Currents of Tradition in
Style and Technique,” and next week,
"The Art of Today.”
Former Follies Girls
Mrs. Helen Wood (left) and Mrs. Dorothy Mason Walton,
former “Ziegfeld Follies” girls, were located here yesterday by
Norman Pule of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in his search for ex
Follies" members in connection icith the production, “The Great
Ziegfeldopening April 19 at the National Theater.
—Star Staff Photo.
DINNER FOR PRISONERS
CELEBRATES RESERVOIR
Men at Occoquan Workhouse to
Be Given Treat for Com
pleting Concrete Job.
A special dinner will be served the
prisoners at Occoquan Workhouse to
day in appreciation of their work in
completing the pouring of concrete for
the reservoir at the new filtration
plant for the District's penal institu
tions on the Occoquan-Lorton reser
vation
The reservoir, located abou ta quar
ter of a mile from the workhouse, was
constructed entirely by prison labor.
Capt. M. M. Barnard, superintendent
of prisons, said yesterday. After the
forms had been put in place it was
estimated that 48 hours would be re
quired to pour the concrete, but by
working in continuous shifts the work
was completed in 23 hours.
The huge tank will have a capacity
of 1,018,800 gallons of water and re
quired 320 cubic yards of concrete. It
was mixed on the ground in four ma
chines and was wheeled into the forms
by the prisoners. H. R. Haar. engi
neer of the penal institutions, directed
I the work, and Capt. Arthur L. Petitt.
I w orkhouse superintendent, supplied
j necessary men for the job.
I^"*WITH THIS COUPON^^a
WATCH REPAIRING I
| ANY MARL
| The Vvstaire Jewelry Start
I-.:.9 812 . stnw|
All Watches Carefully Taken Apart by I
Experts and Cleaned Thorouahly ^
by Hand. No Machines Used. 1
CUP THIS COUPON. |
Last Week ! Dutch Baker Boy’s
BREAD-NAMING CONTEST
Thu l< the last week of DUTCH BAKER BOY S BREAD-NAMING
CONTEST. It you had planned on submlttina a name for this new
bread, do it now. Remember, you can’t win unles* you enter. Valuable
prizes are riven for the best sugrested names. Order a loaf of this new
bread now, then send in your surrested name. Read the easy rules
below. |
Rules of Contest
Any one can enter except ear
employes and members of their
families. Suxcested names must
be submitted on entry blank
found in each loaf of this NEW
bread. No others will be con
sidered. Send as many suxxes
tlons as you desire, but only one
an eaeh blank.
Contest ends Saturday. April
4. Get your suxcested names in
now. The decision of the Judxes
will be final. Mail all sucxes
tions on your entry blanks to
Dutch Baker Boy. 0th and
Monroe Streets N.E.
lit Priie 2nd Prize 3d Prize
*25 *10 *5
And JO prises of Delicious
Layer Cakes
Name this New Bread and win
a valuable cash prise or a delicious
bakery product. Dutch Baker Boy s
New Bread is Half White and Half
Whole Wheat Bread baked as one
loaf. Try a loaf tomorrow. Buy it
from the Dutch Baker Boy salesman
or phone North 99.94 for
Delivery to Your Home
ONLY JOc LOAF
PHYSICIANS TO SPEAK
"Should Medicine Be Socialized?’’
Is City Forum Topic.
Drs. A. B. Bennett and Isidore
Lattman, prominent Washington phy
sicians, will speak at the Capital City
Forum. 1502 Fourteenth street, at
8:15 p.m. Friday on the question.
"Should Medicine Be Socialized?" Dr,
Bennett is a former president of the
District Medical Society.
Next week's speaker will be Repre
sentative Scott. Democrat, of Cali
fornia. who will discuss "Co-operation
in Place of Relief.”
■
D. C. Library Association to
Hear Address at Annual
Banquet Wednesday.
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt will be
the guest ot honor and principal
speaker at the forty-second annual
dinner of the District of Columbia
Library Association Wednesday at 8
p.m. at the Carlton Hotel. Her topic
will be “What Libraries Mean to the
Nation.”
Some 300 librarians associated with
public and private library agencies
are scheduled to attend the dinner,
according to John T. Vance, presi
dent.
Other speakers on the program are
Senator King, member of the Senate
Committee on the Library, wrho will
discuss “The Library In Adult Educa
tion”; Representative Keller of Illi
nois, who will speak on “Our National
Library,” and Miss Adelaide Hasse,
Internationally known bibliographer,
whose topic will be “The Libraries in
Washington."
Other guests of the association will
be Representative Bert Lord of New
York, member of the House Commit
tee on the Library, and Mrs. Lord;
the commissioner of education and
Mrs. John D. Studebaker. Dr. Waldo
G. Leland. secretary of the Ameri
can Council of Learned Societies, and
Mrs. Leland, and Carl H. Milan, sec
retary of the American Library As
sociation.
Music will be furnished by the Cre
mona Quartet, consisting of four li
brarians, Miss Elsa L. Raner, Miss
Lavada Hudgens. Miss Inez Becker
and Miss Mabel H. Duncan.
FREDDIE HAS BIRTHDAY
HOLLYWOOD, March 28 G<P> —
Freddie Bartholomew, English boy
actor, celebrated his 10th birthday
anniversary in American style today.
He was given a jack knife, a sack of
marbles, six $1 bills in a new wallet
and a toy airplane. The "kids next
door” came over to help him play with
them.
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Idroop^-«gJ
W. (i J. Sloane 711 Twelfth Street
An Exhibition
Fabrics as made expressly for, and in use
in, the furnishings of the new, mammoth
English Liner-S. S.
Queen Mary
Confined for display and sale in the
United States to W. & J. Sloane
EXCLUSIVELY.
On Exhibition in Our Fabric Salon—Second Floor
9
You will be interested because of their distinguished
association and you are invited to review them. More
than a score of different patterns—in varying qualities
—available in any quantity you may desire for slip covers
and kindred uses.
Charge Accounts Courtesy Parking
Gladly opened, with settlements While shopping here, park in the
arranged for your convenience. Capital Garage at our expense.
.r.W. & J. Sloane t
The Mouse With the Green Shutters
4