,6 Sc. ,1)-Stattsnran, Salonv Ort., Monday, May 16, 1955
Radio-Active Elements Tested on
400
r&ea
g
les
By HOWARD S. BENEDICT
; SALT LAKE CITY UB In
Unique village oa the University
of Utah campus more than 400
dogs are helping humans find out
what radio-active elements are po
tentially harmful. i -
They are beagles and their vil
lage, naturally, is called Beagle
ville. The dogs. Dr. Robert Bay, and
seven technicians are under an
Atomic Energy Commission con
tract the only one of its type
in the country. The experiments
are important because of the great
number of people who might be
exposed to radioactivity at various
At C installations.
They might take on even greater
importance some day if this coun
try ever found itself a target in
a shooting war. ,
Beagleville was founded by the
AEC in 1950 because the results
of radioactive experiments with
mice and rats could not be related
accurately to humans. What was
seeded was a larger animal that
lived longer.
The beagle was selected because
of its easy disposition, its short
hair, its ideal size for lab work
and because it is one of the oldest
pure breeds in the United States
giving better control of experi
ments. The AEC invested an initial half
million dollars in the lab . and has
spent about $200,000 a year since.
The beagles are injected with
graduated doses of radium, mesotb
orium, plutonium and radiothori
um all highly radioactive and
. then observed closely.
To Blood Marrow
The four substances used at
Beagleville lodge in the bones and
attack cells with damaging alpha
particles. Some of the particles go
after the bone marrow, which
manufactures blood cells; others
attack the membrane covering the
bones i and others the bone cells.
If the marrow is damaged, it
shows in the blood count. Injury
to the membrane or blood cells
is recorded by X-ray.
Dr. Bay, a veterinarian, explains
that a change in the blood count
is the most reliable indicator of
the effect of radioactivity.
Six dogs are selected for each
experiment. All are of the same
sex and. if possible, from the same
litter. They are picked- about a
month before they are to be in'
jected and put through a series
of control tests: X-rays, blood
count, bone structure, disposition.
urine and feces. Two weeks before
the injections they are placed in
separate metal cags.
Injection of Water
When the test begins, five of the
beagles are injected with different
amounts of a solution of one of
the radioactive elements.-The sixth
dog is given an injection of water.
He acts as the control factor for
the group.
.For three weeks, they -are kept
in the cages' and given daily X
ray, blood count and other tests.
Each dog has a chart upon which
its daily reaction is recorded.
These tests continue for months
and even years after the dogs are
returned to the kennels. They are
kept separate from dogs injected
with other materials and from
QueenWaryof
Dropped Pins
LONDON W Queen Elizabeth
n stars in a story told over tipped
teacups in London this week:
A west end hatmaker dispatched.
sales girl to Buckingham Palace
with a selection of summer beau
ties the Queen said she wanted to
see. There was a slight delay, for
Elizabeth at the moment was try
. ing on dresses.
When she was eventually shown
in, the salesgirl was startled to
see the Queen crawling around on
her hands and knees picking up
pins. '
"Come in, my dear," the Queen
said. "You can't be too careful
when you've got children around
the house. .
those who have not been injected.
After five years of experiment
ing, Dr. Bay and his assistants
are able to predict how much ra
dioactive material wOl be dis
charged 'by the dog at a given
time, when, tumors will develop,
and the long- range toxic - effects
of certain types of radioactivity.
Blame Shifted
Important knowledge about the
comparison of the radioactive sub
stances with each other also has
been gained at Beagleville. For ex
ample, many persons who worked
in the luminous dial industry be
tween 1910 and 1930 developed can
cerous tumors. For many years it
was thought that radium used- in
the industry was the cause. But
experiments on the dogs have
shown that meso thorium also
used in the industry is much
more dangerous than radium.
Dr. Bay started with one male
and seven female beagles, later.
to improve the breed, he bought
one of the top three beagle sires
in the county. Today beagle sires
400 dogs romp in the spacious ken
nels.
The dogs get better care than
many children. Their diets are
regulated from a well-equipped
kitchen. Their kennels have long
outside runways with radiant heat
for melting snow. They are bathed
regularly. Their kennels are dis
infected three tunes a day.
Surgery Room
Thev are treated with antihio-
tics whenever infection4treatens.
The lab has a surgery room where
many of the dogs have been op
erated on for various illnesses.
There is an isolation ward for sick
dogs, surgery or post-surgery pa
tients.
When a dog is injectedthe solu
tion is intended to simulate safe
or nearly safe exposure, so that
many of those injected do not be
come seriously ill. A dog's. blood
count is affected at first, but most
recover. Only six dogs have died
from radioactivity since the ex
periments began.
As a result of this good care
many anti-vivisectionists have en
dorsed the experiments.
Looking back on five years in
Beagleville, Dr. Bay says: " '
"We are just now beginning to
get meaningful results and the
Atomic Energy Commission invest
ment is paying off. The AEC and
many important scientists are turn
ing their attention here, because,
for the first time, information is
being obtained on how radioactive
material might act on humans.
Norblad Urges Silent Policy Isle Defense
BEND UH Rep. Norblad (R
Ore) said Saturday night sugges
tions that "we should not defend
Quemoy and Matsu or that we
should make a definite statement
of policy as to our intentions' with
those islands seem absurd to me."
That would be a case of telling
the Communists what our strategy
will be in the Formosa area should
an enemy attack take place," he
said in an address prepared for
delivery to a banquet at the annual
Oregon State Junior Chamber of
Commerce convention here.
Norblad said that as a civilian
he does not know what should be
done, "and I can't believe that
others in Washington who are
urging a fixed policy regarding
these Islands have ! any - better
knowledge or information than I
have." - p -; '
"We have highly trained and
educated military and naval
minds on the ground floor there .
who must be trusted to make the
proper decision if that time ever
arrives," the congressman concluded.
GAS WELL REPORTED
PAYETTE, Idaho t H. t.
Riddle, president of Oroco Gas k
Oil Co.. said Saturday he. has
struck natural gas in commercial
quantities eight miles east of here.
fjf
catch CJvKU
bouqutrts ? . . LA
In Yoaje tnfofWMBl 'r'oedtitg
Admiratioa for tbe maids,
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. . . just come in, or phone
for your appointment.
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