Drugs Not Whole Answer
To Decline in Tuberculosis
Br DELOS SMITH
UPI Science Editor
New York-OD-Tuberculosis
scientists would be much hap
pier people if only they could
explain (to
their own and
one another's
s a t i sfaction)
why tubercle
bacilli seem to
be less lethal
than they used
3 to be.
In 1900 these
fcyf j chemi cally
Deioi smith clever bacteria
killed half the Americans in
whom they succeeded in es
tablishing colonies, and made
a mark on just about all of
them before their lives were
finished. Now they kill about
one in five, and two-thirds to
three-fourths of us live out
our spance without ever be
ing touched.
The wonder-working drugs
are not the whole answer. The
oldest drug has been in use
only 11 years and the best
drug, only six. They don't ex
plain what has happened. Nor
is it wholly explained by the
vast anti-tuberculosis drive of
the past 50 years.
A number of epidemiologists
point out that man was get
ting an upperhand on the
bacillus before there was any
anti - tuberculosis movement
anywhere, even before anyone
knew the bacillus existed.
Peak Year 1850
The change began some
where around 1850 which was
the evident peak year of a
world-wide epidemic of some
50 years duration, and the
death rate of American and
European cities was 400 or
more per hundred thousand
population. By 1904 when the
anti - tuberculosis movement
got fully underway in the
united btates with the org
anization of the National Tu
berculosis Association, it was
down to a little under 200
per hundred thousand. It had
been "more than halved in 50
years while nothing worth
while was being done.
Since 1904 the association
and its some 3,000 affiliated
societies have been zealously
arousing Americans to the TB
danger. Public opinion was
mobilized and educated. Great
health campaigns were waged.
Special departments were
formed at all levels of gox
ernment federal, state, coun
ty, municipal to fight tuber
culosis. Sanitoriums and clin
ics were set up in the thous
ands. Unquestionably all this
has speeded the decline of the
disease while improving pub
lic health in general immeas
urably.
Unknown Force At Work
Nevertheless a second and
unknown force has been at
work, too. Scientists wish they
knew what it was. Is the pow
er of the bacillus to sicken
people and then kill them less
than it used to be? Definitely
not.
The strains isolated from
today's patients will kill lab
oratory animals as surely as
those isolated by Robert Koch,
who discovered the' bacillus
in 1882.
So it must be assumed de
fensive human body chemis
try has been improving its col
lective ability to deal with the
bacillus. But how? There are
several possibilities. One is
that most if not all the Amer
icans whose defensive chem
istry was not up to the task,
have been killed off by the
bacillus, along with decend
ants who inherited their sus
ceptibility. The Americans
with the best defensive chem
istry for the bacillus survived
and bred the present genera
tions which ' inherited their
good defenses.
Resist Bacilli Onslaught
Or, perhaps, defensive hu
man body chemistry "adapt
ed " to and thus became in
creasingly resistant to the on
slaughts of bacilli. That sort
of thin ghappens in bacterial
chemistry routinely; disease-
causing micro - organisms
"learn" how' to deal safely
with drugs which once killed
them. It could happen in hu-
Tps Embarrassing
At White House
Washington-OOT-The White
House today described as
"very embarrasing" the 25
cent tips some guests left at
the White House cloak room
last week after a formal state
dinner and musicale given by
President and Mrs. Eisen
hower.
"Anyone who comes regu
larly knows that it just isn't
done," said a White House so
cial aide. "The White House
is not the same as a hotel or
restaurant."
Richard Hakluyt, the ge
ographer, who died in 1616,
was the Archdeacon of West
minister, England. " '
man chemistry.
There is reason to believe
that in centuries past, tuber
culosis peaked and then de
clined on its own, only to
peak again. If that is so, and
the evidence is more sugges
tive than reliable, who is to
say it can't happen again?
At any rate, tuberculosis
scientists can't feel complete
ly confident that a total vic
tory is in sight. There are
just too many unknowns.
They'll have the confidence
only when they thoroughly
understand defensive body
chemistry against the bacilli
and are able to manipulate
that chemistry at will.
HILTS
Funeral Services Held
Portland Schoo'
On Unfair List
Of Labor Council
Portland -(LTD Central Ca
tholic high school here Mon
day night was placed on the
"unfair list" by the Multno
mah County Labor Council.
The council's action follow
ed a deadlock between school
authorities and Building Ser
vice Employees Local 49,
which has been trying to get
a labor contract for four jan
itors at the school.
Glenn R. Blake, president
of the council and also secretary-treasurer
of the Build
ing Service Local, said a ver
bal agreement was reached
on a contract with the Rev.
Willis L. Whalen, principal
of the parochial school. Blake
said Father Whalen later
changed his mind and refus
ed to sign, saying the jani
tors didn't want to join the
union. Father Whalen, in
formed of Blake's statement,
said he had no comment.
To Distribute Circulars
Blake said circulars would
be passed out to the school's
965 students so that they
might take them home and
inform their parents of the
Union's side of the dispute.
He added that placement of
the school on the unfair list
meant that "parents who are
members or supporters of or
ganized labor should with
draw their children from the
school."
Blake said "nearly all of
the students are from work
ing families."
By MRS. M. F. CAVIN
Hilts-Funeral services for
Anna Marie Leazer of Areata
were held Thursday at 1:30
p.m. in Girdner's Funeral
chapel in Yreka. Interment
was in the Evergreen ceme
tery. Mrs. Leazer, 44, died Dec.
4 in the University of Cali
fornia hospital in San Fran
cisco. She had undergone a
complicated heart operation
two days before her death
and was seemingly recover
ing when she died unex
pectedly. She was born March 27,
1914, in Hornbrook and was
the daughter of Manuel and
Minnie Vieira. Later the fam
ily moved to Hilts where she
attended the local school.
She is survived by her hus
band, Harold (Pete) Leazer;
a daughter, Elaine; two sons,
Harold and Harrison Leazer,
all of Areata, her mother,
Mrs. Minnie Vieira of Hilts;
four brothers, Joseph, George
and Ray, all of Hilts and
Andy McCloud and several
nieces and nephews.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Staley
and Sherrie, Shirley and
Douglas visited Sunday in
Dunsmuir with Staley's parents.
Callers on Sunday at the
M. F. Cavin home were Mrs.
Fred Bloomingcamp of Horn
brook, Mrs. Marge, Snyder
and children, Vic and Karen
of Medford and Steven and
Paul Wyatt of Central Point.
Al Perry left Monday eve
ning for Ft. Bragg to he with
his son who underwent ma
jor surgery Tuesday morning.
He returned home Thursday
night.
Mrs. Doug Hughes returned
to her home Friday from the
Ashland General hospital
where she had been a patient
for several days. Mrs. Worth
Sanford cared for the children
during her illness.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnny De
Avilla and son, Stevie, visit
ed Saturday at the Don Wilcox
home in Ashland.
The sixth birthday of Ste
ven De Avilla, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Johnny De Avilla was
celebrated with a party Dec.
5. Games were played and
birthday cake, ice cream and
punch were served to Johnny,
Linnie Mae, and Lynn Marin,
Teddv and Mirkv C.prims
Jackie Sanford, Elaine Zanot-
ta, Becky, Cathy and Danny
Hamilton, Daren Whittaker
and Douglas Staley. Party
favors and balloons were giv
en to those present.
Randy Rainwater, son of
Mr. and Mrs. R. Rainwater,
was honored with a party Fri
day, Dec. 12, celebrating his
seventh birthday. Games were
played and refreshments of
cake, .ice cream and punch
were served to Johnny and
Linnie Marin, Douglas Staley,
Daren Whittaker, Jackie San
ford, Steven De Avilla and
Tommy Shuck. Gloria Chase
sent a gift but was unable to
attend.
The Hilts Ladies Commu
nity club held a' Christmas
party at the club rooms in
the Community center build
ing Thursday, Dec. 10.
Luncheon was served at
1:30.
Secret pals were revealed
and gifts exchanged. Names
were drawn for secret pals
for the coming year.
Canasta and pinochle were
played.
Present were Mrs. Ozzie
Bernheisel, Mrs. Art Hartman,
Mrs. Art Blanchard, Mrs. H.
G. Thompson, Mrs. Orval
Riie, Mrs. Joe Caston, Mrs. M.
G. King, Mrs. Al Simmen,
Mrs. Ernest Spannaus, Mrs.
Cal Sharp, Mrs. Fred Haynes,
Mrs. Gilbert Luper, Mrs.
Frank Graves, Mrs. Frank
Ayris, Mrs. Gwen Evans, Mrs.
Walt Laustalot and Mrs.
Frank Ohlund and Mrs. Ethel
White of Hornbrook.
Mr. and Mrs. Don Wilcox
and family of Ashland visited
friends here Friday evening.
High Flights Halted
As Cure for Cough
Frankfurt, Germany -(UPD-The
U. S. Army has stopped
flying German children to
high altitudes in attempts to
cure whooping cough.
An Army medical spokes
man said Monday "there is
no scientific basis for the be
lief that flying children up
to altitudes of 15,000 to 20,
000 feet will permanently
cure them of whooping
cough."
Such flights may prolong
the illness, the spokesman
said.
Agriculture was introduced
into Manitoba in 1812 by the
Selkirk settlers.
Is That So?
By OLGA BURNS
Mosquitoes appear only in
warm weather - fortunately
but what happens to them in
the winter? Do they die?
Not at all. They are still
very much around, the reason
being that the mosquito is so
tough an insect it doesn't
bother him at all to be frozen
stiff in a cake of ice. In fact,
even if there is an unseason
able thaw, a new cold wave
won't do him any harm. He
merely freezes again to wait
securely lor the return of
spring.
Whether in egg form or an
adult, it makes no difference.
He is close to perfection when
it comes to suspended anima
tion. Because of his amazing
hardihood he lves equally
well in the tropics or the
Arctic. In fact, except for the
deserts, the oceans and high
mountain tops, no part of the
world is free of him.
Though anyone while listen
ing to the high whine of a
hunting mosquito in the dark
is convinced their favorite
diet is human blood, it really
isn't. Blood, apparently, is
more in the nature of a des
sert. Their principal food con
sists of the juices of vegeta
tion such as flowers, fruit,
leaves, etc. On the whole, that
is about all the male mos
quito gets. He is a weakling
in comparison to the female,
so much so that he finds it
difficult to penetrate the hide
of an animal.
Makes Little Difference
She, however, is so strong
that it seemingly makes little
difference what the nature of
the blood source is. Just about
any kind of animal - birds,
frogs, even turtles - will do.
True, for a while it was
thought mosquito preferences
were for humans, but exten
sive studies indicate other
wise. Scientifically conducted
investigations in which mos
quito traps were baited with
both human beings and pigs
revealed a surprising degree
of impartiality on the mos
quito's part. However, since
the studies did not apparently
take into account the. presum
ably greater effort required
to penetrate a pig's skin, it is
barely possible that mos
quitoes do prefer hogs.
Incidentally, it is highly
likely that the whining song
a mosquito makes is made by
the female. The hearing ap
paratus of the male is evident
ly more highly developed
than that of his counterpart.
It consists of largely of hairs
on his antennae. They are
sensitive to sound waves and
the male is known to turn
his antennae in the direction
of the sound's source. The
song is made partly by a buz
zing of the wings, but some
notes are believed to be pro
duced through the intense
vibration of parts of the in
sect's breathing system.
(Released by McClure News
paper Syndicate)
Sorry, I simply cannot an
swer your many friendly let
ters individually, but I will
be glad to answer letters of
general interest through the
column. .Please address your
letters to: Is That So! co
Medford Mail Tribune, Box
1069, San Francisco, Calif.
ACQUIRE TV RIGHTS
London (UPD - The British
Broadcasting Corporation has
secured exclusive British TV
rights on Harry Belafonte,
American Negro singer of folk
ballads, for the next five
years.
Only about 20 of Bermuda's
300 islands are inhabited-
S & H
Green Stamps Too
SAWDUST
To Burn
MEDFORD FUEL CO.
Tel. SP 2-2111 Court & McAndrews
MAIL TRIBUNE, Medford, Oregon, Tuesday, December 16, 1958 ' 3
Efforts To End
Gas War Lagging
Portland-(UPD-Many service
stations in the Portland area
continued today to sell regu
lar gasoline at 23.9 cents per
gallon despite efforts to end
the prolonged price war.
Members of the Oregon Gas
oline Dealers association said
after a meeting Moday night
that no immediate overall re
turn to the former price level
of about 33.9 cents was in
sight. Some stations returned
to the higher level last week.
JUDGE SHOWS MERCY
San Fernando, Calif. - (CPD -Roland
Anthony Collins plead
ed guilty to his 26th charge
of drunkenness, but had one
favor to ask Municipal Judge
Julian Beck. "Don't send me
to the county jail," he plead
ed. "I can't stand the smog
there." Beck sentenced Col
lins, 48, to the "smog-free"
city jail for 30 days.
SMASH REBEL RING
Saint Etienne, France-nPD-An
Algerian rebel ring in the
industrial region around Saint
Etienne has been smashed, po
lice announced.
For Him...
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