COUNTER-MEASURES IN GERM WARFARE

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5298, 10 January 1947, Page 2

COUNTER-MEASURES IN GERM WARFARE

POISON PROTECTION UNITED STATES ARMY HAS DEVELOPED DEFENCE The bacteriological warfare section of the United States Army has a toxoid! that will afford mass protection against death by one of the great poisons developed during the second World War. This, toxoid is not identified, but the language of the official annoxincement indicates it is prohably against the botulinus toxin, which is so deadly that one ounce coiuM kill more than 150,000,000 people, provided there was any conceivable method of getting the stuff into a large number of humans. Thin botulinus toxin is a poison pix>duced by the bacteria that cause botulinus poisoning in spoiled food. Such poisoning is rare iheoause these bacteria are killed easily « by heat less than that of boilinig water. A toxoid is a weakened form of a toxin. Toxoids are administered the siame as vaccines, and they produce similar immunity, for ddffering lengths of time. . The War Departxnent wording, in its release on bacteriological warfare early this year, covers the toxin and the toxoad in two references of a summary of accomplishments reading: "Production and isolation. for the first time of a crystalline bacteria! toxin, which ho;s opened the way for the preparation of a more highly purilned immunising toxoid. Development and ^production of an effective toxoid in" suffioient quiantities to protect iarge scale operations shouM: this be necessary." The Press has told 'of all^'ed germs that could destroy all life in a large city, and of plant poisons scattered from a plane capable of destroying the wheat crop of an entire 'State and even the se^d in the ground. In the official reports there is not the slightest evidence of a claim for either means of destruction. Omitted from sensational stories has been the other half of the official releases. This other half indicates that more progress has been made in discovering how to protect 'people from the poisons and people. Improvements in the understanding the diseases than in how to destroy of how to con'trol diseases spread by air, and quick. detection of diseasc producing agents were cited. Significant a'dvances also were made, the Army reported, in immunising both humans and animals against certairdiseases. Man's natufral immunity if all that saved him from perishing ages ago in his natural warfare with germs. This natural immunity alont probably makes it impossible for any kind of germ -disease to destroy £ people. Finally, the Army feund bettei treatments for some unnamed infectious 'diseases of hoth humans anc animals. Following work done bj naval medical research unit No. 1 ai the University of California, unae' Captaiin Albeht Paul ErUeger, ti', Navy reported: "Considerable knowledge has been gained in mass de fence against enemy employment of a certain disease, which is highly fatal The disease is centuries old and or;: of the greatest killers." While thi: might possibly refer to hotulmu: poi'soriing, the lan^uage, ' one of _ - greatest killers," indicates other wije^ Botulinus poisoinng is highly tata. but never so widespread as to be ont of the greatest killers." The giea killers are influenza, -huhondc plag. s cholera and typhus.