National Academy

The unique member of the National Academy of Sciences addressed that sage body at its 66th annual meeting in Washington last week. She, Dr. Florence Rena Sabin, 57, medium-sized and dark, is the only woman member of the Academy. Her membership went to her about five years ago after 22 years' work at Johns Hopkins (where she was a professor) for her research on blood cells, blood vessels and the lymphatic system, (histology). Now she is a member of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, going deeply into the causes of tuberculosis. That is what she discoursed on to the Academicians last week.

Body cells affected by tuberculosis bacilli contain a certain fatty acid. The Sterling laboratory at Yale has been isolating that acid and the Rockefeller Institute has been experimenting with it. Dr. Sabin, with fingers strong but gentle, has been injecting the acid into laboratory animals. She has found that it induces reactions similar to tuberculosis and may be the substance which really causes tubercles to grow. If so, a specific treatment may be evolved.

Academic discussion which followed her exposition stressed the fact that the discovery of a chemical substance which can make tubercles grow may lead to the discovery of the substance which makes cancer cells grow.

Dr. Ales Hrdlicka, who a fortnight ago predicted intellectualized human hobgoblins of the future (TIME, April 29), and last week declined to dissect his dead friend (see below), eyed his Academy colleagues and told them that they were on the average more robust and healthy than the average U. S. citizen, that their heads as well as their minds were bigger.

Dr. George Owen Squier, electrical engineer and major general, predicted radio being received in most U. S. homes over telephone and light wires. He urged that high schools give lessons over such radio.