ecor U. 5. DEPARTMENT OF December 9, 1969 NATI ONAL INSTI TUTES OF HEALTH H E ALTH. EDU C ATION. AND WELFARE Vol. XXI, No. 25 National Heart and Lung Dr. Benacerraf to Give Dr. Berliner Cites Need to Clarify Ties Institute' s New Name Annual Dyer Lecture Between Medical Research, Medical Care Dr. Baruj Benacerraf, chief of Medical research, good medical education, and good medical care are Reflects Its Expansion the Laboratory of Immunology, Na­ inseparable, and there is too little general appreciation of the extent of The redesignation of the Na­ tional Institute of Allergy and In­ their mutua-lly beneficial interdependence, Dr. Robert W. Berliner told tional Heart Institute as t he Na­ fectious Diseases, will present the the American Society of Nephrol­ t ional Heart and Lung Institute 18th Annual Dyer Lecture on Wed­ ogy. was officially announced yesterday nesday, Dec. 17, at 8:15 p.m., in t he As outgoing president of the so­ (Dec. 8) at a forum held at NIH. Jack Masur Auditorium, Clinical ciety, Dr. Berliner, who is NIH The change in name and expan­ Center. Deputy Director for Science, at a s ion of Institute functions was rec­ The subject of his lecture will be Dec. 1 meeting discussed " The Rel­ ommended by HEW Secretary Rob­ "Cell Sele<--tion and Cooperation in evance of Medical Science to Medi­ ert H . Finch and entered in the the Immune Response." cal Care." Federal Register on Nov. 18. Ile will analyze some basic phe­ The incoming president is Dr. Dr. Theodore Cooper, Director of nomena characteristic of the im­ Louis G. Welt, chail'man of the De­ the National Heart Institute since mune response in an effort to for­ partment of Medicine, University of :\!arch 1968, will continue as NHLI mulate a unified concept at the North Carolina School of Medicine. Director. cellular and molecular level. Looking back over the 3 years The NIH meeting, chaired by Dr. since the organization of the Amer­ Robert Q. Marston, NIH Director, Cell Process Described ican Society of Nephrology, Dr. brought together representatives of Dr. Benacenaf will discuss the Rei-liner noted, "'Ve have failed to the Department; the Office of t he conditions governing the selection make clear the many inseparable Director, NIH; various Federal of certain cells committed to the ties bebYeen medical research and health agencies, and medical insti­ development of specific immuno­ adequate medical care. t utions across the country with re­ g lobulin molecules. "We have permitted to go largely Dr. Berliner, one of the world's fore­ most renal physiologists, led the woy search and clinical programs in 'I'he practical consideration which unchallenged the nostalgic illusion to understanding the balance of ~o­ respiratory physiology a nd lung can be drawn regarding optimal that somehow things were better diseases. conditi011s for im-munization will in the good old days when the horse dium and potossium salts in blood. The meeting was a first step to­ also be covered. and buggy general practitioner understanding of man and his dis­ ward planning a coordinated pro­ Dr. Benacerraf, who bas been re­ seemed available to make a house orders to provide the means for gram in the area of hrng diseases. sponsible for training other out­ call at any time of day or night. prevention and treatment of dis­ Out of it will come recommenda­ standing immunologists, is a world Research Functions Noted ease-Dr. Berliner noted that re­ tions for research and training pri­ authority in the field of immuno­ search serves additional vital func­ orities in the respiratory disease logical research. He is the author "Admirable as he may have been tions in the education of physicians. and whatever comfort and reas­ area. or co-author of more than l!JO ar­ Dr. Berliner observed that 11oth­ surance he may have offered, the Also discussed was the relation­ t icles. ing fosters the development of the ship of the new Institute to related Dr. Benacerraf came to NIAID chances that he might be able to necessary critical ability to distin­ activities in the Department and to in 1968 from New York University alter significantly the course of h is guish assertion from evidence, dog­ patient's illness, at least in a fa­ NIH programs. (Sre llY~;Jl T,F.CTURF.. Paffr r.) ma from documented fact, as does vorable direction, were minimal." an adequate expe1·ience in trying After speaking of the primary to develop evidence itself- as in aim of medical research-increased research. "Such experience," he said,".. . i,s Bowery Named Director absolutely essential as a part of Of Research Resources the background of the teacher of medicine if he is to separate the D1·. Thomas G. Bowery l1as been relevant and probable from the named Director of the Division of mass of inevitably conflicting in- Research Resources by Dr. Kenneth rsec DR. BERLINER, Pago 6) M. Endicott, Director of the Bureau ~~~~~~~~~~~~! of Health Professions Education and Manpower Training. ~ NIH Record Takes a Holiday- ta Dr. Bowery has been the Divi­ 1-l Next Issue Set for January 7 ~ s ion's Acting Director for the past year. I As in previous years, this ~ Prior to joining bhe former Di­ f'.( issue of the NIH Record com- ta vision of Research Facilities a nd Wbines the pre-Ch1istmas and "ll Dr. John F. Sherman, NIH Deputy Director (second from left}, discusses re­ Resources as assistant chief in No­ New Year's issues. The Record~ ports from all NIH components on EEO progress during first plenary session vember 1965, he was Extramural will be off the press next on ,11 of Equa l Employment Opportunity Confe rence held here Nov. 26. Waiting to Operations and Procedure officer in IJan.7. ! present their views a re (from left}: Richard L. Segge l, Associate Director for the Office of the Director, NIH. V! To each of our readers, a i'1 Administration;; John M. Sangste r, Director, Office of Personnel Manageme nt, Dr. Bowery joined NIH iri 1962, ~ Merry Christmas and a Happy ~ a nd Jomes R. Gregg, Office of Financial Management. (See story, other pic­ in the first group of NIH grants I New Year. lA tures on Page 8 .) associates. t:.tl:~~~~~~~~~~ Page 2 December 9, 1969 THE NIH RECORD Holiday Festivities Planned for Patients Include Bingo, Parties, Visit From Santa Among the appropriate Christmas traditions at NIH are activities for ·~Record Clinical Center patients planned by the CC Patient Activities Section. The program gets into full swing on Dec. 12-patients will play Published biweekly at Bethesda, Md., by the Publications and Reports Christmas Shoppers' Dingo. Branch, Office of Information, for the information of employees of the The CC Christmas tree will arrive on Dec. lfi. Patients aJ"e invited National Institutes of Health, Department of Health, Education, and to help decorate the tree in the CC Welfare, and circulated by request to interested writers and to investi­ lobby, Dec. 17. gators in the field of biomedical and related research. The content i,; The first musical program is reprintable without permission. Pictures are available on request. scheduled for Dec. 16 by the U. S. Naval Academy Chonis. The NIH Record reserves the right to make corrections, changes or dele­ tions in submitted copy in conformity with the policies of the paper nnd Many Activities Scheduled the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. A U. S. Army dance combo will provide "Jive music" for dancing NIH Record Office ...... Bldg. 31 , Rm. 2B-03. Phone: 49-62125 or listening at the annual Holly Hop held on Dec. 18. Santa Claus Editor ...... Frances W. Davis arrives on the 19th at the Patient Assistant Editor ...... Fay Leviero Ch1istmas Open H ouse. Staff Corresponde nts An unusual exhibit of dolls from Bari Attis, NINOS; Robert Avery, NCI ; Lloyd Blevins, NICHD; many countries will be on display, Thomas Bowers, CC; Katie Broberg, NIAMD; Art Burnet, HMES; throughout the holidays, in the Helene Doying, ORR; Florence Foelak, BEMT/0D; Sue Hannon, children's play area. The dolls are NIDR; Marjorie Hoagland, NIMH; Elizabeth Y. James, NIEHS; from a collection belonging to Dora Paul Kelly, NLM; Robe1·t Knickerbocker, DRS; Laura Mae Kress, Marie Paoli, Division of Health DAHM; Betty Kuster, DCRT; Evelyn Lazzari, DN; Jan Logan, FIC; Manpower, BEMT. Carolyn Niblett, DOH; Marion Oakleaf, DRG; Faye Peterson, DBS; The exhibit was designed by Richard Schroder, ADA; Anne Tisiker, NHI; Pat Vienna, NIAID; Charlotte l3loom and Margaret Wanda Vfarddell, NIGMS; Beverly Warran, DERF; Eleanor Weso­ TenEyck, BEMT Visual Informa­ A big present was given to a little lowski, DPM. tion specialists. Mrs. TenEyck's tyke at last year's Christmas Party for father, Royall T. Webster, built Clinical Center patients. The CC Pa­ Enjoy the Season BUT the exhibit in his hobby shop at tient Activities Section will ago in pro­ NIH Television, Radio home. vide a n outstanding prograr, for those Program Schedule Park in Legal Areas The Clifton Park Citizens Asso­ patients who cannot leave the hospita l ciation wi ll again host the Chil­ during the holiday season. To Ease Snow Removal T elevision dren's Christmas Party on Dec. 20. Year's party on Dec. 31. Adult pa­ Although it soon will be the Santa will distribute presents to NIH REPORTS t ients will enjoy a New Year's par­ "Season to be Jolly," the accom­ young patients. ty Jan. 1. WRC, Channel 4 panying snows bring little joy to A Protestant carol service in the A full schedule of religious serv­ New series begins commut!'rS, including NIH drivers. CC chapel will be sung on the eve­ ices will be ofTere

Donations to Blood Bank and oral submucous fibrosis (any Dental Seminar on Smoking and Chewing part of the mouth grows fibrous, Fail to Meet CC Needs blanched ,and stiff in time--usually Despite New Program Habits in India Reveals Oral Cancer Data associated with eating chlli pep­ pers). Some donors to the Clinical Cen­ Also, pipe smoker's white patches ter Blood Bank may be unaware where the pipe &tern habitually that they are eligible for reimburse­ rests in the corner of the mouth ment under a new program started or between the lips; and finally, in June 1969, according to Dr. Paul papillary atrophy of the tongue J. Schmidt, Blood Bank chief. (barn red patches left by strenu­ Despite the cash incentive, em­ ous scraping w.ith metal strips ployee donations often are still in­ from a custom of mouth cleaning). adequate to meet the c1;tical needs Disease Highest in 2 States of CC patients, Dr. Schmidt re­ vealed. Kerala had twelve cases attlib­ uted to the associated tendency of He noted that employees are n ot submucous fibrosis to convert to aware of the program and that cancer, while Gujarat had three there is still some 1·eluctance to do­ cases. None were found in the oth­ nate initially to qualify for paid er districts. donations. Leukoplakia varied in prevalence Must Donate 2 Pints from 0.2 percent to 4.9 percent, and With Christmas bills coming due was lowest in Singhbhum where in January, Dr. Schmidt reminds there is least smoking, and highest employees that t he Blood Bank in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh might be a good source of extra where there is most. revenue. Submucous fibrosis, less frequent U n d e r the reimbursable pro­ am011g these villages than it is in gram, any NIH employee who vol­ A doctor take s o punch biopsy of o suspicious oral leukoplokic lesion from a urban areas, is much rarer in unta:rily donates at least 2 pints of patient in Gujarat, Indio, where villagers smoke strong native cigarettes (bidi) noi-thern than southern India. blood in a 12-month period at the or cloy pipes (hookli). Dr. Mehta had expected that lo­ CC Blood Bank qualifies for the calized atrophy of the tongue from Blood Bank's "pay priority list." On the eastern seacoast of India, in Andhra Pradesh- -dgars are daily scraping might account for smoked in reverse--the lighted end is in the mouth to prevent high some of the to11gue cancers in Gu­ For each pint donated thereafter winds from blowing them out. jarat, but the bai-e spots occmred -but not exceeding 3 pints within And in this tlistrict. 10 cases of cancer coupled with local differ­ in only 0.1 percent of those vil­ the 12-month period-the Blood oral cancer were discovered-nine ences in the use of tobacco, five dis­ lagers. Bank is authorized to pay that em­ of them among reverse smokers. tricts from four states were sur­ It was higher in Kerala where ployee $26. A seminar on smoking and chew­ veyed, including Andina Pradesh. tongue cancer is uncommon and The 12-month period begins on ing habits that may lead to oral In the state of Gujarat t he prev­ lowest of all in Bihar. the date the first voluntary unit cancer, the most common type of alent custom is to smoke tobacco Leukoplakia was most common was donated. Thus, dono1·s may re­ malignancy in India, was recently either in clay pipes (hookli) or as (8.7 percent) among reverse smok­ ceive up to $75 each year. held at the National Institute of strong native cigarettes (bidi). ers, high among pipe smokers, P,rogram approval was granted Dental Research. Tn Kerala, a CJUid of areca nut, somewhat less common among bidi betel leaves, lime and tobacco is subject to assessment of its effec­ Over 59,000 Villagers Studied smokers and people who both smoke tiveness \vithin one year. Thus far, stored in the cheek. and chew. although blood donations have gen­ It was conducted by Dr. Fa.Ii S. Two areas were canvassed in the erally increased, not enough of the Mehta, head of the Basic Dental state of Rihar: Silighbhum, where Less Common in Chewers increase can be attributed to the Research Unit of the Tata Insti­ tobacco quids are 1·ested on the It is far less common among cash payment plan, Dr. Schmidt tute of Fundamental Research in tongue, and Dal·bhanga, where to­ chewers and practically unknown said. Bombay. bacco and lime quids a-re stored among non-users of tobacco. It Howeve1·, no changes in the pro­ With D1·. Jens J. Pjndborg, chief behind the lowe1· lip. Some villagers rarely occurs on the floor of the gram are contemplated at present. of Oral Pathology at the Royal smoke as well as chew. mouth and generally appears wher­ To get started in the program, Dental College, Copenhagen, Dr. The chief oral conditions fotrnd ever tobacco smoke is habituall y or to determine their eligibility, Mehta is conducting an epidemio­ were: homogeneous and speckled di1·ected. employees s hould call the Blood logical study of over 59,000 vil­ leukoplakia (a white patch of at Tongue cancer was highest in Bank, Ext. 64508. lagers. The study is sponsored by least 6 mm diameter); pre-Jeuko­ the Singhbhum d istrict of Bihar NlDR. Dr. James E. Hamner Ill plakia (grayish patches with in­ where villagers usually place to­ is serving as project officer. distinct borders); leukoken,tosis bacco quids on the tongue. · Deadline on Abstrac:ts The subjects were drawn at 1·an­ nicotina palati (white nubbly 'l'he follow-up investigation of dom from towns of 500 to 3,000 patches on the hard palate usually these rural villagers should show For FASEB Meeting Is population. All members of each associated with 1·evc1·se smoking), how apparently harmless spots Thursday, Dec:ember 18 selected family over age 15 have change into malignancies, and pro­ been examined, and those with I J vide clues to causes. The deadline for abstracts for the mouth lesions had them photo­ I' l Dr. Mehta, an international au­ 54th annual meeting of the Federa­ graphed, biopsied, and classified. thoi-ity in this field, has been a re­ tion of American Societies for Ex­ These cases will be fol lowed for - search fellow at Tufts University, perimental Biology is Thursday. 10 years to learn which will even­ and worked closely with the World Dec. 18. tually become malignant, and what Health Organization on precance1·­ Abstracts received after this date the percentage of conversion to ous oral conditions. will not be accepted. cancer will be. The Federacion sessions ,and ex­ Since life expectancy after in­ hibits m·e scheduled April 13-17, fancy in India is 46 years, the in­ Dr. Cummings Receives Award 19'70 - with registration opening crease in cancer which comes with Dr. Martin M. Cummings, Direc­ April 12-in Atlantic Ci ty, N. J. increasing age will be minimized. tor, National L ibrary of Medicine, The advance registration dead­ Because of known incidences of was one of four Duke School of line is March 13. The program and Medicine -alumni who received the official badge ,vill be mailed to ad­ ervation forms, write to: Office of first Distinguished Alumni Awa.rd vance regi9trants prior to the mee~ Scientific Meetings, Federation of A Gujarati shepherd e njoys smoking o presented by the Duke University ing. American Societies for Experimen­ "hookli," o short ste mmed cloy pipe . Medical Center. Dr. Cummings• is For information nnd abstracts, tal Biology, 9660 Rockville Pike, Gujarat and Andhro Pradesh hove the a 1944 graduate of the Duke School advance registration and hotel res- Bethesda, Md. 20014. highest prevalence of leukoplokio. of Medicine. Page 4 December 9, 1969 THE NIH RECORD Dr. Goodman Heads New The 'Journal of Medical Dr. Shear, Researcher m Two NIH Films Selected Education' Devotes Issue For International Exhibit Alliance for Engineering To Role of University Cancer Studies, Retires 'l'wo NIH films we11C selected by the United S t ates Information The Journal of Medical Educa­ Agency and shown as HEW entries In Medicine and Biology tion devoted its entire Sep-tembe:r at a recent film festival in Padua, Dr. Lester Goodman, Division of 1969 issue to the Council of Aca­ Italy. Research Services, was elected demic Societies' conference pro­ ceedings on "The Role of the Uni­ The films were "Gift of Life," president of the new Alliance for produced by the National Institute Engineer ing i n Medicine and Bi­ versity in Graduate Medical Edu­ ology at its first administrative cation." of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, and "Spinal Cord Angiography," meeting held re­ The Division of Physician Man­ cently in New York power, Bureau of Health Profes­ produced by the National Institute City. sions Education and Manpower of Neurological Diseases and Stroke. Dr. Goodman is Tra,ining, and the National FUl'ld chief of the Bio­ for Medical Education were the Shown in November medical Engineer­ principal supporters of the confer­ They were shown in November ing and Instrumen­ ence covered in this "special issue." at the 14th International Exhibi­ tation Branch. Topics discussed included: the tion of Scientific and Educational Members of the role of the basic science depart­ F ilms. ments and of the specialty boards, Alliance now in­ "Gift of Life" tells the story of clude nine natjonal fragmented jurisdiction over basic certification requiirements, the "Jeff Winston" who is stricken with societies for physi- Dr. Goodman On his retirement Dr, Shear will act cal sciences and engineering and value of internships and residen­ kidney disease, and subsequently, as c;onsultant in cancer research, ond the permanent loss of kidney func­ eight national organizations for cies, and methods of financing. The Council of Academic Socie­ will also serve as associote director for tion. He is treated with an arti­ medicine and life sciences. Mem­ a communications program at the ficial kidney and is able to lead a bership is ell.l)ected to grow rap­ ties was established by the Asso­ : mithsonion Institution. no1·mal, active and useful life. idly in the near future. ciation of American Medical Col­ Present AEMB associations are: leges in 1967. Di-. Murray J. Shear, a biochem­ At the film's conclusion, Dr. Ben­ Aerospace Medical Association, ist who was working on eancer jamin T . Burton, NIAMD associate American Academy of Orthopedic tion fo r the Advancement of Medi­ studies in the PHS for half a dozen director for Program and chief of the Artificial Kidney P,rogrnm, dis­ Surgeons, American Association of cal Instrumentation, Institute of years before the National Cancer Physicists in Medicine, American Elcctlical and Electronics Engi­ Institute was created, recently re­ cussed the I nstitute's research on College of Physicians, Ame1;can neers, Inc., Instrument Society of tired from NCI. artificial kidneys. College of Surgeons, and American America, and Neuroelectric Soci­ He was special advisor to the The NINDS entry, "Spinal Cord Institute for Ultrasonics in Medi­ ety. NCI Dfrector and had completed 38 Ang iography,'' describes the clin­ cine. The goal of the alliance is to im­ yeal'S of F ederal service. ical and experimental angiographic prove health care through ad­ studies of the spinal cord. It was Other Affiliotes Listed vanced technology in life science Conducted Early Studies written and narrated by Dr. Gio­ Also, American I nstitute of Bio­ research and clinical practice. Prior to the establishment of vanni DiChi:ro, chief of the Neuro­ logical Sciences, American Insti­ The AEMB has assumed 1·espon­ NC I, two independent PHS groups radiology Section. tute of Chemical Engineers, Amer­ sibilities of the former J oint Com­ were conducting cancer studies. ican Society for Engineering Edu­ mittee on Engineering in Medicine One was in the Hygienic Labora­ cation, American Society of H eat­ and Biology, including sponsorship tory, predecessor of NIH, in Wash­ System of Rotating Lab ing, Refrigerating, and Air-Con­ of the annual conference on En­ ingto11, and the other was the of­ ditioning Engineers, Inc., and gineering in Medicine and Biology. fice of Cancer Investigation at Har­ Chief Used at NIAMD American Society for Testing and Dr. Gerald G. Vurek, National vard University. A system of rotating the posi­ Materials. Heart Institute, is chairman of the Dr. Shear spent 7 years-from tion of laboratory chief is under­ Also, American Society of In­ 23rd annual conference scheduled 1931 to 1938-with the Harvard way in the Laboratory of Molecu­ ternal Medicine, American Society Nov. 15-H>, Hl70, in Washington, gi·oup. From there he went to lar Biology, National Institute of of Mechanical Enginee1-s, Associa- D. C. NCI as a senior biochemist, and Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases. later, was named principal bio­ As far as can be determined it chemist. is the first time a rotation system In 1951 he was appointed chief has been used at NTH. of the Laboratory of Chemical Dr. Gary Felsenfeld, chief of the Pharmacology, In 1963 he was Laboratory's Section on Physical named special adviser in the office Chemistry, has been named by Dr. of the director of Intwmrnral Re­ G. Donald Whedon, NIAMD Direc­ search, and then held the same post tor, to serve as acting chief for in the office of the Director, NCI. the first year. Was Pioneer in Treatme nt Others named to serve in that Dr. Shear p ioneered in the devel­ position for a one-year period are opment of chemot'herapy for treat­ Drs. Harvey Itano, David R . Davies, Todd Miles, Martin Gellert, ment of cancer, and in establishing ft and Robert Martin. col'relations between c hem i ca I str uct ure of carcinogens and their I ability to cause cancer. investigators from all over t he I He also did extensive work with world. He was also chairman of "Shears polysaccharide" and other the Union's first Cancer Chemo­ \ > ill- macromolecules. t herapy Committee. • I• He is the author or coauthor of Dr. Shear received his B.S. de­ \ about 130 scientific papers. D1·. gree from the City College of New II Shear is a past president of the York, and his M.A. and Ph.D. de­ 'I American Association for Cancer g rees from Columbia University. t Resea rch, and also served as secre­ At a recent farewell party at­ Progress in nursing care af Clinical Center patients with syste mic lupus e ry­ tary general of the Inter national tended by about 200 of his friends, the motosus-<1 disease of connective tissue-was discussed at a recent Nurs­ Union Against Cancer. Dr. Shear was presented with two ing Clinical Conference. Members af the Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases He traveled widely for that or­ books of letters and teleg,rams from Nursing Se rvice who participated were (I ta rl: Margaret Wilt, Florence Sato, ganization and cooperated and ex­ scientists around the world, all Josephine O'Connor, and Hele~ Murphy. changed ideas with leading cancer wishing him well in the f uture. 'l'HE NIH RECORD December 9, 1969 Page 5 DYER LECTURE Three in Dental Institute (Cont-inned from Pago 1) School of Medicine where he had Promoted to New Posts SCl'ved as professor of Pathology Several high level staff promo­ for 12 years. tions and organ izatfonal changes Ea1·lier, he held a 6-year fellow­ at the Nati,onal Institute of Denita! ship at Centre National Recherche Research have been announced re­ Scientifique Hospital Brossais, in cently by Dr. Seymoul· J . Kresh­ Paris, France, and a 2-year fellow­ over, NIDR Direc­ ship in the Department of Micro­ tor. biology at Columbia University's Dr. Clair L. School of Medicine. Gardner former Awarded Gold Medal associat~ diPector for Special Pro­ In 1962, Dr. Benacerraf was grams, has bee11 awarded a gold medal by the Inter­ appointed to the national Society for Resear ch on newly created po­ Reticuloendothelial System. sition of deputy He is an advisor to t he World Construction on the expanded research facilit ies of the Notional Institute of director of the In- Health Organization on immu­ stitute. In addition, D:. Gardner nology, an associate editor of nu­ Environmental Health Scie nces in Research Triangle Pork, N. C., is expected to be completed by Moy 1971. The three buildings will house general labora­ he will continue to direct the de­ merous professional journals, and velopment of the dental research tories, specially designed oerotoxicology laboratories and animal quarters. Dr. a frequent guest lecturer and p,-1,r­ centers in u niversities and other ticipant in seminars. Poul Kotin, NIEHS Director, said the buildings will odd 60,000 square feet of laboratory space. institutions. The Dyer Lecture was established Dr. Ma1·ie Nylen was appointed in September 1950 to honor Dr. chief of the Biological Structure RoJla Eugene Dyer, a former NIH Study Reveals One-Third of Infants With Laboratory, formerly the Labor-.i.­ Director. tory of Histology and Pathology. Its new name more adequately Each year the Dyer Lecturer is Heart Defect Heal in Infancy, Childhood reflects cu ne:1t programs and em­ selected by the NIH Director-with By Anne Tisiker p hasizes research which includes t he advice of his senior scientific biophysical studies of developing staff- from among scientists who Nearly one-third of the infants born with ventricular septa! defects­ abnormal openings in the muscular wall that normally divides the heart and mature calcified tissues; elec­ have made important contributions h'on microscopic studies of struc­ in either medical or biological re­ into two pumping chambers-heal spontaneously during infancy or early childhood. ture and function involving micro­ search, particularly in the field of organisms and cellular products, This is just one of several find­ ticnts alt'.1ough this heo.ling was infectious diseases. and fine structural studies of the Previous Dyer Lecturers have ing-s made by scientists from a gener·ally found to occur between large-scale study of inborn heart main sensory nucleus of the trig­ the ages of 6 months and 3 years. eminal nerve. disease, and reported at the Amer­ The data suggest that 30 per­ Dr. Samuel Kakehashi was ican Heart Association meetings in cent of such lesions close spontane­ Dallas, Tex. ously during infancy or early child­ named chief of the Dental Serv­ ices Bi·anch. This study, by Drs. Sheila Mitch­ hood. ell, National Heart Institute, Shel­ Autopsy was performed in 11ear­ don B. Korones, University of Ten­ ly all the children who died, and nessee, and Heinz W. Berendes, defects in every pa1t of the body National Institute of Neurological were 1·ecorded for clues to the Diseases and Stroke, is based on cause, development, and relation­ data from the N I NDS Perinatal ships between heart defects and Study. other defects. The scientists' study yielded in­ formation on the incidence of in­ Other Defects Found bom heart disease by specific de­ Although no groups of defects fect, the association of heart de­ were generally found to occur to­ fects with defects in other parts gether, investigators did find that Dr. Kokehoshi Dr. Nyle n of the body, and the identification 10 of 18 patients with preductal of some groups particularly prone nanowing of the ao1ta had mal­ The branch p1·ovides for CC pa­ to these inborn heart defects. formations in other parts of the tients' dental care and support for body. intramural clinica.\ programs. Dr. Benace rraf, a world authority on About 30,000 to 50,000 of the three million babies born in the Only two of the 15 patients with immunological research, and on ad• perforations of the mitral and aor­ vise r to WHO, will talk on "Cell Se­ U.S. each year are born with some Dr. Byrne on Veterinary Council type of heart defect. In a study of tic valves had defects in other lection and Cooperation in the Immune parts of the body. Jk Robert J. BYtnc, National Response ." more than 54,000 bi1·ths, 457 pa­ tients were found to have inborn Even more striking was the find­ Institute of Allergy and I nfectious been Dr. George W. Beadle, Sir F. heart disease--that is, a structural in;r that six of the 10 patients w ith Diseases, has been elected to a 5- MacFarlane Burnet, Dr. Rene J . abnormality of the heart or the preductal nan.owing of the aorta year term on the American Vete1·­ Dubos, Dr. John Franklin Enders, large vessels whkh branch from who had defects in other parts of inary Medical Association's Coun­ Dr. Louis Pillcmer, Dr. Karl F . the heart. the body had kidney lesions, while cil on Biolog ical and Therapeutic Meyer, Dr. Richard Shope, and in the entire group of 457 heart Agents. E. De fective Se ptum Common Dr. Walsh McDermott. patients only 17 had associated kid­ Dr. Byrne, who is assistant sci­ The most common defects found ney lesions. entific directo1· for Collaborative Also, Dr. Albert H. Coons, Dr. among the patients with inborn The medical significance of this, Research, a lso heads NIAID's Re­ George MacDonald, Dr. Rollin D. heart lesions we1·e defects of the according to the investigators, is search Refet·ence Reagents Branch. Hotchkiss, Dr. Salvador E. Lul'ia, wall (septum) between the heart's not yet cl ear. Dr. Har ry Rubin, Dr. Alexander D. two main pumping chambers. The study also showed a greater Of the 34 children with clu-omo­ Langmuir, Dr. Karl Habel, Dr. Rob­ Tl1ese ventricular septa) defects than expected number of septa! de­ some abnormalit ies and inborn ert A. Good, and Dr. Sol Spiegel­ wet·e found in 106 of the 274 chil­ fects among children with break­ heart disease, 24 had septa! defects man. dren who survived beyond their age and rearrangement of chromo­ and 10 of t he 20 diabetic children Thrw of the Dyer Lecturers­ first birthday. somes, and a preponderance of dia­ had great vessel abnormalities. Sir F. MacFarlane Burnet, Dr. End­ The defect, according to Dr. betic children with defcc-ts in the This finding, too, was statisti­ ers, and Dr. Lw·ia-aTe Nobel Prize Mitchell, was found to have closed aorta and pulmonary artery (the cally significant but the rationale Laureates. spontaneously in 38 of the l 06 pa- great vessels). has yet to be discovered. Page 6 December 9, 1969 THE NIH RECORD Tufts Scientists Study DR. BERLINER (Conti-n1ted from. Page 1 ) Adverse Drug Reactions formation and to transmit to hjs students t he open-minded skepti­ Under NIGMS Contract ~ cism that will determine the ade­ Scientists at Tufts University, quacy of their future growth." supported by the National Institute Dr. Berliner warned against of General Medical Sciences, have what he called "the tendency in developed a computerized drug sur­ medical education to abandon r igor veillance program which rapidly and firm basic physiologic under­ spots-within a few cases-serious standing in favor of the once-ove r­ reactions occurring from drugs lightly in science and a heavy lay­ used by more than 4,000 patients er of community dynamics. in five Boston hospitals. Trends Porte nd Loss Syste m Reveals Patterns "Not only do these t rends por­ 'l'he syst~m has revealed signifi­ tend the loss of a generation of cant patterns in the way difTerer,t students as possible contriibutors individuals handle drugs, and ulso to the science from which medicine included new evidence linking sex, advances, but they threaten to blood type, and genetic factors with drive from the schools those most widely varying individual drug Tufts Unive rsity scientists discuss the ultimate benefits of the drug surveil­ likely to influence favorably the responses. lance program which may result in a computer controlled nationo l syste m next generation. that would ale rt physicians to patients prone ta unusual drug reactions. The The medical community's enthus­ "At the same time," he added, iasm over the Tufts' studies was researchers ore (I to r) Ors. Samue l Shapiro, Hershe l Jick, Dennis Slane, a nd George P. Le wis. "progressive constriction oft.he op­ reflected by a recent editorial in portunjties to contribute to the sci­ the Journal of the Ame1-ican Medi­ may cause such bleeding when ad­ ence of medicine tends to force cal 1l ssociation. The editorial rec­ ministered intravenously. Dr. Held Named Chief from the scene those most recently ommended t hat the Boston system Using a similar method, they trained and to d iscourage many serve as t he model for a nationwide showed that women with Type A Of Lab Aids Branch others from undertaking careers in program of computerized drug sur­ blood who take birth control pills Dr ..Joe R. Held was recently ap­ academic medicine. veillance. appear to run much grc.ater risk of pointed chief of the Laboratory The scientists-headed by Drs. "Above all," he noted, "we have developing blood clots than women Aids Branch, Division of Research a11 enormous job of education Hershel Jick and Dennis Slone­ to with Type O blood. Services. The appointment was a.n­ do." believe this system would help pre­ They also reported that hypnotic nounccd by Dr. William B. DeWitt, vent episodes such as those occur- Touching on the need for much drugs such as pentobarbital and Director of DRS. more understanding of the rela­ secobarbital produce more side ef­ During the past 2 years D1·. Held tions between medical care, educa­ fects in lighter-weight female pa­ has been on assignment from the tion and research, Dr. Berliner tients than in women who weigh National Communicable Disease more. stressed, "The education of which Center to the Pan American Zoo­ I speak is not with the content of The data also showed that older noses Center in Buenos Aires, Ar­ medicine but with the relevance of women taking the anticoagulant gentina. medical science to medical care. drug heparin are more likely to Dr. Held will administer a pro­ bleed internally than men or young­ g-ram of Tesearch services that will Changes Are Enormous er women taking that drug. include production of genetically "It seems inescapable that those Because all data are analyzed by characterized rodents and rabbits; who feel that science is not rele­ computer, retrospective searches vant to present day medical prob­ can be done rapidly. lems cannot really be aware of the The ultimate benefit from the enormous changes that have oc­ Tufts program could be a compu­ curred in the last 30-40 years and ter-controlled national system that how different it was in the not so would alert physicians to patients distant bad old days. A team of senior nurse surveilla nce who ure prone to severe or even "And it behooves us to make that fatal reactions from certain drugs. monitors checks incoming data. This clear to them- and to the general fn addition to Drs. Jick and Slone, procedure a lso includes coding of di­ public as well. Too much is taken agnoses. The system enables scien• other scientists on the project are for granted! tists to compile comprehens ive drug Ors. George P. Lewis a nd SumuPI ''profiles'' on pat ients' reactions. Shapiro, and Olli S. Miettinen ,,f "We should have tl1e equivalent the Harvard School of Public of a brief commercial before each ring with thalidomide and chlo­ Health. the1·apeutic measure, of each dose ramphenicol in the early sixties. of vaccine, each effective drug. Then, many lives were lost and Infectious Diseases Section Wins "The 'commercial' should 1·ead: many babies were permanently de­ An Aw ard for Measles Exhibit 'This is made possible by the re­ formed before specific adverse ef­ search of Whozis and so and so; fects were identified and associated The Section on Infectious Dis­ we trust you will find it effective with the offending drugs. eases, National Institute of Neuro­ and remember what research has Observation of patients by spe­ logical Diseases and Stroke, re­ done for you when you have occa­ cially-trained nurse monitors and cently received a gold awa1·d for During the past 2 years Dr. He ld has sion to influence the cxpenditu1·e of computer printouts of accumulated its exhibit showing measles as the been with the Pan American Zoonoses your tax money.'" drug data have enabled the Tufts cause of the fatal childhood dis­ Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. investigators to compile compre­ ease Subacute Sclernsing Panen­ hensive drug "profiles" which ex­ cephalitis (SSPE). quarantine and conditioning of gentina he was a comparative par­ plain how and why patients react The award, presented by t he dogs, cats, ancl primates, and ad­ asitologist with the Nrutional Insti­ differently to the same drug or American Academy of Pediatrics, ministration of ,the Animal Center tute of A 11ergy and Infectious Ois­ drugs taken in various e-0mbina­ was given to the section for "Orig­ at Poolesville, Md. e a s e s, Laboratory of Parasite tions. inality in Concept and Presenta­ Dr. Held joined t he PHS Com­ Ohemotherapy, Chamblee, Ga. By using t his method to find the tion." It was sha1·ed by NINDS co­ missioned Corps in 1965. He first Dr. Held received his B.S. and causes of gastrointestinal bleeding investigators at the University of served as Epidemic Intelligence D.V.M. degrees from the University due to drugs, the Tufts phru·macol­ Tennessee. Service officer with t he Communic­ of California at Davis, and his ogists showed that ethacrynic acid Dr. John L. Sever heads the sec­ able Disease Center, Atlanta, Ga. M.P.H. degree from Tulane Uni­ -a potent, widely-used diuretic- tion. Prior to his assignment in Ar- versity. THE NIH RECORD December 9, 1969 Page 7 Diabetic Studies Among Stroke Patients Improve After Therapy Medical College Names Pima Indians in Arizona Reviewed by Dr. Bennett With low Molecular Weight Dextran Dr. Stone as President Continuous intravenous injections of low molecular weight dextran Dr. Frederick L. Stone, Director Diabetes studies among the Pima improved survival and lessened neur.ologic impairment in a group of of the National Institut e of Gen­ Indians of Arizona were reviewed stroke patients. lnvestigators at the Wayne State University Center by Dr. Peter H. Bennett ait a reeent for Cerebrovascular Research report that these patients improved more eral Medical Sciences, has been ap­ National Institute of Arthritis and than a compai·able group of acute pointed president of New York Me tabolic Diseases Clinical -Confer­ stroke patients who were not treat­ I n the Wayne State study the Medical College-Flower and F ifth ence. Dr. Bennett is associate chief ed with dextran. investigators sought to use dex­ Avenue Hospitals. His appointment of NIAMD's Clinical Field Studies The research center is support­ tran 40 in a controlled clinical was announced by J ackson E. Unit in Phoenix, Ar iz. ed by a grant from the National t rial to determine whether its use Spears, chairman of the Board of One of the newest studies sug­ Institute of Neurological Diseases could improve the condition of Trustees. gested that glucose levels (deter­ and Stroke. stroke patients. Dr. Stone, who came to NIH in mined by the glucose tolerance test In treating stroke it is impor- l 00 Potients Selected 1948, has been NIGMS Directo,· given in diagnosing diabetes) can tant to improve blood circulation since 1964. He has promoted na­ One hundred patients with acute be used to identify two subpopula­ in the affected area of the brain tional research programs in basic tions. and to prevent clotting. One pos­ stroke caused by a blockage of sciences and clinical scie.nes, and brain vessels by a floating blood Dr. Bennett explained that the sible method of improv:ing blood also organized programs w'hich sup­ Indian population over 25 years of flow is to 1·educe its viscosity. clot (thr.omboembolism) were se­ lected. Each patient had suffered ported the training of young medi­ age can be divided into those with There has been considerable evi­ cal scientists. dence that the intravenous use of moderate to severe neurologic im­ high and those with normal glucose ln l!J62 Dr. Stone organized a levels in each decade. low molecular weight dextran pairment and had not improved (dextran 40) reduces the blood's after one to 3 days following onset new division to administer grants Glucose Leve ls Significant tendency to clot and its viscosity C)f the stroke. He emphasized that these find­ within the small vessels of the These patients were classified ings indicated glucose levels alone brain. as victims of a progressive rather can provide a basis for identifying (Dextran 40 is a polysaccharide tha11 a completed stroke. Persons and further studying subjects ·with fot·m

a repott from blacks who had at­ Equal Employment Opportunity Conferees tended the Airlie House conference and who were also present at this Meet Here; Review Progress, Problems one. "It is our consensus that there has been very little prngress in ameliorating the conditions under which black employees work, are hired, are trained or promoted in the lust 4 months," he said. "With a few exceptions, the re­ sponses have tended to consist of continued effort to improve the NIH image among black employees -a kind of cosmetic approach­ rather than the institution of any meaningful changes in the system which has heretofore promoted and encouraged discriminatjon. Manageme nt Criticized "In general, management 1·e­ Dr. Robert Q. Marston, NIH Director, opens the EEO Conference, one purpose sponse has consisted of the estab­ Dr. George J. Galasso heads the Anti­ af which was to review progress made in equal e mployment opportunity at N IH lishment of more powerless com­ viral Substances Program in the Vac­ since the Airlie House conference last July. mjttees to study 'the problem' and cine Development Branch, NIAID. He to p rovide additional recommenda­ is a former NIH g rants associate, Directors and other NIH officials, together with blacks from t.he NIH tions," Mi·. Gregg continued. and has taught ot the University of employee community, held an all-day Equal Employment Oppo,·tunity "In addition, a few token ap­ North Carolina and University of Vir­ Conference on Nov. 26. This conference, held here on the NIH 1·e:sci·va­ pointments and promotions have ginio. He will coordinate NIAID's con­ tion, was a follow-up to one at Air­ been made (or offered) which we troct program on antiviral substances. lie House in Virginia last July. ed on progress in meeting the NIH suspect were aimed more ut silenc­ Dr. Robe1t Q. Marston, NIH Di­ Affirmative Action Plan. He indi­ ing articulate spokesmen than at Gibson, NIH EEO Officer, talked rector, preside