DRUGS AND INSANITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20898, 13 June 1931, Page 7 (Supplement)

DRUGS AND INSANITY.

RESEARCH IN AMERICA. Chemistry of the body, that science which may some clay yield tho clue to life, has released another 0110 of its closely guarded secrets of tho functioning of man. Following research by two Cornell University doctors, says tho New York Herald Tribune, it has been established that insanity, till now thought to have been largely psycho-pathological, was based delinitely on chemical changes :n tho brain that have been studied and catalogued. Tho results of this research by Dr. Willder D. Bancroft and Dr. G. Holmes Kichter, of Cornell, were embodied in a paper presented beforo tho National Academy of Sciences in Washington recently and read by Dr. Bancroft, professor of physical chemistry at tho university. The Cornell chemist stated that his research in collaboration with Dr. Ilichter had shown that insanity can bo produced by administration of drugs which cause a thickening or thinning of tho colloidal material of the I rain. Ho presented the conclusion that " there are therefore two kinds of insanity, ouo in which tho colloids of tho brain are over poptised and tho other in which they aro over-coagu-lated, insanity occuring when the brain colloids arc far enough removed from tho normal stalo." Dr. Bancroft suggested that this knowledge provided a more certain means of diagnosing conditions of insanity for treatment than present methods offer. Most psychiatrists have had to rely on closo observation of the behaviour of the insane and mentally abnormal to determine the nature of their ailment. Coffee, for instance, according to ono of his suggestions, contains a drug, caffeine, which might prove effective in treating conditions caused by tho abnormal thinning, or " softening," of the brain colloids, because its effect is to thicken this material. Obviously it would make matters worse if administered in the treatment of a condition resulting, or " hardening," of tho colloids. " Tho coagulation form of insanity can bo helped," Dr. Bancroft said, "by treatment with dispersing agents, such as bromides or thio-cyaijates. Tho dispersion form of insanity can bo helped by treatment with coagulating agents, such as cocaine or amytal. Probably caffoine would be still better." Dr. Bancroft cited cases in which psychiatrists had administered cocaino to eleven patients afflicted with catatonic stupor, and another anesthetised with sodium amytal. A majority of those given cocaine became active for an hour or two, while the ono to whom sodium amytal was administered was aroused to a normal state on coming out of tho anesthetic for about four hours. DETECTING BURIED METALS. Scientists digging up remains of Roman civilisation in England have been aided by a radio device that detects buried metals. When it is carried over tho ground buried metal objects cause a disturbance registered on an electric meter. This instrument is said to detect tho presence of a single coin. POWER FROM DAYLIGHT. By supplying nothing more costly than daylight, Dr. ' Bruno Lange, a Berlin scientist, claims ho can operate a halfvolt electric motor. The energy was created by the action of light on a special metal-alloy plate. The motor gets its power from light reacting on a photoelectric cell which transmits the energy directly to tho motor, tho cell being actuated strongly by tho invisible red and ultra-red rays. Dr. Lange said he expected tho process of thus utilising the sun's energy will greatly affect the future of both television and talking pictures. RESPIRATOR FOR BABIES. Babies with breathing troubles at, a Chicago hospital receive treatment in a strange looking machine. It is an artificial respirator, for use when tiny lungs have difficulty doing their work. Feeding oxygen to infants through masks, or forcing their breath by mechanical means, often was injurious or irritating. Hie new method of mechanical respiration is said to bo as gentle and free from illeffects as natural breathing. Similar machines were introduced somo time ago in several American hospitals for adult patients. It is expected that the use of the respirator will materially decrease infant mortality and at the same time savo the lungs of the babies from injury.