‘Miracle’ Drugs

arch For Antibiotics In NG Soils

EVERAL months ago Mr. E. J.

Hallstrom and his son, John, were instrumental in having nples of soil from New Guinea, w Ireland, New Britain and ,nus flown to the Lederle re rch laboratories in New Jersey, 3.A. for examination, larly in March we asked Mr. John llstrom if any results had been eived as yet. He pointed out. vever, that it might be another aonths before it would be known ether these samples contained a is for some of the so-called trade drugs’'" which have trans med medicine in the past 10 xs or so. )ne of the most recently dis ered of these earth moulds retes a substance which has been ned Chloromycetin by its dis erer. Dr. Paul R. Burkholder, of ie University. ’his substance was obtained from sent from Caracas, Venezuela, 1 it is proving to be a highly active drug for combating ty id, typhus, undulant fever, Rocky untain spotted fever, and dy tery.

'he fevers mentioned are carried a microbe known as rickettsia, ch lives in ticks and lice and is isferred by them to man. panese River fever.” endemic in v Guinea, is in this group of jases. It has proved highly fatal those who have contracted it, uding members of the Armed ces in New Guinea during the hlormycetin was discovered in 1 and first wide-scale test of the g was made in a typhus out ik in Bolivia in the same year, he results were amazing, an im yement being shown usually lin 10 minutes of the first in ion. A complete cure for ty is is often effected in three or r days; and. most important, toxic effects are noticeable from drug itself. Toxic effects are n serious in the case of some of other antibiotics, as this group earth-mould-derived drugs are ed. hloromycetin can now be pro ed synthetically; but research ontinuing to discover still more h moulds which will attack those is diseases which still resist all wn drugs. The soils of New nea may assist the good work. t a party at their residence in itoka, Fiji, in February, Mr. ■ Mrs. H. B. Riley announced engagement of their daughter rgaret to Mr. Bruce Nenke, of Lautoka branch of the Bank

Nsw.