18

liver, and these studies have confirmed the beneficial results previously

reported.  Uth the restoration of peacetime conditions, this phase of

hepatic a&ease investigation will be more vigorously pursued.

     The work with progressive muscultir uystrophy tis been gradually

curtailea, &no the results of previous investigations more thoroughly

tnalyzeu.  irith respect to creatino nnd crebtinine, it hr;s been shown that

the rate of urinary excretion of the latter is tin index of the amount of

functioning muscle; hence it can be useci as CA measure of improvement or

regression in this disease.  A further study of intermediate metabolism of

these substances in these patients has shown that the increased excretion

of creatine in the urine is not due to increased synthesis of this substnnce

but to the result of incomplete metztolism in the diseased muscles.

     Dr. Gilder has shawn in a comparative stuqy of the excretion of

17-ketosteroids by patients smith progressive muscular aystropw and by

control children of comprrcble age that the former excrete greater amounts

than the latter under conditions of similar physical activities and similar

diets, anu also when the groups receive comparable amounts of testosterone

propionate.  The reascn for thase Differences is as yet undetermined.

REZPIHUTOHY DISELWS AND Ib!i$tJNOCHFMISTRY

     Dr. Avery bnd associates

     Continuillg their researches on the nature of the substance that

effects the transformation of one type of pneumococcus to another, a sub-

stance which is apparently a nucleic acid of the desoxyribose type, these

investigators h;ive prepared a relatively pure enzyme which specifically

destroys nucleic &id from calves1 thymus and like-Jrise destroys the trans-

forming substance.  Thus the nucleic acid nature of this transforming


                                                  19

agent is more del'inite2jr established.  During these investigations it was

fo~uxx~ tbclt tiiti ;~ctiv~tion of the cnzyms which destroys the transforming

titjcnt could be inhibited bjr sodium citrate; and in the light of this

kmtilLdp2 h much larger amount of the transforming agent can be prepared

l'rcm pnoumococcnl cells by cii ;solving them with bile salt: in the presence

of sodi?yii citrate.  Lurther stuciics of the factors responsible for the

uestruci.ion of the transforming agent have led to the eevelopment of

methoL:; t'or the more uefinite control of the reaction vihereby thi:, trtins-

formation is brouC;ht i;bout; anu th- various steps in this reaction are no%

~:el'inAtile in biochemicai i,erms.


                 La-. Horsfall xx2 associates


       ikG.llSi: must of t`he k;os>it~L beds have been occupied b;r Naval

p;,tit;nt; with iti'ectious hepatitis, only curing the first half of 19LL+

vlere patients sith respir;ltory diseases admittec; but sputa nnc throat

wshi.rigS, together xith Gera obtainec from patients previously investigated,


have been suitably stored for study.  1he clinical records and laboratory

data from 106 patient s with primary atypical pneumonia have given adequate

msteriai for analysis.  In addition, members of Dr. Horsfall's staff have

helyect to care for patients with infectious hepatitis and to make certain

examinations of the materials derived from those patients, particularly in

so far as concerns the infectious nature of that disease.  The analysis of

the titypical pneumonia patients has shown that this disease varies greatly

in its manifestations snci that only from a compilation of symptoms, physi-

cal signs, arKi laboratory data, particularly roentgenograms, could a

correct diagnosis be reasozabtiy assured.

     0i' greater significance were data gathered from both ptients and

normal persons, us well as from experimental animals, which indicate that