Jewry's Role in
Human Health
ON THE FRONTIERS OF MEDICAL RESEARCH
The late, great humorist, Sam Levinson, once addressed these remarks to
anti-semites: "It's a free world; you don't have to like Jews, but if you don't,
I suggest you boycott certain Jewish products like the Wassermann test ;
digitalis discovered by Dr. Nuslin; insulin discovered by Dr. Minofsky;
chloral hydrate discovered by Dr. Lifreich; the Schick test; vitamins
discovered by Dr. Funk; streptomycin discovered by Dr. Waksman; the
polio pill by Dr. Sabin and the polio vaccine by Dr. Salk.
"Go on, boycott! Humanitarian consistency requires that my
people offer all these gifts to all people of the world. Fanatic consistency
requires that all bigots accept syphilis, diabetes, convulsions, malnutrition,
diphtheria, infantile paralysis and tuberculosis as a matter of principle.
You want to be mad? Be mad! But I'm telling you, you ain't going to feel
so good!" Others could be added to Levinson's list:
TADEUS REICHSTEIN, Ph.D.
(1897-1996) b. Wloclawek, Poland
He is
known as the Swiss chemist and endocrinologist
who synthesized ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in
1933 by a process which is still in widespread use.
Even more important was his research with steroid
hormones produced by the adrenal cortex--for
which he shared a 1950 Nobel Prize for Phys-
iology or Medicine. As a professor of organic
chemistry at the University of Basel (1946-67), he and his assistants
isolated thirty adrenal steroids, one of which was of great value in slowing
deadly Addison's disease. Yet another steroid--cortisone--was discovered
in 1937 and became a treatment of choice for rheumatoid arthritis.
Reichstein applied his knowledge of cortical steroid chemistry to producing
a family of "wonder drugs," and also developed a method for
manufacturing a sex hormone.
•
RACHMIEL LEVINE, M.D.
(191 1-83) b. Eastern Poland Diabetes remains
one of the nation's more prevalent and persistent
diseases. But thanks in part to the studies of
Rachmiel Levine, the largely incurable illness has
become more effectively contained. Assisted by
several colleagues at Chicago's Michael Reese
Hospital, he found that insulin lowers blood sugar
by drawing glucose into the body's cells. The
"Levine Effect," named for his discovery, opened a new realm of research
into how hormones can affect cell function. He also helped lead the way
in producing human insulin from recombinant DNA. Honored as "the most
influential and unique figure in modern diabetes research," Levine was
elected president of the American Diabetes Association and International
Diabetes Foundation. He also won national recognition while heading the
City of Hope's landmark diabetes program.
•
• 7'
ARTHUR KORNBERG, M.D.
(1918-) b. Brooklyn, NY The biochemist's long
association with the U.S. National Institutes of
Health (1942-53) led to his co-discovery of
chemical reactions that form coenzymes called
nucleotides--key substances in cellular function.
Fascinated by this area of research, Kornberg left
to further advance his studies as director of the
microbiology department at Washington Univers-
ity School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (1953-59). It was here that he began
searching for an enzyme involved in constructing DNA, basic to genes and
the hereditary code. Within two years he extracted and purified a bacterial
enzyme with some DNA-building properties. Under certain test tube
conditions, the enzyme could be used to synthesize short strands of DNA.
For this breakthrough first step in DNA development, Kornberg shared the
1959 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.
- Saul Stadtmauer
Visit many more notable Jews at our website: www.dorledor.org
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Walter & Lea Field, Founders/Sponsors
Harold Berry & Irwin S. Field, Co-chairmen
Harriet F. Siden„Secretary
The World
Nuclear Fallout
Touches Israel, Too
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
ip
eople were dancing in the
streets of New Delhi, cele-
brating India's enhanced sta-
tus as a nuclear power, but
there's little rejoicing in Washington,
and there should be even less in
Jerusalem.
The Hindu nationalist government
of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpay-
ee, eager to restore national pride,
broke an informal international mora-
torium on nuclear testing this month
by exploding five nuclear devices,
including one hydrogen bomb.
In Washington, the sudden crisis
overshadowed the visit of Prime Minis-
ter Binyamin Netanyahu, which might
have been a welcome development for
the Israeli leader except for this fact:
the Indian bombs and the crisis they
ignited will significantly affect Israel's
security, as well as U.S. policy through-
out the world.
The most obvious result of India's
reckless decision is the strong likeli-
hood it will trigger a dangerous region-
al arms race with Pakistan that will
spill over into other areas of the world
— starting with the weapons-hungry
Middle East.
Within hours of the blast, Pakistan
announced it would accelerate its own
advanced nuclear program. Intelligence
officials in Washington believe the
Islamabad could begin active testing in
a matter of days or weeks.
Washington was working hard to
prevent that from happening, but there
seemed to be little likelihood U.S.
appeals would convince the Pakistanis
to refrain from building up their own
atomic stockpile to counter the obvi-
ous Indian threat.
In the past, Pakistan's nuclear scien-
tists worked closely with colleagues in
other Islamic countries, and there's no
reason to think it will be different this
time around. Nuclear weapons devel-
opment is expensive, and the Pakistani
government probably will have to seek
outside financial support. Countries
like Iran, Iraq and others will be only
too happy to provide it — in return
for a piece of the atomic action.
But an Islamic Pakistan and its
potential nuclear partners aren't the
only problem.
A renewed arms race on the Indian
subcontinent will boost China's big
weapons industry and possibly ignite a
China-India arms race. China has
become the Wal-Mart of the interna-
tional arms market; its leaders are
notoriously unfussy about their cus-
tomers, a fact that has served a num-
ber of Middle Eastern rogue states
well.
India's defiance of world opinion,
and of the United States in particular,
will be an encouragement to other
countries that want to develop their
nuclear capabilities.
True, chemical and biological
weapons offer a cheaper, faster route to
non-conventional power, but India's
actions, and the boldness with which
its leaders used the explosions to bol-
ster national pride, may prove an inspi-
ration to others that they, too, can play
with the Big Boys, and not settle for
non-conventional weapons acquired on
the cheap.
A green light to
other nuclear
wannabes.
Countries like Iran and Iraq will be
watching closely to see if the Clinton
administration and Congress hold fast
to the sanctions imposed last week.
More importantly, they will be watch-
ing to see if Washington is successful
in convincing other developed nations
to join the effort to squeeze New
Delhi.
The Clinton administration, for all
its sober talk about proliferation, has
not backed up rhetoric with strong,
consistent action. Intelligence agencies
were taken by surprise by the Indian
tests — not a reassuring sign about the
seriousness of their effort.
Despite U.S. sanctions, the govern-
ment in New Delhi seemed supremely
confident that President Clinton lacks
the tenacity to line up other key
nations. Early signs suggest they may
be right.
If that analysis is correct, it will send
a clear green light to Iran, Libya and
other nuclear wannabes, a striking pro-
portion of which have an irrational
hatred of both Israel and the United
States.
Then there's the missile question.
Already, the Mideast balance of
power is changing because of the
spread of short- and medium-range
ballistic missiles. Now, India and Pak-
istan will need more missiles to fulfill
their non-conventional ambitions —
and that means expanded programs in
these countries, as well as in arch pro-
liferators such as China. Inevitably,