Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 48 — page 124: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION From H. J. C.: This kind of thing can be disputed for eternity, but we just haven’t the space for it. While we are sincerely grateful to Dr. H. for taking the trouble to write to us at length, and hope that he will continue to keep an eagle eye on our medical features, we feel that, to keep the record straight, we should point out a thing or two ourselves. 1. Curare has certainly been used in theatres for two years, but only sporadically and not by any means as a routine, Is Dr. H. aware that the Home Office must be notified about every single use of curare—before it is used? Also, of course, there is no danger with paresis of the respiratory muscles, providing adequate artificial res- piration is effected. 2. All scien- tists work on a basis laid by earlier workers, Domagk no less than Ewins. But Ewins gave us M & B 693 (sulphapyridine, not sulpha- nilamide) which is still in constant use, whereas prontosil is hardly used at all nowadays (693, by the way, is the number of experiments Ewins performed before he synthesised sulphapyridine). 3, Pneumonia is never treated with antibiotics alone; always in conjunction with M & B, or one of its allies. 4. With respect to artificial life, Jackson carefully pointed out that he was not referring to “‘life in the full sense of the word.” 5. Obstetrics, which is the science of childbirth, can surely have nothing to do with injury by accident and the consequent need for surgery. This correspondence is now closed. Have you reserved your copy of THE AUTHENTIC BOOK OF SPACE SEE ANNOUNCEMENT ON PAGE I/4I ecommicloooks.com