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Show Page 40-THE HERALD, Prove, Utah ‘Wednesday, Decembe. 8, 1971 Record Droug ht Grips Parched Outback in Far-Off Australia mows the dust). The entire (EDITOR'S NOTE: This ts one of aseries of articles from and about Australia.) nent | makers, there was © reluctant acceptance. Noland, it wasfelt, could be so dry. aan And so for many years they used their imaginations to reserves are considering evacuation plans if their continent to European map- draw lakes and rivers in the great and thirsty outback territory Time, of course, has prov en the original sketches correct Sohavethe bones of many men. Tobe sure, there are some bores (wells) peter out. Wild animals, such as the kangaroo and emu, have for the sake of survival abandoned great tracts of interior lands; and dome: ani: mals, such as cattle and sheep, lie dead along many back roads, the victims of lakes here, even on modern sterile grazing grounds maps. But nowhere, perhaps, is the problem any greater than here at the Maryvale Cattle Station (in Americait would be called a ranch) Lake Eyre in South Australia is more than 100 miles long andatits fullest capacity in more than half a century. But the water, as desperate men and animals have fatally found out, is saltier than the Tasman Sea. Australia is the driest of all the continents. The average rainfall for the mainland is only 16.5 inches, compared with the world overland average of 26. Moreover, 70 per cent of the nation has Science Today NEW YORK (UPI) — Dr. George Gee Jackson finds the scientific prospect for really ive anti-virus drugs in general and anti influenza on in particular to be quite That’s hopeful for future with viral multiplication without undue harm to cells. The quest is for drugs which do the trick readily against a wide range of infectious viruses. For each of the five theoretic “mechanisms” there now is an experimental drug or drugs of varying promise in varying stages of development. Hence the optimism of Jackson, an authority on infectious diseases and a professor of medicine at the University of Illinois. One ‘‘mechanism” is to prevent viruses from synthesizing their nucleic acids. Another is to mess up the assembling of proteins derived from those acids into complete viruses. A third is to inhibit the ability of viruses to enter body cells, The remaining “mechenisms” are to inactivate viruses and to increase the resistance of cells to invasion. Jackson warned physicians influenza seasons but not for people ho come down with flu this winter. As of now, no drugs for curing the flu, once caught, exist in practical form. The improved prospect is relatively new. As Jackson remarked, ‘for many years virologists held out little hope for developmentof a specifically anti-influenzal therapy or, for that matter, of specific antiviral agents of any kind.” Viruses becomeso intimately a part of the body cells they infect, it seemed impossible to attack them without attacking their hosts. But now, Jackson against looking forward to a said, virology knows of five “magic antiviral bullet.” The “mechanisms” for interfering very variety of possible approaches meansa tedious development of a series of antiviral GreatSalt Lake Expected Up About OneFoot ity) and wait for relief. They are, of course, concerned, sometimes anxious,andlittle the worse for wear. natives, who cluster on this station in tin shacks, and do odd jobs for rent Margaret Clark says the lack of rain at Maryvale is causing mounting health problens among them “They are dirtier, so their sores don't heal and the dysenteryis getting bad. We haven't liad anything serious here yet, but I always worry. We're several hours degrees; But 20 per cent humid- everybody agrees things have to get better. “Well,” says the station hand, with the droll humor characteristic on the frontier, it don't rain we'll just wait “til the dust piles up into mountains. Then we'll rent out skis to the American tourists.” * le ~~ Re’ oe and be more comfortable, too. Sunshine is free — and it’s warm, so when the sunis shining, open up the window blinds, shades and curtains and let the sun in. It’s an easy way to help reduce your heating costs. Whenthe sun goes down(or doesn’t shine), keep the windowcoverings closed. Theywill form an insulation against the cold outside air and help assure your comfort. If you have fireplace, be surc the damperis closed whenthe fireplace isn’t being used. With a gaslogfireplace the damper should be secured in a partially open position at all times. A wintry breeze can cost you money. If you open a window,be sure that the cold air isn’t cooling your thermostat and thereby overheating the rest of your house and overworking your furnace. To get the most heat from your gas furnace at the lowest cost, keep all heat outlets free from obstructions. My Bud A aA , YW Try to keep the opening andclosing of doors to the outside to a minimum, Each time you open an outside door, some of the heat from inside escapes. It’s even more important to keep the cold air return registers free and clear of any obstruction to insure free circulation of air throughout your home. ly limited range ofactivity, he wrote in the technical journal, “Hospital Practice.” One of the drugsis available to all doctors byprescription. In Jackson's opinion doctors NEW YORK (UPI) Eileen Meer , Leave your thermostat set. Let your whole family agree on a healthy thermostat setting and leave it there. (If you are more comfortable at a cooler temperature during sleeping hours do not set it lower than 10° below your normalsetting.) drugs each with a comparative. —An estimated 2.5 million American males wear hairpieces, according to a research company. This is only 5 to 10 per cent of the nearly $1 billion wig market, but interestis steadily growing as embarrassment declines, says Arthur D.Little, Inc. About 80 per cent of today’s wigs are made of high inflow to the lake human hair. Synthetic fib’-s, the Bear, Weber and however, are making rapid ksroads WeI = Il ways to cut your heating costs are not making enoughuse ofit ‘ pt, Cattle Station who werries, among other things, about the health of the Aborigines as drought grinds on. SALT LAKE CITY (UPI) — because they are “waiting for With normal weather and the ideal drug.” precipitation this winter the Great Salt Lake is expected to Gain about onefootin water level HeadyStatistics over last year, continuing a ae which began in the early Unless unusually dry weather occurs the lake will exceed last season's high of 4198.2 feet before March 1. The new high level is foreca't to be near 4199.5 feet. Since Oct. 1 the lake has risen over half a foot from 4197.0 to 3197.6. The National Weather Service said the rise was due to : SO DRYthatspit is a water resource, tue Outback is no joke to residents such as Margaret Clark of Maryvale As the temperature goes down and your ga bill goes up, may we suggest (“Out here sure in acres'’) is partly semicesert land which horders on actual desert land, and it is going through one of the worst dry periods in recorded memory. “T been in this country for 50 years and more,” says the stationhand, “and I neverreca!| it this bad. Pow- Prospects for Effective Anti-Virus Drugslmproved By DELOS-SMITH iginal The 1,600-square-mile station less than 20 inches of moisture a year, and fully onefifth has less than 10. In der, the ground’s just like someportions of central Aus- powder. If it gets much tralia the annual evapora- drier it might just up and tion rate is actually greater explode.” than the annual precipitaThestationhand shakeshis tion rate. head. “It's so dry,” the wags Hescuffs the ground. say, “that spit is a water reAnd a pound of soil moves source.” off with the wind, It’s not funny, of course. Margaret Clark, wife of Not to the people who live in the nation’s mostcritical- the Maryvale station owner, ly arid regions. And not espe- says grimly that only 1.29 aay at present, when inches of moisture has been much of the country is recordedall of this year. And grip) in a_ particularly this follows previously bad seasons in 1970 (3.54) and wicked drought. This is a land where men 1969 (5.98). So the result has been ugly measure waterby points, instead of inches. Sydney, for to witness. Most of the staexample, had seven points tion’s 3,600 cattle have been (.07 inches) rain in October, movedbyrail to better feed, the driest recording in that but some strays are still month for 104 years. And around, starving to death. “I muchof the rest of the na- picked up one just this tion (it's as big as the United morning,” the stationhand States) is suffering as well. says. “He was so weak he As usual, the drought suf- just feli over. I gave him a fay is greatest in the cen- kick and a push, but 1 don’t tral furnace-box of the con- know how long he can go.” Besides the cattle there is tinent. The major rivers (none of which has year- the suffering land. Never roundactivity) are dry sev- gorgeous, it’s exceptionally eral feet into their beds. The dismal now. Somefew whiteusual summer sage bloom wood, ironwood and box did not materialize this year trees retain a bit of sickly (Australian summers begin green, but almost everyin November), The golf thing else is faded, blistered course in Alice Springs, N.T. or dying. Wild flowers are (“The largest town for a practically nonexistent. The thousand miles”’), is made of small plot of grass behind 100 per cent sand, The di- the Clark homeis gone (alrectors of some aboriginal though a manstill dutifully UPIScience Editor from the doctor. you know.” And soit is that the people here sit idle in the heat (95 pallor, looking rather lixe an old black-white film Then there are the abor- By TOM TIEDE CATTLE —When explorers first gave sketches of the Australian area has taken on a ghostly Check the weatherstripping around doors and windows, insulation over yourceilings, and close attic entry. Cold wind may often cause greater heat dissapation than much colder still air. If you haven’t had a furnace expert make arecent check of your furnace and heating system, call him now. He will make sure your furnace is workingefficiently to assure you the total comfort ofgas heating. \ Your furnace will not operate efficentlyif the filter is clogged or excessively dirty. Change or clean your filter about every 60 days. Disposable filters are inexpensive and are available at most hardware, drug, dis- count and departmentstores. |