Oa es Foo
Files
October 5, 1959
1. E. Wallen, Aquatic Blologisc, £tnvironmenzal
Sciences Branch, Division of Biology & Medicine
BANNER CONTRACT, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
SYMBOL: BHES : LEW
On Thursday, Septesber 24, I visited Dra. Banner and Helfrich and
their assistants at the University of Hawaii to discuss progress
of the poison fish project. In ome sense this project is nearly
completed and I expect that their west useful report will be
forthcoming scon. This report will state thet no relationship could
be found between radioactivity eed human poisoning from fishes. The
report will simply confirm the already reperted lack of relationship
from the rather superficial studies af the Taft Senitary Engineering
Center of the U.3. Public Health Service.
i concer with Dr. Banner in feeling thet the study should not stop
at this negative point. They ere interested in establishing two
additional points, positive ones, for the record. They have made
subetantial progress toward izolating the poison. They have extracted
the toxic component from fish filets and concentrates it at least
20 tiees in a solvent. Varicus chemical procedures are under way
to directly identify the toxin. These studies sre supported by the
National Institutes of Health, jointly with AKC.
The second positive acientific problem concermus the source of the toxin
in the ecology of the fishes.
A fish becomes taxic and retains the
toudeity in the laboratory for a year and lenger. The toxin seemingly
is appearing in new places and perhaps disappearing elsewhere. There
would seem to be a fish food organism that produces the toxin but which
one, if any, is sot known.
this objective in mind.
Banner proposes to make further studies with
Last year poisonous fishes appeared in Majuro Atoll. These fishes
were collected on 3 occasions by Ors. Banner and Melfrich. On bringing
the fishes to the Laboratory it was found that they were only slightly
toxic.
Since quantity of taxin is necessary for atudies, they collected
at several places but hit the jackpot at Palmyra. Red Snappers collected
there were highly toxic without exception. It is estimated by Or. Helfrich
that the 300 pounds of filet will yield about .7 pounds of extract at
its present stage, enough for six months vork. The Air Force acnds a
a
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