Synthetic Blood

Vitally important is the synthesizing of hematin, the red iron core which carries oxygen into the blood. Hans Fischer, 47, of the Munich (Germany) Institute of Technology worked on the problem 17 years and, last week, reported success. His synthetic he calls Hematine. In normal breathing, the blood's hemoglobin, which includes hemochromogen (compound of hematin), takes oxygen from the lungs and forms unstable oxyhemoglobin. Oxyhemoglobin readily gives its oxygen to body cells. When carbon monoxide is breathed, very stable carbon monoxide hemoglobin* results and the body cells cannot burn off their wastes, death results. In such poisoning Prof. Fischer's synthetic hematine may possibly be injected into the blood. Animal experiments with it are under way.

*0ne hundred forty times as stable as oxyhemoglobin.