VICTORY OVER DEATHIt is impossible to say what death is worse. But, probably worst of all, is to feel quite healthy and, yet, know that you must die. It happened in September, 1958, in the Yugoslav Atomic Centre. Six scientists were looking over the switched off atomic pile. Suddenly the signal lights flashed red, the instrument indicators started their mad dance: the reactor had gone into action. There were no cries, no blood, no pain; beyond the lab walls work went on as usual, people walked unhurriedly along the corridors. "It was as if nothing had happened, "reads a note in the diary of one of the six made at a later date. "Only after reading the Geiger counter did I realize that it was the end." The scientists were rushed to Paris by plane. There they were admitted to the hospital of the Pierre Curie Institute in d'Ulm Street. The six men were given a careful check-up to establish the exact amount of radiation they had exposed themselves to. The instruments showed that five of them had received 700 г and hardly had a chance. There was hope for only one of them. The scientists, however, did not lose courage.* In the quiet hospital wards they studied French, listened to the radio and played chess. At first there were no outward signs of the disease, yet it was quietly stealing up on them. Nothing seemed to help: neither frequent blood transfusions,* nor large doses of antibiotics. But the doctors would not admit failure. When the patients had only some two or three days to live the Medical Centre called a consilium. In an effort to save the lives of the six scientists it was decided to try a bone-marrow transplant.** It was certaintly a risk, but a risk well worth taking. Four Frenchmen volunteered to act as donors and give the marrow necessary for injection. Now there was nothing to do but wait. Several days passed. One of the patients died. but the other five lived. Death was defeated.*** The daring experiment was a success. The miracle in d'Ulm Street gives hope that medical science will learn to fight leukemia — this terrible and still incurable disease.
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