8 Monday, December 11, 1978 University Daily Kansan Researchers look at plants Plants, which years ago produced home remedies for the common cold, might produce new drugs to figh cancer or infections, according to a KU professor of plant biology. The professor, Lester Mitscher, said recently that many drugs currently used by doctors were synthetic chemicals patterned after chemical components of plants. For example, procaine, the generic name for Novocain, a mild anesthetic usually used by dentists, was patterned after a portion of the cocaine molecule. Cocaine is a non-narcotic drug derived from the cocaine tree, a plant found in South America. YEARS AGO, Mittscher said, people got rid of headaches with tea containing the same drug that people use to today cure headaches, acetyl salicylic acid or, more commonly, aspirin. The tea was brewed from the bark of the willow tree. Today, it is cheaper to produce aspirin from coal tar and petrochemical wastes. Many of the body's natural chemicals have been copied to make drugs, according to Mitscher. Amphetamines, commonly known as speed, are synthetic stimulants patterned after adrenalin, the body's natural stimulant. The new drugs are needed, Mitscher said, because some diseases, such as venereal diseases, have been around so long that they have begun to develop immunity to the effects of older antibiotics, such as penicillin. testing thousands of plants in a search for new antibiotics to ward off infections. Mitscher said that of the thousands of plants he had tested during the 10-year research project, about 12 looked promising. He said researchers had found cancer-fighting chemicals in flowers such as periwinkles and bachelor buttons. Mitscher said he was studying chemical extract from a tree known as the false hop tree, which was used two centuries ago by German immigrants in America to replace hops in the beer brewing process. He said the plant contained a chemical that inhibited bacteria such as the one that causes tuberculosis. "IT'S NOT STRONG enough for human use," he said, "but maybe one of my students will make a descendant of the molecule that could be beneficial." Milchater said research was going on around the world to test plants for beneficial traits. More students riding KU buses The KU on Wheels bus system increased the number of its passengers in August by more than 33 percent over last year's August total, according to figures released last week by Mike Harper, student body president. "We're trying to codify what is known and what is still available," he said. Harper also said that for the month of September, the bus system had 1,332 For this month of August, Harper said, the buses handled 11,929 cash cars and 36,237 passes, with a total of 48,168 passengers. For the last week, 285 riders over all months, total of 31,881 more passengers than the previous year. The system had 196,504 passengers in September this year, compared with 195,172 last September. "Although an increase of 1,300 doesn't seem like much of an increase when compared to August's increase, if we had that kind of increase last year we wouldn't have been able to handle it without the three hundred buses we had this year," Harper said. Harper said a large part of the increase could be explained by the addition of three buses to the system this year. "I expect there was another large increase in October," he said, "because the weather got worse and more people ride the buses in bad weather. Harper said the buses would run as regularly scheduled, during finals, with Harper's parents. "We had excellent weather in September. I was expecting a possible decrease that month because of the weather, but we still had an increase of 1,300." Many useful plants became extinct as cities and industries grew, he said. Some drugs derived from plants often considered dangerous are now being used to treat diseases such as schizophrenia, alcoholism and glaucoma. LSD, an illegal drug based on a chemical found in the mescaline cactus, is now legally prescribed in rare cases by psychiatric hospitals for schizophrenia and chronic alcoholism. Also, the U.S. government is sponsoring a project in which some glaucoma patients are allowed to legally smoke marijuana. Marijuana has been found to relieve the fluid pressure on the inner eye in some patients suffering from glaucoma. On Campus Events UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN TODAY: LAW FACULTY AND STAFF LUNCHHEON will be at noon in the English Room of the Kansas Union. WOMEN'S RIGHTS DISCUSSION will be at noon in the Sunflower Room of the Union. ARCHAEOLOGY COLLOQUIUM will be at 2:30 p.m. in the International Room of the Union. PSYCHOLOGY COLLOQUIM by Camille Wortman will be at 4 p.m. in room 547 of Fraser Hall. PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY COLLOQUIUM will be at 4:30 p.m. by L. Brown in room 332 of Malott Hall. TONIGHT: OWL SOCIETY *w* will meet at 3:00 in the Council Room of the Union. A film and discussion of the J.P. STEVEN BOYCOTT will be at 7:10 in the Jayhawk Room of the Union. RADIOACTIVE FREE KANSAS will meet at 7:30 in Plymouth Congregational Church. THE DUKE KUMRON Trombone and Trumpet choir will be in 8:00 in Swartwater Rescue Hall of Murphy Hall. TOMORROW; CIVIL ENGINEERS LUNCHEON will be at noon in the Centennial Room of the Union. A DISCUSSION on the "Subtitles of Racism" by Carl Leban will be at noon in the Sunflower Room of the Union, BLACK FACULTY and STAFF COUNCIL FOR THE SENIOR YEAR GROUP. COLLEGE MEMBERSHIP will be at 3:30 p.m. in Spooner Hall. COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION SEMINAR by Edward Mattila will be at 4 p.m. in the Computer Services Auditorium. AN ANTHROPOLOGY HUMAN DYNAMICS LECTURE will be at 4:30 p.m. in the Council Room of the Union, DOCTORAL RECITAL by Sylvia Reynolds, pianist. WORKSHOPS OF COMMUNICATIVE EXERCISES AND CHRISTIAN ATHLETES will meet at 8 p.m. in the Fireside Room of Lewis Hall. Man jailed for indecent liberties A 22-year-old Lawrence man has been sentenced to two to 20 years in prison for his conviction last month on charges of taking indecent liberties with a child. The man, Kenneth Loehr, 101 N. Michigan St., was sentenced Thursday in Douglas County District Court by District Judge David R. Sargent, who found Loehler guilty of the charge Nov. 27. that he might alter the sentence after reviewing a psychiatric report on Loebr for his case. Loehr was arrested last September for taking indecent liberties with a 3-year-old boy for whom Loehr was babysitting Sept. 9. Throughout Loehr's trial, his attorney never threatened to put him on the stand against him, but argued that Loehr was insane and irrational at the time of the incident. King said Thursday after the sentencing The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS B.Y.O.B. Designed to assist a limited number of individuals during their first year of graduate or professional study. 2008 Learned Telephone: 864-3826 If interested, contact PROFESSOR DAVID DARWIN Bring your old bottles and jars to The K.U. Ecology Club's glass recycling center December 16 and 17 between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm LOCATION: Daisy Hill Parking Extension, West of the dorms on Irving Hill Road between Iowa Street and the KANU radio tower. For more information, call 841-1484 or stop by the Ecology Club office, 103 Snow, open 1:00-3:00 pm weekdays. Announcing: GALA NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION! Saturday December 30,1978 COLE TUCKEY FAST BREAK featuring: plus all the N.Y.E. trimmings WE NEED CERTAIN COLLEGE MAJORS TO BECOME AIR FORCE LIEUTENANTS 7th & Mass. Metropolitan and civil engineering maps geospatial and geotechnical engineering maps intimate environment maps mathematics maps Tickets available soon! The four team members for young men and women provide training in English, French, German and some other languages. We offer five year internships with our community programs to help you develop your job skills and your own job program. And to help you with the college process, we invite you to visit us at one of our locations located throughout New York. We are also proud to be responsible for providing The STEMSCO program seeks to air Air Force professionals. Then, they teach students at the Air Force Academy in New York City. The year-long program costs more than $1 million, but more than four of them are committed to helping the student gain experience with teaching and communicating with each other in a team setting to make their country, with great pride, a success. They will travel to the United States, with the help of your faculty, and will receive a private visit from the president of the university. **FRESHMEN'S SOPHOMORES** The Fresher's Sophomore is a new face. The Air Force has to offer a Cell Cap Masks at 864-7007 for those who need them. *Prices* vary. AIR FORCE ROTC Gateway to a great way of life. LOVE RECORDS AND TAPES Largest Selection of Paraphernalia Rock & Roll T-Shirts Underground Comix Plus earrings-Combs-Jewelry 15 W. 9th 842-3059 We Buy Records SCRUBS Genuine Surgical Scrub Suits for lounging, working, studying, sleeping, or just plain scrubbing up together! Your choice of BLUE, GREEN, or WHITE Your choice of HEIGHTS. $14.95 each, postage and handled included (Ohiu residents add 4% sales tax.) MELLO MEDICAL ORDERER MEDLIS RECRIBES, INC P.O. BOX 327 SYLVANIA, Ohio 43560 (Please specify, color, size, and quantity.) Allow four weeks for delivery. Apartments Available NOW Schneider Investments 19 W. 14th. No. 3 (14th & Vermont), one bedroom. $100.00 month, pay electricity, water and gas fur- nished older home. 502 W. 14th, No. 6 (14th & Athle); modern six-plex, two bedroom, $200.00 monthly, tenant pays utilities (apricos) $25.00 monthly, available January 1. 314 W. 14th, No. 4 (14th & Tennessee), one bedroom, $175.00 month, all utilities paid, old home. 19 W. 14th, No. 5 (14th & Vermont), one bedroom. $125.00 month, pay electricity, water and gas fur buried. old home. 728 bcd 196 hw 3 one program 1498 00 math. sxy exercises 1498 00 math. sxy 800 Ohio, No. 3, studio apartment, $100.00 month, at utilities paid, older home 1021 Rhode Island. No. 1, one bedroom. $160.00 menancy, tenant付费 utilities, united eight-plex. 933 Rhode Island, No. 4, Studio apartment, $125.00 month, pay electricity, water and gas furnished, older home 933 Rhode Island. No. 7, one bedroom, $100.00 month pay electricity, water and gas furnished, older home. 933 Rhode Island, No. 6. Studio apartment, $75.00 month, pay electricity, water and gas luranted, older home Mark Schneider--The Lawrence landlord who cares ! No pets — $100.00 deposit on all apartments. Drive by and look at these homes, then call Mark Schlenker at 842-4141 or 843-2121 to see the one you want to live in. CHRISTMAS & SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN OVERLAND PARK & TOPEKA TYPISTS ★ STENOGRAPHERS ★ FILE CLERKS KEYPUNCH OPERATORS ★ BOOKKEEPERS Available For BOSSLER TEMPORARY HELP ★ No Foes ★ In Overland Park Contact n Overland Park Cor- Anne Dune Bossier-Hix Personnel 6405 Metcalf Overland Park, Ks. 66214 913/262-8633 In Topeka Contact Doris Derrington Bessler & Assoc. 1053 S. Turtle Ka. K5612 913-7234-6612 ALL YOU CAN EAT MONDAY Italian Spaghetti ... 2.95 TUESDAY Fish and Fries Dinner ... 2.45 FAMILY RESTAURANTS 740 iowa