Profile; Albert Sabin

It is my honor today to present to you our honored guest. This man. Has achieved worldwide recognition and I mean. This man's career has spanned continents. And the imagination of mind for excellence and for contributions to mankind. And to field of health care. Following World War 2. This man identified three types of polio and went on to develop a lie I've told you. But actually. It was for this. That our gifts earned his place in history. This man has given us the gift of health. We in South Carolina are honored that he is now a distinguished research professor at the Medical University of South Carolina. In biomedicine. It is my honor to present to you Dr. Albert saving. On August twenty six thousand nine hundred six. Albert Bruce Saipan is born near the town of Bell the

stock then in western Russia in one thousand twenty the Sabin family leave sharp settles in Paterson New Jersey and Albert enters high school backed by his uncle Saban studies to be a dentist. But then he reads a book called The microbe hunters and all that is changed. Rather than continue to accept his uncle support he takes a job goes back to college and later enters medical school in 1931. He receives his M.D. from New York University. In 1935 he becomes a member of the scientific staff at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in New York. At the institute he does research on various viruses including polio. 939 accepts a position with the Children's Hospital Research Foundation in Cincinnati. There is work begins to focus intensely on polio research. Dr. Slavens worked with the Army's epidemiological board leads him to accept a major's commission in one thousand forty three. He continues work on vaccines for several exotic diseases

that plague U.S. troops fighting in foreign lands. One of the disabling diseases he conquers is Japanese encephalitis or sleeping sickness. Or his wartime work. Dr Saban is awarded a Legion of Merit in 1945 just before his retirement from service. But retirement does not stop his work with the military. He remains a member of the epidemiological board and lectures frequently at the Army doctors. With the Reverend Dr. Saban returns to an old project begun in 1931 research into the nature of the polio virus. One thousand forty seven. The greatest polio epidemic in history. It's brilliant. Amid the rubble the disease spreads like wildfire. Dr. Saban flies to help US serviceman and the children of the stricken city. Back in the United States Dr. Saban again turns his attention to his old adversary. He is convinced that the polio virus can maintain itself in nature only in human

be he says rob it of its soil for multiplication. And you eradicate it. In his Cincinnati lab. He starts the long search for a polio virus mutation a strain too weak to produce polio but strong enough to give immunity. He sets up a production line in his research laboratory. A virus breeding farm he calls it. Two years later he has several safe viruses of each polio type ready for testing. Holding to tradition Dr. Saban and his coworkers are the first volunteers to swallow the vaccine. After four years of exhausting tasks with prison inmates. The vaccine is ready for field studies in the United States Mexico Russia and other countries. In 1959 mass trials involving millions of children over the world established the vaccine safety and effectiveness. Russia and the European satellites approved the vaccine for routine use and began its

manufacture in mass quantities. US Public Health Service approves his vaccine in August 1960. But American pharmaceutical companies are slow to start production. Meanwhile Dr Saban is hailed as the rescuer of children by mothers in Russia Latvia Estonia Czechoslovakia Poland Hungary and East Germany. Almost two years before the vaccine is first put in mass use in America nearly 100 million children and Eastern bloc countries swallow his or her. Doctor Sabir and his vaccine have opened a wide gap in the Iron Curtain. And I decided to come here because I was given an opportunity to start a new era in my life a new phase of work in which my main objective would be to accelerate progress in medical biomedical research the work of

my life in a way by different procedures than I had previously. Namely that I would select certain fields selected fields of biomedical research. And tried to bring together the existing knowledge to see whether it had meaning. Progress in medical research is by highly specialized procedures. And then to try to pinpoint further needs that could perhaps be accelerated by collaborative efforts and also to provide a basis for going from knowledge to action. By that I mean to see that the knowledge that is being accumulated bit by bit can actually be put to use for the benefit of public health and for the benefit of merely of the sick patient that is at the bedside in the hospital. And this opportunity was provided for me here in the unique professorship so that the decision of the legislature of South

Carolina to have a 68 year old man start on a new professorship with the possibility of doing many things both at the university level here in Charleston on a national level on an international level was very attractive and I'm very glad that I came. Well it's hard to talk about him at all without talking about the things that he already did. And so one perhaps better just mention the importance of the fact that in his own work one of the major diseases of mankind was virtually done away with it as a direct consequence in the process Dr. Saban has developed an understanding of how to study a disease and how to try and apply the processes to a very broad area geographically to a large area in terms of the use of money and. The things that he's doing for us relate to his present status as a very senior statesman in science when he talks with us he always

talks about the application of his knowledge to a very broad area. He talks about the flow of information just as he talks about the flow of viruses from Asia. He has been in almost every major medical center in the world. I think that the problem of the poverty stricken hundreds of millions of people is creasing at an extraordinarily a rapid rate. Present a much bigger challenge to future survival and human happiness not only in there not only where they live but all the other countries than all diseases that can be studied by medical science combined. I'll tell you why I often think of Abraham Lincoln's statement more than a hundred years ago. Now that I live in the south say during the period of the War Between the States when he said This nation cannot long survive have slave and half free. I would paraphrase that by

saying that this world in my judgment cannot long survive one third perhaps relatively affluent and two thirds on a collision course with catastrophe. We are not living on an island and the extent to which the big powers will stop behaving like antediluvian and a mystic animals and that's the way they're behaving in the international field now and begin to collaborate in the areas of the world which present the real danger and that by that I mean in the poverty stricken nations to bring them to a point where they can help themselves and they cannot help themselves now. That to me is the greatest challenge of the future for human survival. We can solve all of these disease problems if this is not solved then by the end of this century or a little later we're going to have a world that's going to be on the road to barbarism rather than the kind of world that I think that a levered of the

herd could really create Peace Corps made a dent in certain Crisco or is piecemeal charity. And the problem is much too big for piecemeal charity with big powers competing not to do the most good but competing to try to the stroy each other. And I might as well give my conviction that and I know the Soviet Union very well and I know the sacrifices they have been submitted to during World War Two but right now the biggest danger to our future and the future of the world is the policy being pursued by the Soviet Union. That seems to believe that their future has no future unless what they call the imperialist United States and the other industrialized non communist countries are really brought to economic and financial disintegration as compared to the parties thinking how do the Russian people feel about Americans. My impression and the frequent visits that I made to the Soviet Union is of course the people on like all other peoples to be able to work to live in

peace. But they are convinced that they are threatened by the noncommunist imperialist powers this is a recurrent theme the so-called Teton has made no impact on that at all and that is why I say that the Soviet people just like the people on the Hitler the Germans on the Hitler believe many things that just aren't so. And this of course is a generalization because there are many people in the Soviet Union that call the dissidents they are called the people who see things more clearly there's no use my mentioning specific names but they are in the minority. They're really looked upon as straight as to their country. So if I were to be asked whether there is any real dichotomy between the vast majority of the people in the Soviet Union and the policies pursued by the Soviet government I would honestly have to say no because they believe that their government is in the right and they're now and my husband will bring their wives or two kings just to get him.

And there will be the beginning used to say it's a kind of fascination. And it was our real fascination and I think he was right. I was fascinated by by sharing his life and being with him. But then with time this fascination I think much more thrilling. A wonderful person. So I met him in October 71. But before I read. About him. I heard about him and I I think all the Maldives and Brazil I had the great that everything that he has done. But when I met him

finally person I was. It was marvelous to know that besides a lot of scientists he was in many countries could love Sherri like to leave. And I was very happy to be the lucky one. When I got a heart attack and was laid up in bed. So I had time to correspond. Then I was told that I better go to the United States and get my coronaries visualised but needed to be done and on the way I went to Switzerland. And my wife and I were house a. Mutual Friend stop. We had a wonderful time. You know I thought I was a gold broker. She went back to work to Brazil and I went to the Cleveland Clinic and that's when they told me I'd have to be operated on.

But after it was over we decided to look like I was going to live for a while get married. You had a very wonderful life together they were traveling all over the world. You miss Brazil. We need to be quite frank I don't have enough time to miss Brazil because every week go at least once. So I have to. To see my family but to be with my friends. Sometimes I miss. The family. But. What I like to leave and United States and I like. We enjoy just being together. You know the real the real test whether you really love each other in a proper way is if you can sit in a room when reading his own book and doing his own thing and even talking to each other. That's. Because if you because they have to

be doing something together. It's not a very good sign. We live together. No one lives together. We like to have new experiences together. But it's a really fascinating guy. Not only to share his life but to travel with him to go to all this places that I have to go in. And. To meet people always in China life. And everyday you one learning something different. It is my honor to present you Dr. Albert. I. Better check on the Honorable Senators and

representatives of the state of South Carolina. Ladies and gentlemen I am deeply moved and highly honored by the invitation to address you. I've said on several previous occasions that the ultimate goal of biomedical research is to make it possible for all of us to live on our allotted lifespan and to die in good health. Now this wave of dying which we all of us is now the derogative of a minority. But I believe there's reason to hope that future research will bring forth the knowledge to make it the privilege of the majority. This research would have to provide the knowledge and that's step by step. Painful process don't think that you can go to bed and dream up something. It would have to provide the knowledge for preventing rather than merely treating. This

again is a key emphasis here for preventing rather than merely treating the numerous diseases that are now responsible for most of the misery from poor health. The impact of prevention on diminishing the costs of medical care is exemplified by an estimate that I didn't make somebody else made that paralytic polio alone would have cost the United States 2 billion dollars a year now if it had not been almost completely eliminated by that thang. Along with many many of our all exists and again to work on the possible role of viruses and human cancer. In 1962 when the polio problem was pretty much in hand. I've come to the conclusion that after all

these years of work there is no evidence that any one of them is the cause of any human cancer even though it is possible to produce experimental counsels with them. I have not reached the conclusion that there is nothing else that remains to be done but I have as part of my job I describe pinpointed those things which need to be done as the highest priority in order to be able to reach a yes or no decision. And as regards other viruses and human cancer again although there are many examples in the lower animals or other types of viruses because of those cancers in my judgment at the present time there's no evidence that any human cancer is caused by any kind of a virus. Could you even speculate as to how far away the answer is. The answers to the cancer problem. All I know is what needs to be done and there's a lot of work that needs to

be done. The major problem. That has to be solved. I may be wrong. But as I see it now is what does it take to convert a perfectly normal law abiding self that stays where it's supposed to be in the organ in which it's supposed to be. To become converted into a lawless lead grows without restriction and beyond the boundaries where it's supposed to be. This is a fundamental biological problem which underlies all different kinds of cancer. I think ultimately a greater understanding of that will be essential to ultimate control. But there are many different approaches in cancer research. One cannot merely look for the ultimate knowledge that you would want to have in the future. There are many things to be done while waiting and the research that can

prolong the life of a child or a person with leukemia for five more years that's also important as an interim thing because if that person lives five more years who knows in five years something may be found to reverse the process. So this is an important activity and there must be multiple approaches. We must learn a great deal more about the life processes. I do not see anything around the corner to be perfectly frank. I think it's going to be long long. Period of intensive studies and I'd like to see it more concentrated. On special fields than it is now. It's pretty scattered to the present time. You said that an influenza epidemic might be experienced by 978 can a vaccine be ready to combat this. Well there are two aspects to this question. On the basis of the fact that there was a worldwide epidemic of

influenza in 1957 and 1968 first the so-called Asian flu and then the Hong Kong flu. Incoming and 10 year intervals the probability that there may be another one along and 68 78 79 or thereabouts. But there are new influenza pandemics of smaller nature that come along every two years or so and on the average because this particular influenza virus is unlike other viruses it just changes its character every two years or so in a major way every 10 years or more so that people don't have immunity for it and therefore it spreads more extensively. Whether or not there will be another one in seven years we don't know. A new kind of virus which hasn't spread very far you've already about in the newspaper in the last. 10 days or so has a period which could

be the next candidate for a worldwide epidemic and measures are being taken to get ready. Now the question about the kind of vaccine be ready. There has been a vaccine given by injection for 30 some odd years. It has never been used in sufficient quantity really to make much of an impact it would take a special organization to make it work which thus far we have not had. There are new methods that have been developed to be able quickly to develop production of a new kind of virus that appears but it hasn't yet been put into sufficient. Practical application to get ahead of the quick spread of the virus. Now a new kind of vaccine which is not given by injection but would be given by installation in the nose has been in the process of development for many years and it may have advantages. Any problems that work is going ahead along those lines too.

Dr. saving what would you like to see science accomplish in the forthcoming decades. While I have often said that I hope that the congressman's of biomedical research will be such that we shall all be able to die good health. That means that the diseases which make the end of our life miserable now will somehow rather be controlled. And that the majority will be able to enjoy the privilege that is now a prerogative of a minority. We all know people who lived to their 80s and 90s with their brain's mental activity shot physically and in excellent shape. They go to sleep one night and they don't wake up because their biological clock runs down. I'd like to see medical knowledge provide that possibility so that the end of life will not be a source of great misery as it is for the vast majority of people now and that will take a lot of work and that will add if that is achieved when that is achieved it will

add probably still another 10 to 12 years to our present lifespan. We could talk more though about the problems that will come with this which in terms of there were going to be boring 20 years existence that added 15 20 years of these people's lives. Yes this becomes a challenge to society. And. We need much more coordination and everything because the increase in knowledge creates problems. Knowledge can be for good and for bad. And you need wisdom. Wisdom may be defined in that after review which makes it possible for a person or a society to use knowledge to best advantage. I just made it up. I'm not sure it's the best definition. You make a distinction distinction between knowledge and wisdom only of knowledge merely provides you with information. Wisdom is what's required how to use it or even to enjoy it. You know there's so much just to know what we know now about the miracle that is

life and we still have a long way to go. Or the miracle that is creation to be able to transmit that to our incoming generation is to provide them with real excitement in the knowledge that we really have instead of the boring experience that the educational process is for most youngsters of the present time is another challenge. How important is human compassion to the achievement of knowledge. Without human compassion no knowledge is meaningful. The practice of medicine is a perfectly good example where compassion is an absolute ingredient. About 90 years ago we probably had 90 percent compassion and 10 percent knowledge there wasn't much knowledge still fly. Now there's so much knowledge so fly there's almost no time for compassion. That's another reason we have to restructure but I think that education medical practice knowledge without them fashion means. Us. Dr Albert Sabin research scientist

philosopher humanist. His awards include over 25 honorary degrees from universities in Brazil Israel England the United States and others. He was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Science in 1951 and was also awarded the 1970 US National Medal of Science. Between 1970 and one thousand seventy two. Dr. Saban was president of the Weizmann Institute in Israel one of the best research institutes in biomedical science in the world coming to the Medical University in Charleston South Carolina in 1974. Perhaps his personal philosophy is best summed up in the words of Sir Francis Drake. He said Grant just know. That it is not the beginning but the continuing of the same until it is thoroughly finished. Yield to glory. This. Is something good to live by. I don't like the stock

drops. I'd like to work to an end point of view.