Purify Lamont

The vernal equinox has passed. Soon the graceful languor which invariably overtakes Cambridge this time of year will be attributed once again to a subtle combination of Spring and hour exams. But the real reason for that feeling of being "unaccountably pooped," says Dr. John T. Middleton, a leading expert on air pollution, is a common air pollutant known as nitric oxide.

Reacting with sunlight and other common air contaminants, nitric oxide forms ozone, a chemical which closes part of the lungs and forces an animal to use more energy to get enough oxygen. Middleton showed other experts at a two-day conference at the New York University School of Medicine last week how ozone "in the quantities you commonly find in New York city air" slows down rats and mice when they exercise on a treadmill.

The obvious threat represented by this obnoxious chemical should provide the administration with a long-awaited excuse to purify the air in Lamont on an hourly basis. Frequent users of Lamont--and there are many on this newspaper--will vouch for the abundance of contaminants in that institution's air.

As the crucial time of the final semester approaches, the administration should take effective measures to eliminate this pernicious deterrent to serious study. Harvard scarcely deserves to criticize the Commonwealth if it cannot maintain the purity of its own air. The movement to eradicate Nitric Oxide must begin at home.

Purify Lamont.