SCHOOL SCIENCEAND

MATHEMATICSVOL. LXXJANUARY, 1970WHOLE No. 615

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A Message from Your President

The Central Association is one of the oldest professional societies.Through the years it can boast of major accomplishments in terms ofmeetings, publications, and committee efforts. It can also boast of anactive membership where interest in and knowledge of the individualwas a matter of great pride. The "CASMT family" is not a meaning-less phrase. However, we now realize that our full potential has notbeen realized. We feel we can maintain the pride in "family" as weattempt to serve more people and more areas with enlarged services,programs, and activities. We feel our interdisciplinary structure is intune with the future developments in curricular structure at all aca-demic levels whether elementary, secondary, or college. We feel weare in a unique position of leadership as a result.As we look to 1970 and the 67th year of the Central Association of

Science and Mathematics Teachers, we, like all other associationsconcerned with science and mathematics education, find many crucialissues facing us. Our role as the organization common to the sciences(including mathematics) is not firmly established; involvement of asubstantial number of members in relevant efforts within the orga-nization is not a reality; our membership is not growing in relationshipto the field and to modern society; and with rising costs, our financialbase is not as firm as it might be. These are immediate challenges forall of us as we move into a new year.

2 School Science and Mathematics

During the forthcoming year your officers are pledged to completemajor changes in the structure, direction, and functions of the associa-tion. To accomplish these changes all members are needed for activeinvolvement and discussion. New members are needed to help as well.As we consider changes in the name, bylaws, and fundamental goals,we need the thoughtful guidance and assistance of all the people in-volved. We want to hear from you! We hope you will not wait forfurther call!We hope to undertake new research projects, establish major cri-

teria for interdisciplinary approaches in science and mathematics,renew the vigor of our annual meetings, provide more activity andcontinuity in the administrative and legislative structure, conduct amajor national drive for members, come to grips with the big issuesin science and mathematics education as viewed by our members. Wewould like to see an active committee in every state in the Union foraction and membership. We will wecome expressions of interest fromall members in all areas and from all academic levels. We want yourhelp in deciding our future.As your newly elected president, I would like to charge all members

with responsibility for accepting the challenges of our time. We needall of your efforts, interests, and involvements if we are to makethe changes the 1970 leadership team desires. We hope to hear fromyou with your offer of assistance with meeting the challenges.

It is a great honor for me to serve as your president for 1970 at thisexciting time in our history. I am looking forward to getting to knowthe membership even better. I am hoping that we can make sig-nificant advances together. I am sure we will if you consider yourselfone of the most important members of our team.

ROBERT E. YAGER, President

TOBACCO ALLERGY IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASECoronary artery disease as well as strokes and other cardiovascular ailments

have been linked to tobacco allergy.Migrating phlebitis, for example, in which blood clots recur in different parts

of the same limb, occurred in 32% of the smokers studied. In one such patient,hospitalized because of blood coagulation over the left foot, a suspected mass inthe abdomen required surgery.

Investigation of 319 ward patients with various cardiovascular ailments re-vealed that positive skin reactions to tobacco were found most frequently, in theabsence of any other cause, in smokers who had angina pectoris, heart flutteringor other abnormal heart beats, inflammation of the inner coat of blood vesselswith migrating phlebitis, or with heart and brain manifestations.

Nicotine as such does not appear to cause direct injury to the normal bloodvessels. But, it raises the question of what factor in tobacco is responsible for thedamage in the heart and veins of some individuals and not in others. Allergyto smoke could not be demonstrated satisfactorily by skin tests because ofmany nonspecific irritating substances it contains, so researchers have had totest the tobacco itself.