6
REPORT OF THE KING INSTITUTE, GUINDY
primary vaccination success rates, the presence
of clove oil has not lowered the rates which
on the contrary have gone up:—
Per
cent
case
success.
Per
cent
insertion
success.
April 1928—March 1929 . . .
99.4
95.8
April 1929—March 1930 . . .
98.5
93
April 1930—September 1930.
99.7
94.4
October 1930—September 1931.
99.7
95.6
October 1931—September 1932.
99.9
98.1
Encouraged by the results in Madras we
extended the use of clove oiled lymph in
May last year to a few districts which have
consistently had good success rates, Results
are as below. They are compared with
results for the corresponding period in 1930
for which figures are available. Since the
period covers the hot weather—the worst time
for vaccination, it is essential to compare
results over this same season. In one res
-pect the earlier period has an advantage, for
the lymph was then issued in a dilution of
1 in 5 as was our practice for hot weather
issues. Now our practice is to issue all lymph
in a dilution of 1 in 7, so the 1932 clove
oiled lymph results refer to a weaker lymph.
Despite this handicap, as seen, the two sets
of results are practically the same.
—
May—September
1 9 3 2 .
May—September
1930.
T o t a l .
Case
success.
Insert i on success.
T o t a l .
C a s e s u c c e s s .
I n s e r t i o n s u c c e s s .
P E R C E N T .
P E R C E N T .
P E R C E N T .
P E R C E N T .
Nilgiris . . .
1,304 99.9
7.3
1,247
99.0
94.9
Malabar . . .
23,872
9 8 . 8 96.1 30,965
9 9 . 6
96.4
South
Kanara
.
7,057
99.9 98.8 10,494 99.8 97.9
Chittoor . . .
9,070 99.8 98.7
6,982
98.3
92.7
Saidapet . . .
1,152 100
99.2
1,998 99.2 95.9
We conclude that with lymph of the pre
- s e n t h i g h p o t e n c y , d a m a g e f r o m t h e p r e s e n c e
of clove oil is negligible. So far the clove
oil has been added only just before issue,
but experiments show that it can be added
earlier.
4. Determination of the dilution end point
of vaccine lymph—Dr. K. P. Menon.—
At my request progressive dilutions of three
samples of lymph from 1/5,000 upwards were
tested for virus activity on calves. One of
the samples was carried up to a dilution of
1/3,000,000 and this dilution showed an
average of 1 vesicle per 10 linear inches.
In general, the results were rather irregular
in the intermediate dilutions. The experi
-ments are being repeated.
5. To find a suitable viscid diluent for
lymph—Dr. K. P. Menon.— At present the
diluent used is 50 per cent glycerine. Higher
strengths cannot be used without damaging
the virus. When lymph was issued in a
dilution of 1 in 5 in 50 per cent glycerine,
the viscidity of lymph remains sufficient for
practical purposes, but when higher dilutions
are made the viscidity falls to such an extent
that vaccination by surface scarification is
interfered with. Accordingly we have tried
to find a suitable diluent to add to the 50
per cent glycerine. Gum, gelatin, agar agar,
lanoline, and liquid paraffin have been tried
but without success. Other materials will be
tried Suggestions are invited.
6. Serological classification and pathogeni
- c i t y o f s t r e p t o c o c c i i n v a c c i n e l y m p h — D r . K .
P. Menon.—Various streptococci isolated from
lymph were grouped by their sugar fermen
- t a t i o n s i n t o e l e v e n g r o u p s o f w h i c h t h r e e
are very uncommon. Strains representing
the eight principal groups were inoculated into
rabbits and high titre sera prepared. Agglu
-tination tests both with the homologous and
with the other strains failed to reveal true
specificity in these strains. Doses even up to
5 c.c. of 24 hours broth cultures of these
streptococci inoculated intraperitonially into
guinea-pigs failed to kill. They are obviously
not pathogenic and appear to be saprophytic
on the skin of calves.
7. Treatment of smallpox with anti
-vaccinia serum—Dr. K. P. Menon with Dr.
Masilamony of the Infectious Diseases Hos
- pital.—Buffalo calves that had been used for
the seed passage of vaccine lymph and which
were thus immune, were hyperimmunized by
three intravenous injections at weekly inter
-vals of vaccine lymph in saline. Two weeks
after the last injection they were bled.
Animal experiment showed that the serum
protected against vaccinia, but not if given
24 hours or later after infection. Fifteen
cases of smallpox at Tondiarpet Infectious
Diseases Hospital were treated with small
doses of from 20 to 40 c.c. of this serum
without any particular benefit being observed.
All the cases were very severe indeed. Large
doses given early are probably the only hope.
Possibly serum from convalescent cases of
smallpox would be better than anti-vaccinial
animal sera. Such serum is being collected
but with great difficulty, most patients dec
-line to be bled largely because of superstition.
Five patients have been treated with convales
-cent serum so far with apparent benefit to
one case. Further work is required.
8.
The action of CO2 and CO on, fleas
—Major W. J. Webster.— It is known that
fleas can withstand exposure to concentra
-tions of CO which would be rapidly fatal to
human beings (e.g., 0.5 per cent) because
they do not depend on oxyhaemoglobin for
respiratory purposes. It had, however, been
suggested that higher concentrations might
be fatal to fleas. Ethylene oxide with COz
in a proportion of 1 to 7 has been recom
-mended as a pulicide and the question arose
whether COz alone had any effect or was
merely a diluent. Experiments showed that
fleas might recover after 10 minutes in coal