MANUAL OF VACCINATION FOR THE U. P. OF AGRA AND OUDH.
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APPENDIX I.
Vaccination of the calf.*
(a) A calf of suitable age (three to six months) having been placed in
quarantine for a week and its health having been ascertained to be satis-
factory, it is transferred to the vaccine establishment. Such a calf having
been strapped to a large tilting table, the lower part of the abdomen, as far.
forward as the umbilicus, is carefully shaved. This shaved area is washed,
first, with a solution of carbolic acid, and afterwards with water recently
sterilized by boiling. The calf is then vaccinated with glycerinated calf
lymph, previously ascertained by use of the method of plate cultivation, to
be free from extraneous organism. With a sharp scalpel, dipped from time
to time in the glycerinated lymph, parallel linear incisions are made, which
penetrate the epidermis and open up rete Malpighii, if possible without
drawing blood. The incisions are usually made about four inches long and
half an inch apart. As they are made, additional glycerinated lymph is
run in along the whole length of the line by means of some blunt sterilized
instrument such as a small bone spatula. It is desirable to inoculate the
incision immediately it is made, otherwise the lips of the wound are apt to
swell and to close the opening.
Collection of vaccine material.
(b) After five days (120 hours) the vaccinated surface of the calf's
abdomen is thoroughly washed with soap and warm water gently rubbed
over it by the clean hands of the operator; then it is cleansed with water
recently sterilized by boiling. The site of such incision should at this stage
(120 hours) present one long continuous vesicle. The skin having been
put firmly on the stretch, the vesicles and their contents are removed with a
sterilized Volkman's spoon, each line being thus treated in turn and
scraped once only, care being taken that the edge of the spoon does not
touch the neighbouring lines. In this way the vesicular pulp is removed
without admixture of blood. The total vesicle pulp obtained by the above
procedure is received into a weighed sterilized bottle. A calf vaccinated in
the manner described should yield 18 to 24 grammes of vaccine lymph
pulp.
Glycerination of the vaccine material.
(c) The bottle containing the above lymph is taken to the laboratory
and the exact weight of the material ascertained. The pulp is next trans-
ferred to a sterilized mortar and rubbed up with a sterilized pestle. The
mortar is covered, so that the handle of the pestle only projects above the
cover. It is important that the pulp be finely rubbed up before any
glycerine is added, though if the material should be dry, as sometimes
happens a few drops of sterilized distilled water may be added in the process
of rubbing. To this triturated lymph pulp there is now added six times its
weight of a sterilized mixture of 50 per cent. pure glycerine in distilled
water. The addition is made little by little, thus producing eventually a
fine and intimate emulsion. At this stage a loop-full of the emulsion is
withdrawn with a sterilized platinum needle and agar-agar plates are
established.
*Extract from Appendix B-6 of the Report of the Medical Officer to the Local Govern-
ment Board (British) for 1897-98.