News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-12-17
VACCINE VIRUS FARMING.
HOW THE PREVENTIVE OF SMALL.
Pox Is PROPAGATED.
Experiments of the New York Board
of Notwithstanding Virus For
All Parts of the Country


shire, England, successfully demonstrat-
ed, in an operation on James Phipps,
May 13, 1890, that vaccination, as
modifer and preventive of smallpox,
was practicable, and fought public
opinion for a year, until seventy of Lon
don's eminent medical men sanctioned
his discovery. He early found that the
most reliable vaccine virus obtainable
was gotten through the vaccination of
young calves. Vaccine virus from young
children was usually found pure when
the child and parents were healthy, but
now and then it was discovered tkat the
sins of the fathers had been visited upon
the children of the third and fourth gen.
erations.
The New York board of health in
1874 was using humanized vaccine virus,
taken from children exclusively; but the
mothers of New York objected to this
process of vaccine farming, and there
was now and then a case Of blood poison
ing, and the board decided to establish
a vaccine farm, where pure bovine vac
cine virus could be produced in quanti-
ties sufficient to supply all demands.
DR.. j. B. Taylor, whom some depart.
ing patriarch of the medical world had
told about the simple method of propa-
eating bovine virus, was a friend o4a.-Ss
Barney. He and the Barneys went over
to Jersey, and talked with the Jersey
farmers of Clifton and vicinity about
leasing their calves for the purpose of
vaccination. The Jersey farmers put
up their hands, and said their stock
would be killed off by cow-pox. Final
ly, Mr.. Barney found butcher who
agreed to deliver two calves a day at Mr..
Barney's farm, for the use of which he
was to be paid two dollars apiece il they
were returned all right, or a slight ad-
vance on their cost if they were injured
by the operation. The calves seemed to
be as we'll as ever after few days feed
ing, and the Jersey farmers became less
and less scrupulous, and brought along
their calves as fast as wanted at one dol
lar and half and two dollars a head.
The city allowed ten dollars head to
Mr.. Barney, and so there was a very
snug little profit in the business, exclu-
sive of virus produced and marketed on
his own private account.
The primitive operation was to throw
the calves on their backs on a straw-cov-
cred floor, and hold their legs while the
operator, with pair of scissors, removed
the hair from their thighs and under
parts. Then lather was applied, and the
skin shaved clean with a razor. After
that, with lancet, often as much as
thirty spots were denuded, and to them
bovine or humanized virus was applied
from quill or ivory points. The calves
were then allowed to get up, and
leather muzzle, with tacks in it that
would prick the calves skin If they at
tempted to lick the sores made by the
lancet, was adjusted. When this was
not used a piece of creased cloth was
hung loosely, under the part operated
upon, by straps that moved over the
back. This prevented irritation.
After seven days the animals we're
again thrown on their backs and the
cloths and bandages were removed.
With the lancet the scabs, which were
nearly ready to fall off, were separated
from the skin, the first flow of serum
was wiped up with sponge, and then
soaked and scraped quilts, two and one
half inches long, were rolled over the
vesicles, the presence of the quill being
sufficient to cause the virus to exude. AS
the Quill was rolled a thin coating of
virus was collected on its surface for
about one inch from the end. Quill af-
ter quill was used until the vesicles were
drawn dry. Then the calves we're turned
loose again, and the quills were carefully
dried and placed within glass jars with
air tight covers, which were set any
where that a temperature of 40 to 40
! degrees could be found.
! It took at least three men to perform
an operation in this manner, and now
and then vigorous calf made the two
/ men holding its legs accomplish some
very lively athletic feats. So a crib"
was invented. 1t looked like an in
verted table. The calves legs were strap
ped to the legs of the crib and one man
| performed the work of three much
! quicker and more satisfactorily than it
| had been done before. The muzzle was
eschewed, and the loose bandages used
altogether. The calves were kept in
heavily bedded stalls, were well fed, and
were given exercise on the meadows at
midday.
The only advance that has since been
made is in the style of the crib. This is
at present a table standing against a
wall to which it is attached. The calf,
which is thrown with its back upon it,
presents, when ad iusted for the opera
ton, spread-eagle appearance. The
legs on one side are strapped to the wall,
and those on the other to the other edge
of the table, while the head is held quiet
by still another strap. All the straps
are wide, but otherwise preparations for
the comfort of the subject when under
operation are not thought Of The new
style of crib gives the operator every OPP
portunity possible to get at the parts to
be operated upon, and he performs his
work quickly.
Mr.. Barney's operating building, twen-
ty feet square, has four cribs in it. He
has stalls for fifty calves and stall room
for three mothers. During the year of
1SS1-S2, the last year that the board of
health of New York patronized Mr..
Barney's farm, over one hundred calves
a month were operated on.
From Clifton the New York board of
health went two years ago to Coscob,
Conn, where an old farmer named
Fisher was conducting a vaccine farm.
and there rented celves from him at
81. so head. One year ago DIR. Ed
ward L, Paidee, of the vaccination de-
opened vaccine farm in the
stables across Mott street from the de-
partment rooms, and has since been ex-
Derimenting there in vaccine virus rails
ing very successfully. There are accom-.
nodations in the way of stalls for twen-
.y-five calves, and more can be cared for.
should they be required. At present
from ten to fifteen calves are kept on
hand. They are purchased from butch
ers at the stock yard on North river, and
sold to them again after they are re-
covered from the effects of the vaccina-
ion, They are never vaccinated until
gotten into perfect physical condition.
With the farm here and the one at
Coscob, Conn, there is found no diff.
,ulty in supplying, not only all the virus
needed for the use of the department,
out for local physicians and boards of
health and physicians in New York and
'ther States. Crusts from the arms of
healthy infants vaccinated with bovine
vaccine virus, are preserved and these
ire also sent abroad. These are sufficient