Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-01-02
Virus from Rakeby.
Prominent PHYSICIANS INSPECT THE WORK.
INos OF THE GREAT VACCINE FARM.

Ten we'll known physicians stood around .
securely tied heifer YESTERDAY in the operat-
ing house on John Wyeth's vaccine farm near
Westtown, in Chester county. The visitors
were principally members of the State board
of health, who had come by invitation to ex-
anime the methods used on this model farm
for obtaining perfectly pure bovine lymph or
virus for the purpose of vaccination.
Rakeby, the name of Mr.. Wyeth's country
place, 10 situated within mile and half of
the railroad, on the crest of one of the manv
waves of land which make Chester county so
famous for its beauty. Of the hundreds of
acres which the place contains about fifteen
have been set apart for the needs OF the
blooded stock which yields the preventative
against small-pox The animals used for this
purpose are Guernsey and Jersey heifers from
four months 20 year old. The two stables
in which they are kept. and which accommo-
date about seventy animals, are heated by .
careful arrangement of covered steam pipes
to uniform temperature. The buildings are
finished on the inside in hard wood The
floors are Of asphalt and the drainage is per-
fectly arranged. Huge windows admit floods
of sunshine and the ventilation is as perfect
as the drainage. An artesian well furnishes
the water for the entire establishment, and
all the tanks and pipes are made OF galvan-
lied iron, to prevent any septic influence.
Besides the stables 10 another building used
for an operating house. This, too, is finished
in hard wood with asphalt floors, and contains
a second story, in which are bedrooms for the
employees.
The unsuspectipg heifer, after passing
a rigid physical examination by DR.. Zuill. is
led into the operating room. Here frame
is placed over her back as she stands timid
and uncertain. In moment skilled hands
have bound her legs and strapped her body to
the frame. In another moment the frame is
overturned, and Miss Jersey or Miss Guern-
sey, as the case may be, finds herself help
less upon her back with her feet in the air.
The farm barber then shaves the animals
belly and part of the hind legs. Upon the
surface of pink skin left exposed by this OPP
Grafton, about fifty scarifcations are made.
each one of which is ipnoculated with virus
brought directly from the Belgian Vaccine
Bureau TO Rakeby by DR.. Charles E. SaJous,
Then the animal is placed right side up and
escorted back to the stable. In the course
of ten days or thereabOut, the scabs are IN
prime condition for yielding the virus. The
animal is again taken to the operating room
and again turned wrong side up, Carefully,
with moistened clothes, the scabs are re-
moved. From the raw places so made. the
bovine lymph or virus wells up, transpar-
ent, slightly tinged liquid. In this are dip
ped ivory points of exceeding shapeliness.
Each point ia dipped twice, sufficient time
being allowed between for the first coating of
lymph to dry. The points, after being fully
prepared, are placed in chamber kept the
year AROUND at temperature of about 800
until they are needed for distribution. The
visitors, individually and collectively, ex
pressed their delight at the perfect arrange
ment Of the vaccine farm. at would be i'm
possible" said one of them. "to have more
accurate or more careful management, and
the virus from Rakeby must needs be per-
fectly pure. Philadelphia Press.