New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-05
MAKING VACCINE VIRUS.
THE CJTy,s FARM IN sECOND-AvE.
HOW THE ANIMALS ARE TREATED-REsULTs OF
LAST YEARS WORK.

HOW THE ANIMALS ARE TREATED-REsULIS VI
LAST YEARS WORK.
Few persons who pass the old twostory DITCH
br,ldinr No o16 second-ave. which has decaycd
,raodo awning in front OF IT and bears the sign,
Stoar, Garnet Cleaning arc aware that 1t shelters
tbo BOARD Of Hcalths vaccine virus " farm" me
first floor Of the building recently was converted ih'o
n stable for cattle that are kept there 10 unucIso
vaccination A cleaner warmer and better ventilated
stable probably cannot be found in the city sixteen
fat cows and Texan steers stood In tho STABLES ,nc
other day Wien TRIBUNE reporter entered the
place Dr. Pardee. the virus expert, was at WORK vi
his laboratory in the rear of the stable, While Two
assistants were looking after the cattle DE- Pardecs
don is lsvishly decorated with co'ored prints, ana Is
occupied in his absence by n white cat. on the
sheiyes arc glass Jars containing goose quiiis ana
points" of virus. big table, on which calves ior-
mcry were strapped while undergoing treatment,
occupies part of the room, and there Is small
crndstone used for roughening the quills which are
TO receive the virus.
The manufacture Of tOvine virus for the protection
oil human beings against smallpox has been going on
under the eye of Pardee for dozen years or more
Formerly he operated on calves but lately he De
came convinced that better virus could be obtained
from large cattle and the Health Board decideu 10
give him a new farm by a clever arrangement Of
movable bars in the stalls or 4 steer Is pre-
vented from kicking while It Is being vaccInatcd in
annoying to the animal comes later, when the virus
Is being transferred from II to the quill points IL Is
necessary for the Health Board TO buy the cattle out
right feed them well while undergoing treatment and
for some time aftcrward, and finally sell them to
butchers at a loss
The outlay for rent, feed salaries cost of materials
and losses In cattle trading amounts TO about $1,000
a year. Part Of tho money comes back through tho
sale of virus. Last year the Department received
90 $50 for virus sold to druggists and physicians.
Probably money could be made out of the " farm II
the Health Board charged fair price for all the virus
II could dis pose of but the sanitary officials are main
y interested in stopping smallpox Last year nearly
9OOOO persons IN the city vaccinaed free of
charge by the Sanitary Inspectors and enough virus to
vaccinate 10000 more persons was given away TO
bubble institutions. AS druggists arc charged % cents
Tor a single point" the graiutouS vaccinations by
the Health Board on that basis last year might be SAID
to be worth nearly $4,000
"The recent change from calves to large cattle In
the virus farm has been attended with surprisingly
good results said President Baycs of the Health
Board. ono inspector recently vaccinatcd sixty
FIVE children in public institution with the now virus
and vaccination took IN every Formerly
there were frequent failures. and many children had
10 be vaccinatcd a second time. The new virus Is
believed to be pure any ever obtained. We have
had no complaints about IL far as have heard IL
Is alleged that diseases may be communicated to chill
using bovine virus, when the virus Is taken from
sound cattle" $1,000
At present the virus farm turns out about 5000
points" week