Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-02-02
VACCINE VIRUS DISCUSSED.
Method of Production and Manner o.
Getting Ready for Market
Smallpox Robbed of its
TerrOrS.
From the Omaha Bee,

From the Omaha Bee, ....r. ... ..
The prevalence of smallpox to some
extent in this vicinity has called forth
what might be termed wholesale vac.
cination. Those who are subjected to
the operation know in "a general way,
that it is done as Il specific to smallpox,
but how it accOmplishes that result and
just what the vaccine virus used is,
and how it is obtained, are questions
that very few know, but which would
undoubtedly be of interest to Il great
many people at the present time.
For long time after Jenner's dis
covery of the principles of vaccination
in 1898 it was practiced in crude
manner and resulted seriously, if not
fatally, in so many cases that the
operation for a while4was considered
oven more dangerous than the disease
that it was intended to prevent, or at
least ameliorate. That was the result
of what was known as the arm to arm
vaccination and was in reality but a
transference of smallpox from II
patient to well person, plus the
danger of transferring more dangerous
constitutional diseases.
However, when the medical fraternity
discovered the similarity Of cowpox to
smallpox solution of the difficulty
was fond, which has resulted in max
ing the operation Of vaccination en-
tirely safe and efficacious.
The virus used in vaccination now
forms a great industry in this country,
there being not less than a score of
great vaccine FARMS" to say nothing
of 100 or more lesser concerns scattered
throughout the country.
CARE IN PRODUCING.
These farms either raise or buy a
number of heifers for the purpose of
producing the bovine virus. None of
these must be less than year nor more
than three years old at the time the
virus is made. Eighteen months is the
age preferred. From the time one of
these calves comes to the farm she has
the tenderest and best Of care. First,
a veterinary surgeon examines her for
tuberculosis or other inoculable diseases
and if even predisposition to any of
them is discovered, she is promptly re-
jected. But proving sound in this
respect, she is fed OIL wholesome food,
sponged down, and rubbed off daily
until she is in the pink of condition
when the first step is taken for the pro-
duction of virus. There are two
methods. One is inocculation of the
calf with genuine smallpox; the other
with the virus from case of cowpox
The latter is preferred at most of the
farms, and the supply is kept up by a
calf to calf vaccination.
This vaccination produces on the
calf an indented peck, which fills with
a substance called lymph, in from eight
to thirteen days. This lymph is
gathered with the greatest care and
placed in reservoirs where it is sub
jected to low temperature of heat for
some hours. However, it must be borne
in mind that the lymph from one heifer
is never mixed with that from another.
After treating it in this way "a skilled
bacteriologlst makes careful exami-
nation of it to see that it has not be-
come contaminated with foreign bacilli
Finding it all right in this respect ivory
points which have been treated anti
sceptically are produced and are dipped
into the lymph from one heifer. These
are then placed in a retort to dry, being
subjected to temperature not exceed
ing 100 degrees Fahrenheit. When
thoroughly dried they are again dipped
into the lymph of another heifer and
then go back to the retort for the same
treatment as given in the first instance.
This completes the drying and after
being again inspected by the bacteriolo.
gist they are placed in steel cylinder,
points downward, and are ready for
use. However. with all this care, it is
quite impossible to preserve the points
from infection by Heterogeneous, and