Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-29
GREAT MICROBE FARM
LABORATORY NEAR LONDON CEN
TER OF GERM CULTURE.
An Important Medical Establishment
founded by an American-Mak-
ing AntiToxine.

William e. Curtis in the Chicago Record Herald.
Henry s. Welcome, an American chemist
and manufacturer Of medicines, holds the
only license ever granted by the BRITISH
government for a private physiological
laboratory for experiment and research. III
America no license is necessary but in Eng
land people are very particular, and the
societies for the prevention of cruelty to
animals and the anti-viyisection organiza-
tons have secured the enactment of very
rigid laws governing such matters. Mr..
Welcome is a member of the firm of Bur-
roughs, Welcome & Co., manufacturing
chemists but his two laboratories for ply
Biological and chemical research are both
personal enterprises unconnected with his
commercial business and intended for the
advancement of the science of medicine,
the healing of disease and the prolongation
of life From his physiological laboratory
the British government obtains the greater
part of it's supplies Of serum for the hos
pitfalls of the army and navy, and he ships
large quantities to India, Australia and
other British colonies.
Dread Diseases.
The laboratory is most interesting place.
although a visit is apt to give a sensitive
person the horrors because a dozen or more
chemists are engaged in manufacturing the
most dreadful diseases known to mankind
and experimenting with remedies for their
cure. They will take you into a room in
the cellar, all walled up with bricks and
sealed. with two doors, in which even the
air is sterilized. and show you long racks
supporting rows of great bottles full of
microbes and bacilli of all the contagious
diseases you can think of. from cancer to
rheumatism. This room is kept at tenn
perature of blood heat, and most mys-
FERROUS. Soul-chlling place it is. If the con-
scattered on the ground, the doctors say,
it might do no harm, but if they were
dumped into the reservoir all London would
be down with an epidemic.
L remember reading a story some time
ago about man who had sworn to destroy
society. to avenge some slight or injury he
had suffered and, as he could not kill peo-
pie with ordinary weapons fast enough to
suit him, he established cholera microbe
factory. and, taking a vast quantity up in a
balloon, he emptied them upon the roofs of
the city with the most terrible conse-
quences. 1 couldn't help thinking of him
as I went through Mr.. Welcomes place
yesterday.
Animals for Experiment.
1t is situated at the suburban station Of
Herne Hill, about five miles from st. Paul's
Cathedral. where four years ago Mr.. Well
come was fortunate enough to obtain the
leasehold of old-fashioned manor house
and eleven acres of ground surrounding it.
This place he has inclosed with a high wall,
and within has provided every possible IA
cflity and convenience for physiological re-
search under the direction of DR.. Walter
Dowson, eminent British scientist. 1t is
called Brockwell Hall, and is a fine old
mansion, surrounded by shade trees and
lawns, a garden and large stables, which
are necessary, for Mr.. Welcome keeps
sixty horses, fifty rabbits, a thousand
guinea pigs, donkey, pair of monkeys
and lot of dogs and cats for experimentive
purposes. The animals are well fed and
cared for, and the smaller ones, particu-
larly the rabbits and guinea pigs, are bred
upon the place. The law limits physio-
logical experiments to rodents, such as rab-
bits, rats, mice and guinea pigs, but the
latter are chiefly used in the study of dis
eases. as they give the most uniform re-
suits. In order to secure accuracy it is
necessary that the animals should be alb
solutely free from disease, hence the great
est care Is taken in breeding and feeding
them. There is large garden in which are
cultivated cabbages, turnips and other suit
able food, paddock in which the horses
are exercised and pasture in which thew
are allowed to run about.
The breeding pens are as perfect as they
can be made and everything is conducted
upon scientific principles. The horses are
IN charge of Skillful veterinary surgeon
VINO buys them in the open markets, but
PICKS them with the greatest care so that
they shall be free from defects and diseases
Curiously enough they sell for higher prices
after benevolent experience for the bene-
mt of science, because they are supposed to
be more healthy and in better condition
generally.
Shipping the Germs.
Within the old manor houses are several
NJ lo1,
relating to different diseases are going on.
There are rooms in which germs are bred
and other rooms in which the remedies are
prepared and packed and shipped to mar
ket. The packing and shipping is done by
young women, and naturally the greatest
care and accuracy must be used The most
important experiments now going on con-
Germ cancer diphtheria, typhoid fever and
rheumatism. Mr.. Welcome has expended
great deal OF money and his assistants
great deal of time in researches concerning
cancer and different methods of arresting
the decay Of human tissues 1t is a long
and tedious task the most difficult and per-
picking that has ever yet been undertaken
More money and labor is being expended
upon the investigation of cancerous dis
eases than upon any other except tubercu-
iosis. Mr. Welcome is doing nothing with
the latter disease because it is receiving so
much attention elsewhere
The most advanced and satisfactory re-
suits have thus far been obtained with diph-
liberia bacilli. The germs are obtained by
breeding them in meat broth from seed OBJ
tanned in the hospitals. little of the poi
son Is injected into the veins of horses,
sufficient to make them ill, but not to kill
them When they have reached the proper
period OF the disease quart or so of their
blood is taken, placed in a receptacle made
for the purpose and allowed to clot AS 1t
clots the serum is released by the pressure
and drops into jar below. That serum is
the anti-tOXin and is Administered To dinh-