The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-08-15
CARE OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Work Of Government Labora-
tory at Washington.
MOSQUITO sLIoIEa BY MACHINERY

In Establishing Standards of Se-
runs and Toxics.
BY an act Of congress passed In 1902
to regulate the sale Of vaccine virus
and antitoxine serum all dealers in
these articles who are engaged in in
terstate traffic are compelled to get
license from the secretary Of the treas
ury, and that official, before giving the
license, must see that the prelucts are
up TO the standard, says the Washing
ton correspondent Of the New York
Post.
This law accounts for no small part
Of tie work of the recently erected
laboratory Of the public health and ma
rine hospital service on the grounds Of
the old naval observatory at Wash
ington overlooking the Potomac. To
get and to retain the license the virus
and toxics must be submitted to regu-
lar examinations through samples Sc
lected at random BY this bureau Of the
treasury, over which Dr. Walter Wy
man presides This bureau also sent
an expert to Europe to examine the
serum which is sent from abroad.
Once at the laboratory all the sam
pies are planted in the proper culture
media, and the organisms that grow
are examined as to number and kind.
ana also for their effect on animal
life. The laboratory also ascertains
whether given antitoxic has as
much minimizing value as it claims to
have on the label, thus establishing
certain standards of strength Of great
value to the careful practitioner.
But this is only one Of many inter-
esting things that the new laboratory
Is doing, 1t has d little machine for
slicing mosquitoes preparatory to their
examination under the microscope. An
ordinary Vera Cruz mosquito, which Is
the kind now under scrutiny, is cut
into about twenty-five slices; these
slices are arranged on glass slides for
examination under a powerful micro
scope as a part Of the search after the
germ that causes yellow fever, An ex-
animation is now in progress Of the
little organism that causes the sleep
| ing sickness Of the west coast of Afri-
ca. This, 80 far its known, affects las
yet only the natives, hut it is sufficient
| " serious to invite the attention Of for
| eign scientists.
The manufacturers Of diphtheria an
| titoxic have had to get their standard
/ serum from Germany. This laboratory
is now preparing to supply the serum III
a form suitable for distribution among
manufacturers and research workers
Everybody III the Tnited states will
/ eventually get serum the standard of
| which viii be IN the United States
| whenever the manufacturers put out a
vial Of the article practitioners can
know its strength in exact units IN
the development of these standards
many guinea pigs are utilized; they are
injected with the diphtheritie toxic
ana then with the antitoxic until the
exact strength OF one necessary 10 metz
tralize the other has been ascertained.
In fact, the basement Of the new Labs
oratory looks almost like geological
park. with its cages of mice, rabbits
and guinea pigs under observation
Cards in front Of each compartment
record faithfully the history Of tile
case. Scales for weighing the animals
are at hand. They are all treated hui
namely, SO that tie NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
have no fault to find 10 operation Is
ever performed on an animal unless it
| Is under III anaesthetic. They are all
| wen fed but, like DR. Wiley's poison
/ squad at the department of agriculture
find their food dosed with the drug un-
der examination in its different degrees
| OF strength IN order to test various pos
| sible effects This is an important serv-
Ice the animals perform as we'll as III
the production Of antitoxic. 10 raise
its own specimens the laboratory main-
tains an extensive establishment Ii Is
estimated that It will take 5000 guinea
| pigs a year. besides many rabbits and
mice, for the legitimate operations of
the laboratory.
4 The geological division has been in
| yestigating the hook worm, besides
doing much general work All the
drugs used III the public health and
marine hospital service, which has
60.000 patients year, are examined
in the pharmaeologica division This
branch Of the laboratory is also on the
lookout for new alkaloidal principles
In drugs and is constantly studying
|, the effects Of new drugs upon animals.
This Is chiefly research work, OF late
some Of the most important expert
ments have been made with quinine
compounds, and although the results
are not quite ready for presentation,
the prospect is that some important
. discoveries may be announced. The
aim was to secure a compound which
would kin the micro organisms that
quinine is so effective IN attacking. but
one which would be without the 0rdi-
nary disagFeeabe effects Of that drug.
Experiments have gone far enough to
show a quinine deriyative, which Il d
great deal more effective On these
! micro organisms, but not SO injurious
to warm blooded animals. The tests
+ have not yet been applied TO human
beings, but the poisonous qualities of
the compound have been pretty well
ascertained. Il takes twice ais much
OF the new quinine TO kill mouse as