Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-08-08
MAKE ADDITION
TO LABORATORY
Department of State Health
Board Plans Work.


Trenton, Aug. 8:-There is being
built on the roof of the State House
an addition to the laboratory Of
hygiene, one of the departments Of
the State Board Of Health, which
when completed will have in one
end the cages for guinea pigs and
other animals which are used for
scientific experiments In connection
with disease. The use of these ami
mails has met with strong opposition
from NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. but those in
charge Of the work claim that with
out this animal experimentation
much of the work which leads to the
prevention of disease and it's fatal
results would be impossible.
The State Board of Health occu-
pies the entire fourth floor Of the
wing of the capitol erected two or
three years ago, and the animal pens
and the other addition, which will
be an Office for the state laboratory,
are being erected on the roof of the
old portion of the State House,
which is only three stories high. This
brings the addition Immediately ad-
joining the westerly side of the pres
ent quarters Of the laboratory.
Ever since the wing vas built the
officers of the laboratory have been
compelled t use a corridor as an
office and this has hampered their
work. The addition is 40 by Is
feet, and a small space at n end
will be devoted to the animals. The
Office will be equipped with all the
necessities for making the work of
the greatest efficiency.
The laboratory does splendid work
along two lines. 1t prevents the
adulteration of food and drugs
through the detection of adultera-
tions and enforcement of the food
and drug law, and it prevents disease
through the application Of scientific
methods.
An Illustration of the use of the
animals is given by the procedure in
cases of mad dog bites where rabies
is suspected. Many cases of this
character are handled by the labora-
tory every year. After the dog has
been killed it's head is sem to DR..
Raymond Fitz Randolph, head of the
laboratory. The only way positively
to determine whether the animal had
rabies is to inoculate a guinea pig
| with a portion of the dogs brain. II
the dog really had rabies the disease
will develop in the guinea pig. This
] demonstrates that the person bitten
Is in danger of hydrophobia and the
physfcian1a attendance can be 81
notified. Th.pinformation will en-
able the physicianIo administer n
proper treatment, and II Ea%Sdse b
taken in hand at once may be cured
| Other diseases may be prevented IL
a similar way.
DR.. Fitz Randolph and his assist
ants in the laboratory render the
people of the state great service in
their work for the prevention Of
diphtheria and many similar conta-
gious diseases, though this does not
require the incubation of animals.
In the case of diphtheria specimens
from the threats of suspected pa
tents are sent to the laboratory and
are called Cultures" They are in
glass tubes and are placed in owens"
where; if diphtheria germs be really
present they quickly develop.
The culture" in a tube having
developed DR.. Fitz Randolph tele-
graphs the physician that he has a
case of d~iphtheria. The physician
may then give the proper treatment
for curing the disease.