Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1913-10-24
STATE SERUM PLANT.
Serum Manufacture Not to be
Hampered by Lack of Funds.

The law passed before the present
cholera outbreak gave the State Serum
Plant at University Farm an appro-
priation of $4,000 year for two
years, and provided for the sale of
serum at one-third of cent ger cubic
centimeter, or less than the cost of
production. This fund of $40, 600
would soon have been exhausted under
instructions to operate the plant to
its fullest capacity, but it was decided
to add to this appropriation our hog
cholera revolving fund. These items.
together with the receipts from the
sale of serum, give us about $18, 900
for the year 1913-14. This will be
enough, we estimate, to operate the
plant to the limit of its capacity un-
til about March 1. 1914, when fund
will be exhausted. but it has already
been made clear that it will not be
necessary to close the plant at that
time and allow it to remain idle until
the opening of the next fiscal year.
All agree that it must not be ham.
pered by lack of funds SO long as the
present situation continues and that
any necessary deficit will undoubtedly
be met by proper methods.
Our instruction from all sources is
that the plant must be operated to
the limit of its capacity and this
capacity increased as rapidly as pos
sible, regardless of funds, and that is
precisely what is being undertaken
during this year. The new fiscal
year, beginning August l, 1914,
would find US with only the receipts
from serum sales and SIC, 900 avail
able if no further appropriation should
be made, but we thirk that funds
will unquestionably be provided to
continue the work during the serious
outbreak which seems likely to con-
tinue another year.
The estimated cost of a plant and
support capable of producing 5,O00,-
OG0 cubic centimeters of hog cholera
serum during 19l4-15 is $25, 900 for
building and $40, 600 for serum pro-
suction, alone, including the $4,000
which has already been appropriated.
/ It is very evident that our State
Serum Flant cannot supply the amount
of serum needed in Minnesota at pre-
sent and will probably not be able to
do so for at least another month.
When it became evident early in the
season that it would be impossible un-
der our present law to produce the
serum that would be needed and or.
dered, we adopted policy of restrict.
ing the output as nearly as possible
to recently infected herds. Under
this plan we endeavored to book or.
ders for future shipment in order OF
their receipt, but this was uDsatisfac-
tory and since about October 1. we
have been endeavoring to ship prompt
ly to each man enough for his brood
sows and choicest breeding stock and
more if possible.
1t is doubtful whether we will be
liable to supply enough serum for the
breeding.stock that should be held
lover even by increasing the number
of serum producing animals and the
capacity of our plant as rapidly as
possibly. We can determine this only
! by actual trial. Serum work is peculiar
in that it is impossible to make a
sufficiently sudden and rapid increase
capacity and output. Some serum
plants that have endeavored to dc
this in emergency cases have failed
and done much mure harm than good
1t has always been our policy to put
quality above quantity and to restrict
the quantity rather than risk the i'm.
pairment of potency or safety.
With an output necessarily limited
we are endeavoring to make the dis.
tribution as fair as possible and ir
a general way in proportion to the
need and demand Owners should
understand that in order to obtair
State serum in accordance with the
law they must arrange to have it ad-
ministered by some one who has Z
permit from the State Live Stock
Sanitary Board. M. H. Reynolds,
Veterinarian, University Farm. st.
Paul.