El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-05-09

( original strains on a geiatinous sub
/ stance made from agar-agar, which is
/ a japanese seaweed imported from
Japan for this express purpose They
! are allowed TO remain on this sub
I stance for an incubation period Of "a
hours Then they are washed off in a
I liquid known as broth" and in this
I broth solution they are applied 20 the
/ surfaces Of numerous glass TASKS
] which have also been swabbed with
/ agar-agar-
Very Hard to See.
These TASKS are stored in neat
I piles in a small room that looks very
much like a kitchen pantry. but which
is kept at the uncomfortable tempera-
ture Of a hundred degrees or more.
] Without the aid OF a microscope the
presence OF the germs on these TASKS
IS hard TO discover. BY holding a
germ covered flask and then an emp
~ flask up to the light you can dis
ungulsh slight difference. but II is
very slight
Up to this point the process has
been conducted in rooms OF an ex-
tremelF high temperature and an even
greater humidity. The doors and win
dOws are tightly sealed. and the lab
oratory workers make as few and as
slow movements as possible so as to
prevent circulation Of air. The Their
mometer which hangs on the wall is
always lowering around a hundred
degrees Fahrenheit
Killing the BaciIIl.
multiplication takes place on such a
rapid scale among bacteria that after
another short period Of incubation bill
lions OF germs are contained in the
glass TASKS These are washed off
IN a SAT- solution. which is then heat
ed to 50 degrees Centigrade (127.4 de-
grees F. This kills a large number
OF the bacilH, and the addition OF y
percent OF tri-cresol, a coal tar prod
uct, kills the rest OF them. at the |
same time acting as a preventative
Now a test culture IS made 70 be /
sure that no foreign organism haa ap- /
peared- meteorological tests are made j
both in air and in a vacuum. since
there are certain dangerous germs Z
that viii incubate in a vacuum but /
rot when exposed to- the air. If these 4
tests prove satisfactory. further tests I
on mouse. a guinea pig and a rabbit 1
are made, TO determine various points. /
If the vaccine contains too much tri-
creSOl, for example. the mouse will be 1
killed; II It contains tetanus germs.
both the mouse and guinea pig viii
be killed. while the rabbit acts as an
exact substitute for human expert
nent. 1t is the final test which shows
v neither or not the vaccine is capable !
ot producing in the blood the anti
bodies" or secretions summoned by
me human system 10 combat disease
germs.
Testing In Blood.
After this a small portion OF the
raccine is mixed with an equal por-
Jon Of blood. and The actual number
# bacilli present is counted under a
II the vaccine is not to
DE- shipped Immediately IL is poured
nto large bottle Of the type used
or mineral waters. marked with a
,olored tag, and stored in the lab
Dratory refrigeratOrs. As several
finds OF vaccine are often stored in
he same refrigeratinE compartment
B. system Of colored tags has been
yolved.
When the vaccine is ready for ship
nent il is poured into small glass
ubes, the ends OF which are sealed
nth melted glass. As a finished prod
let IL is tested once more. II unsatis-
actory the whole batch Of vaccine is
brown away; If il passes the test.
he tubes are packed in little paste
Oard compartments. covered with |
aWdust. put in a huge wooden chest
which is securely locked and ad-
ressed TO 4 training camp, or maybe
o France
You would never suspect from the
ppearancs Of these wooden chests
tackled high against the laboratory
ais. that thsy contain billions OF
lenacing atoms that man has changed
ltO valuable safeguards to his health.