Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 91.djvu/825

 Serums and Vaccines for the United States Army

��A Glimpse into the "Shop" of the Laboratories

This photograph shows the refrigerator in the Bacteriological Laboratories of the Department of Health of the City of New York, where serums, vaccines and anti- toxins are prepared for the use of the United States Army. Much of this material will be shipped to the front. In the con- tainers and bottles which you see on the shelves is $1 50,000 worth of material. There is enough diphtheria antitoxin to treat 75,000 men, enough tetanus antitoxin for 200,000 men, enough smallpox vaccine for a half million men, enough typhoid fever vaccine for 25,000 men and enough antimeningococcus serum to treat 2,500 men suffering from cerebrospinal meningitis

��Bleeding the Horse to Obtain the Serum

After the horse has been inoculated with the disease poison in gradually increasing doses he is bled and his serum is found to be antitoxin. This is administered to human beings and renders them immune to the disease. The horses are kept in the pink of condition. At periodic intervals they are given a rest. During the rest periods they are turned out to grass. When thoroughly rested, they are inoculated again. Some horses give more antitoxin serum than others. The same horse may be used at several different times for the prep- aration of distinctly different antitoxins

����One of the 73 horses in the stables of the De- partment of Health of the City of New York at Ctisville. This horse is being inoculated with diphtheria toxin. Small doses gradually in- creased render the horse immune to diph- theria. Horses are used in the preparation of diphtheria, tetanus an- titoxin and antimen- ingococcus serum

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