INFLUENZA SERUM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9491, 3 January 1919, Page 8

INFLUENZA SERUM.

HOAY {IT IS MADE 1.

''When..Dr Gumps ton, Federal. iDirector. of Quarantine^ decided upoa' the nuin.uJPactu.re of a spe<;ial serum.-.for the of- pneumoriic infliienzia-, • his ; first step was to.«e3Kl'a" doctor ; . f rpm '•Melbourne';' to,; Sydney/ to • isolate; the strains '"fcoiui the.influenza patients; who ; came en the Niagara.t.^Otljer strains; vvx>i-e procured from a qiiarantine : officer in AVe'st' A.ustralia, and also isolated.' 'd'he'.'c.ultivaiion'tlien; began 1. The sti-ains used in the preparation are influenza, ; which grows on blood :.'agai|,- pneumocciks.'on glucose; broth;: strep'toccus,-and the" conimoii cold orgaiiisin.. The strep-; tot-occi are taken; from septic p.atieiits; and grow oh •'broth prepared from ox heart muscle and peptone. Goinmon. cold germ.s are. cultivatod -on agar, which is a Japanese Seaweed',prepara-: tion. Blood, agar is obtained, by mixing horse Wood' witH agar solution. , The various . ger.ms.' are ■ tlnen placed ,on 'the surface of these .preparations, and stored in 'a, heated- room- with a- 'temperature of .97 degrees (bTood heat)!for 24 hours. 'One germ will.multiply.in 20 ;minutes., so that at the end of; the storage- there-are hundreds of thousands "of millions of these, organisms. Tlkv influenza germ is the smallest bacillus the' .scientists .have, to deal with. Its length is one 25,000 th".-part of 'arii inch, and.is is very;delicate. Tlie ■iiext' step ,is the collection of; the harvest, whicl) isdi'awn, into separate containers by syphoimgo.*. The /germs are then killed' with tricresol, and after, haying been ■ sterilised, 'jiertauv fr-ac-. :tions of the harvest are diluted."; \vith. sterile salt solution, and tlie special vaccine is ready for jbotfcring, and suitable for. inoculation.' Tlie .solution..-'is placed in tubes, which- are immediately sealed. rUlie sorum is made/ in. two strengths; The first dose only containi?----25 million' inftuenaa organisms to a' cubic centimetre. .while the second contains- 125 miUioivsv This is to ;alHow the .person to become accustomed to the .preparation before injecting tlie sti'on.ser'dose after . the, interval of sevqu days.. .".;-. .' '...:i.-./.,„_^,^-L