TUBERCULOSIS VACCINE

Evening Star, Issue 18717, 20 August 1924, Page 2

TUBERCULOSIS VACCINE

SENSATIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT. At the same time that l)r Lee K. Frankel, of New York, vice-president of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, was making a sweeping statement that nothing was known of cancer and.that all discoveries reported wore false, a sensational announcement was made from the .Academy of Medicine in Paris by Professor Albert Calmette, the distinguished director of the Pastern- Institute, in which Professor Calmette claimed to have discovered a formula for anti-tuberculosis vaccine (writes the San Francisco correspondent of the Auckland ‘Star’). Wide publicity was_ given to the discovery in America owing to the immense importance"to the human race should the Parisian’s theories prove themselves justified by results. The great scientist has devoted the last twenty years to this subject. Professor Calmette's method, as described in his paper submitted to the learned body of French scientists, is to use a living culture of tubercular bacilli of bovine oiigin, attenuated by special laboratory methods which render it. definitely incapable of infecting anybody who has not already been afllicted. When inoculated into young animals previously uninfected this vaccine renders them utterly immune against the disease, ho asserts. Animals thus treated can get doses of bacilli which would produce an immediate evolution of tuberculosis in others not inoculated. They may safely be exposed also to every kind of contagion if re vaccinated every year. The bacillus treated by Caknettc and his assistants has been named “8.C.G.” The essential condition is that a human being, like an animal, to bo inoculated, tlmnld be utterly free from nil previous tubercular infection. Owing to the fact that 98 per cent, of humans, even the most vigorous, react to tuberculin, although, fortunately, only a. small percentage of these, actually become virulently affected, it is essential to practise the vaccination on very young subjects only. Following encouraging results with animals, Calmette said he decided to experiment upon humans, so, with the parents’ consent, ho vaccinated 247 infants. In All cases, lie raid, vaccination proved absolutely harmless. Nearly all, three months later', showed a negative reaction, although several remained in tubercular surroundings. Further experiments, he slated, wore now being carried on with small babies in Paris, Although Professor Calmette docs not desire to raise premature and exaggerated hopes, ho expounded his theories resulting from his experiments with conviction and faith. One of the most famous specialists in tho world, Professor Rcznncon, when interviewed, said that Professor Calmette’s communication was of tho highest importance. II was pointed out that results nave not reached more than tho experimental static. Professor Calmette says the vaccine is preventive, and effective only when applied to those perfectly free from infection.