NEW LOCKJAW SERUM

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 January 1939, Page 8

NEW LOCKJAW SERUM

LIFELONG IMMUNITY. • LONDON, December 1. All ranks of the regular troops of the British Army are undergoing iuculation with a new serum which is believed to give lifelong immunity from infection by the tetanus, or lockjaw, germ. The new serum is known as “tetanus toxoid." The process of inoculation has been proceeding for several months. It is hoped to complete it, so far as the Army is concerned, by the end of the year.

The fight, against tetanus has been conducted in the laboratories of Army and ’■civilian pathologists in this and ■ other countries for several years. Their aim has been to evolve a morn effective method of prevention than was given by the anti-tetanus serum universally used during lhe Great Wai', when the infection caused so many painful deaths. A minimum of inconvenience is said to be caused by the minor operation. This is proved by lhe fact that the work of inoculation Ims been allowed io proceed during the heigh! of (he. iraining season. , The procedure is much the same as that so successfully applied in (ho prevention of diphtheria. There are two injections, with an interval of several weeks between each, and a short time after the injections the poison of the* microbe responsible for lhe disease is effectively neutralised for a considerable period and (he process is lieSieved io offer permanent protection