SPAHLINGER TESTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19981, 24 December 1926, Page 13

SPAHLINGER TESTS

GREAT SUCCESS REPORTED. .; NEW HOPE FOR MANKIND. 111 ■' y LONDON, December I. The Geneva correspondent of the Daily Mail reports that Dr Spahlingers bovine tests, part of which he would have (sodducted at Crewe in 1925 but for the fact that his ill-health and the urgent appeal? for human serum necessitated his remanding at Geneva, have just bean completed the results showing that he "has sue?, ceeded in the most brilliant manner m immunising cattle against tuberculosis on the same principle as human beings are vaccinated against smallpox. The experiments were conducted nnoer the strict supervision of M. Antonine Bred,president of the Geneva Government laboratory, M. Larue and M. Montant, official veterinary surgeons. Two groups of calves of the same age,, weight and breed, - and all certified as from tuberculosis were used. _ Various forms and tiuantitles of simplified vaccines were used on the heirers, with the view of ascertaining, first what combination of vaccines and what dosage would prevent a vaccinated calf from contracting tuberculosis when inoculated with a moderate dose of a virulent virus, such as is encountered in animals of normal life; and secondly, what combination and dosage would prevent a vaccinated calf from contracting tuberculosis massive doses of the virus had been injected. - : After the vaccination • virus was taken, from the virulent cultures of the bovine tubercle, and rendered hypertoxic by Dr Spahlinger’s method irritating the strains, after which equal quantities of these germs were placed in ampullas and handed to M; Bron, in whose possession they remained until the calves were treated. After the virus had. been injected, aU the animals were placed in the keeping o£Geneva State officials, who alone had access to them during the experiments. The results of the tests can only be tiescribed as amazing. “All the cattle vaccinated with Dr Spaht linker’s simplified bovine vaccines success- - fully resisted infection and showed no trace of tuberculosis at the autopsy,” says M, l.arue, “whereas all the unvaccinated calves had developed progressive tubercu-' M. after confirming the result, adds: “The experiments were successful be, yond all our hopes. The magnificent results open a new horizon in the preventive immunisation of cattle, and justify the hop! that before lone humanity will be relieve* of one of its most appalling maladies. A distinguished British medical man, says: “It would be impossible to exraggerate the news, because, with the exception of guinea pigs, cattle are the moss susceptible animals to tuberculosis; therefore, if it can be shown conclusively that it is possible sufficiently to immunise calves to prevent lethal doses of tubercle bucilli affecting them, then the abolition of ther white scourge is in full view. It is now fully recognised that human tuberculosis is derived from the bovine variety. . v: <4 lt is obvious that tfie abolition of. the tubercle from milk, which is the usual vehicle lay which the bacillus enters the human body, will mean an enormous reV duction in human tuberclosis, The expert ments prove that calves can be effectively vaccinated against tuberculosis, in exactly the same way as humans are vaccinated against smallpox or typhoid; so, if this be true of calves, it is almost certainlytrue of human beiitgs.”