Page:The Indian Journal of Medical Research, Volume 9.djvu/109

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A NOTE ON THE LARGE SCALE PRODUCTION OF PNEUOMOCOCCUS VACCINE.

Captain R. H. MALONE, MD., I. M.S., On sperinl ihilif <n,(h'r thr Imli'i" Ri'maicli Fund .Isnoiinlioii, Cenlriil Bemnich 1 ti.sliliilr. Kasitiili. [ ■' [Received for publication, February 21, 1921.]

Ix aunther coiiim«nication' I .showed that R. infliuMizap vaccino coiihl be rapidly produced by growing the organism in tryptic-digest mutton broth (Douglas), PH 7'2 to 7t. containing d.") per cent gluco.sc and O'.") |)er cent heated pigeon blood. The strains of B. influenzae used were i.solated from ca.ses of influenza during an epidemic ])eriod. They fermented glucose with production of acid (PH fi to (J-4). and sedimented readily after •21 hours growth in the culture medium em])loyed. The vaccine was Tuade bv removing the clear supernatant broth, and suspending tin- sediiiii'iited organisms in normal salt solution. It is probable that the sedimentation of the organisms is largely due to the increased acidity of the broth following the fermentation of the glucose pre.sent. If this be so, the method should be ap])iicabie to vaccine prrnluction where organisms other than B. infiuei.z ,> are concerned. This short note gives the results f)f the ajiplication of the method to the large scale ])roduction of pneumococcus vaccine Pneumococcus ferments glucose with production of aci<l (I'll 5 to 5-6), and grows well in tryptic-digest broth containing h<>ated pigeon blood, and so an exactly .similar culture medium was u.sed for this vaccine as for the B. influenzae vaccine. .Mi;r]f<ii). The various steps in the methcHl are a^ follows : (1) Prepare a series of litre flasks each containing .jtm cc. of glucose blood broth as for H. infliipnza' vaccine, ( 63 )