NOTE ON THE KEEPING QUALITIES OF DRIED AND 
PULVERIZED VACCINE VIRUS 
By Dr. O. ScHOBL 
At the request of the Philippine Health Service, some experi- 
ments were made at the Bureau of Science in order to ascertain 
the method of preparation, and the means of preservation, of 
dried vaccine virus for practical purposes. The proper dis- 
tribution of active virus to remote places has always been a 
problem in the Philippines, on account of geographical condi- 
tions, particularly in case of emergency—that is, when smallpox 
breaks out in a far-away place—because it takes a long time for 
the vaccine virus to reach its destination. Furthermore, we must 
take into consideration that there are localities in which there 
is no way of keeping the glycerinized vaccine virus at low tem- 
perature during shipment from the nearest port to these remote 
places. 
It seems, therefore, that it is of great importance to the sani- 
tary authorities of this country to try to distribute vaccine virus 
in such form that it can be kept even under unfavorable con- 
ditions; in other words, in a form in which even if direct light, 
and sun heat or artificial heat are excluded, the vaccine can 
still be kept for a reasonable length of time. Were this possible 
vaccinations could be performed in the interior of islands where 
communication and ice plants are nonexistent. It would also 
benefit parts of the Islands which have both communication and 
ice, in as much as the health officer located in such places could 
keep on hand a certain amount of vaccine all the time, and if 
smallpox should break out in his district vaccinations could be 
commenced within three hours after receiving the report of the 
first case of the disease in the district. There are no doubt 
places connected with Manila, but where connection is such 
that, even if the health officer cable immediately for vaccine 
virus, several days, and probably a week, must elapse before 
the required amount can reach him. 
In looking over the literature on the subject, we find very few 
references. Apparently in most countries which have direct 
communication by land the vaccine virus preserved with glyc- 
erine is satisfactory for any occasion, and no further steps need 
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