EXAMINATION OF SERUMS. 189 



poses,' and the regulations framed thereunder, approved 

 Feb. 21, 1903, imposed upon the director of the Hygienic 

 Laboratory the duty of examining vaccines and antitoxins 

 for purity and potency. 



"Accordingly purchases are made for the Hygienic Lab- 

 oratory from time to time on the open market by officers 

 of the Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service stationed 

 in various parts of the country. The antitoxin is always 

 bought from reliable druggists, who keep the product under 

 proper conditions of light, temperature, etc. Several grades 

 of diphtheria antitoxin made by each licensed manufac- 

 turer are bought and sent to the Hygienic Laboratory by 

 mail for the purposes of these tests. 



"The serums are tested not only for potency, but also to 

 determine their freedom from contamination by foreign 

 bacteria, and finally to insure the absence of chemical poi- 

 sons, especially tetanus toxin. Note is made of the phys- 

 ical appearance of the serum, and tests are made to de- 

 termine whether an excessive amount of preservative has 

 been added. 



"A careful memorandum is made of the facts given by 

 the manufacturer, as stated on the label, as to the num- 

 ber of units contained in the package, and the date beyond 

 which the contents can not be expected beyond a reasonable 

 doubt to yield a specific result. Note is also made of the 

 manufacturer's compliance with the law requiring that the 

 product be plainly marked with the name of the article, 

 and the name, address and license number of the manu- 

 facturer. 



"Delinquencies that occasionally come to light in these 

 examinations are at once reported to the Surgeon General, 

 U. S. Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service, who 

 takes the necessary steps requiring the immediate with- 

 drawal of the particular lot of serum from the market and 

 institutes measures to prevent a repetition of similar errors." 



"SERUM ANTIDIPHTHERICUM IN THE PHARMA- 

 COPEIA. 



'The next edition of the United States Pharmacopeia, 

 being the eighth decennial revision, 1900, which is to ap- 

 pear shortly, will contain an antitoxic serum for the first 

 time. The serum will be known officially as antidiphtheric 

 serum or Serum antidiphthericum, and the unit will be 

 recognized as that approved or established by the United 

 States Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service. 



"The official text, which has been kindly furnished by 

 Professor Remington in advance, will be as follows : 



