436 



NA TURE 



[March 9, 1899 



lymph, both of human and bovine origin, was employed, 

 but from variolous lymph as well." From these plates 

 sub-cultures were obtained, and from the third and fourth 

 generation typical vaccinia was induced both in calves 

 and in children. 



Monkeys have been of considerable assistance to Dr. 

 Copeman in his investigations upon lymph. He began 

 by proving experimentally that they are susceptible both 

 to vaccination and to variolation, and he found that in 

 them \accinia protected from small-pox, and z'ice versa. 

 " In no instance had the experiment a fatal termination," 

 nor does it appear from the report that even variolation 

 caused serious illness ; it was "inoculated" rather than 

 " natural " small-pox. Dr. Copeman adds : 



" In discussing the origin of the various lymph stocks 

 at present in use, Messrs. Collins and Picton in their 

 minority report make a point of the impossibility of 

 employing at the present day what used to be known as 

 the ' variolous test ' as a proof of the efficacy or the 

 reverse of any particular strain of lymph. In view, 

 however, of my experiments with monkeys this criti- 

 cism . . . falls to the ground ; since if it is desired to 

 apply the variolous test to any given lymph stock, all 

 that is necessary is to vaccinate a monkey with a sample 

 of the lymph in question, and subsequently to inoculate 

 the animal with potent small-pox lymph after the lapse 

 of such period from the first operation as may be thought 

 desirable." 



Dr. Copeman's researches upon the effect of glycerine 

 ■in purifying and preserving vaccine lymph, date from 

 iSgt. Previous to this he had seen reason to think that 

 the exuberant growth of what may be called extraneous 

 organisms, might tend to check the development of the 

 more important organism for which he was searching. 

 He therefore set himself to find an agent which would 

 check the growth of these extraneous or useless micro- 

 organisms in lymph. 



The use of glycerine as a diluent or preservative of 

 ■lymph had long been known. What was not known was 

 that by an intimate admixture of perfectly pure glycerine 

 with lymph, and by storing the mixture for a considerable 

 time under conditions which prevent the access of air 

 and light, the foreign organisms in the lymph are 

 gradually destroyed or so checked in their growth that 

 they cease to multiply and come to an end. The pro- 

 portion of glycerine required for this inhibitory influence 

 is a large one — 30 per cent., 40 per cent., or 50 per cent, 

 ■for the different organisms. Ur. Copeman details e.\- 

 periments made by himself and Dr. Blaxall with lymph 

 to which had been added, a month before using it, large 

 quantities of virulent tubercle bacilli. No growth of the 

 tubercle bacillus could be obtained, nor was any effect 

 produced by repeated injections of this lymph into 

 guinea-pigs, while from the same supply of tubercle 

 culture material, not treated with glycerine, tuberculosis 

 was in due course developed, at first locally and then 

 generalised. 



It must be borne m mind that an essential part of the 

 process Dr. Copeman recommends is the length of time 

 during which the organisms in the lymph are exposed 

 to the influence of chemically pure glycerine, unaided by 

 the vitalising influences of light and air. 



Dr. Copeman gives photographs of a series of sub- 

 ■cultures on nutrient agar-agar after twenty-four hours, 

 NO. 1532, VOL. 59J 



then after one, two, three, four and six weeks respectively. 

 The extraneous organisms progressively diminished till 

 at the end of four weeks there w-ere none, and after six 

 weeks there were also none. 



It is natural to ask if glycerine can in time, and under 

 favouring conditions, entirely inhibit the gjrowth of 

 extraneous organisms, will not the essential vaccine 

 organism presently share the same fate .' Is glycerinated 

 calf lymph sure to retain its activity for a sufficient 

 length of time for all practical purposes .' These ques- 

 tions scarcely admit at present of an absolute answer. 

 Dr. Copeman believes the lymph from different calves 

 varies very much in potency. He quotes facts which 

 go to show that there is no reason to distrust the lymph 

 treated as he recommends while stored in bulk. 



" A lymph which was collected and glycerinated on 

 July 13, 1897, has since been used at intervals of from 

 twenty-four to thirty-two weeks after glycerination, for 

 the vaccination of children. During this period sixty- 

 one children have been vaccinated with this lymph in 

 five places each, with a mean insertion success of 98 per 

 cent." 



It must, however, be borne in mind that for the 

 children thus vaccinated the lymph had not been kept 

 in capillary tubes. It is necessary to wait for further ex- 

 perience before it can be taken as proved that glycerm- 

 ated lymph can be kept in an active condition for any 

 considerable time in such tubes. It would be interesting 

 to know if lymph can be stored and distributed in fairly 

 large bulk in such a way as to be available when wanted, 

 even where, as on board ship, otherwise perfect condi- 

 tions as to temperature, exclusion of light and air can be 

 secured. \ method by which enough perfectly pure 

 lymph to vaccinate, say, a thousand people, in one series, 

 could be carried through the tropics would be of great 

 value, and there seems some ground for doubting if 

 glycerinated calf lymph in capillary tubes would under 

 such conditions be absolutely trustworthy. It would have 

 for the round voyage to retain its potency for at least 

 from four to six months. 



Dr. Copeman's contribution to the study of the bac- 

 teriology of vaccination is of high value and interest. 



A MODERN TYCHO. 

 Siddhdnta-Darpana J a Treatise on Astronomy. By 

 Mah.imahopddhydya Siimanta Sri Chandrasdkhara 

 Siojha. Edited with an introduction by Jog(fs Chandra 

 Rdy, M.A., Professor of Physical Science, Cuttack 

 College, Calcutta, 1897. 



A NY one who reads the very interesting introduction 

 •'■ »■ of sixty-one pages that Prof Ray has attached to 

 this Sanscrit work will regret very much his inability to 

 fathom the work that follows. For therein is contained 

 the results of the patient and industrious inquiry of one 

 who, unaided by the accumulated knowledge of Western 

 astronomers, resolutely set himself to sohe the problem 

 of celestial mechanics by the aid of such instruments as 

 he could fashion himself, and where the time-honoured 

 clepsydra supplied the place of the sidereal clock. The 

 only assistance he seems to have had were the similar 

 rough observations of Bhdskara (born 1114^ and some still 

 older observers. Prof Rdy compares the author very 



