NOTE ON THE USE OF ORGAN EXTRACTS IN PLACE OF VIRU- 

 LENT BLOOD IN IMMUNIZATION AND HYPERIM- 

 MUNIZATION AGAINST RINDERPEST 1 



By William Hutchins Boynton 

 (From the Bureau of Agriculture, Manila) 



In a paper appearing in this number - it will be noted that 

 after an animal has been bled to death for virulent rinderpest 

 blood weak phenol extracts can be made from the liver, spleen, 

 lymphatics, heart, and intestinal tract and that these extracts 

 are as potent as virulent blood. 



One of the problems in the production of antirinderpest serum 

 is the reduction in the cost of producing virulent material to 

 be used in hyperimmunization. Various methods have been 

 used with more or less success. Nicolle and Adil-Bey(3) were 

 the first to develop a method by which the virulent material 

 could be increased. When an infected animal presented symp- 

 toms of diarrhoea, they introduced into the peritoneal cavity a 

 mixture composed of 3 volumes of normal saline solution and 

 1 volume of a slightly alkaline solution of Martin's peptone. 

 They introduced 6 liters of this material into yearling cattle (the 

 quantity varying according to the size of the animal), and after 

 three hours the animal was bled to death, the peritoneal cavity 

 was opened, and the fluid was aspirated. After allowing this to 

 coagulate, the clear liquid was drained off and used. The fluid 

 thus obtained gave an increase in virulent material, which was 

 used with success in hyperimmunization. 



Ruediger(4) obtained equal results using normal saline solu- 

 tion, which he allowed to remain in the peritoneal cavity from 

 one to two hours before bleeding the animal to death and with- 

 drawing it. The same author (5) also used a 5 per cent sodium 

 Citrate solution with equal results. 



Holmes (l) diluted the virulent blood with an equal volume 

 of potassium citrate solution and claims the diluted blood gave 

 better results than undiluted defibrinated blood. 



Martoglio(2) has developed the latest method, in which he 



1 Published in Phil. Agr. Rev. (1917), 10, 448. 



2 This Journal, Sec. B (1918), 13, 127; also Phil. Agr. Rev. (1917), 



10, 410. 



151 



