604 
Proceedings of the Royal Society 
I. Examination op Empty Commercial Vaccine Tubes. 
The problem to be solved was whether such tubes contain 
germinal matter. To determine this, two series of experiments 
were undertaken. 
1. Sealed commercial tubes were introduced with aseptic pre- 
cautions into beakers containing sterile nutrient fluid. Continued 
sterility of the fluid was proved by subsequent incubation at 35° C. 
The tubes were then broken with aseptic precautions. Subse- 
quent incubation showed that more than half of the beakers con- 
taining broken tubes became cloudy. 
Where the sealed tubes were left unbroken, but where the fluid 
had merely been stirred with a sterile glass rod, one out of six only 
became cloudy. 
2. Commercial and sterilised vaccine tubes were charged with 
sterile and non-sterile fluid, with and without spray, in imitation of 
the conditions under which vaccine lymph might be stored. The 
result showed that sterility of the tube and of the fluid and the use 
of the spray were necessary to prevent the occurrence of opacity. 
Where these conditions were absent opacity occurred in every tube. 
The fact that a large proportion of the beakers containing broken 
tubes showed no change in the fluid, led to the conclusion that the 
amount of germinal matter in commercial tubes was very small. 
Besides, the amount of opacity in the fluid in the second series of 
experiments was very much less than that observed in vaccine 
lymph. It was therefore concluded, that the contents of the tubes 
had very little to do with the production of opacity in vaccine 
lymph. This conclusion is concurred in by Mr Farn, of the 
National Vaccine Establishment. 
II. Examination of Cultivations of Vaccine Lymph. 
All the cultivations were made by Mr Hare with aseptic pre- 
cautions. The material was transferred directly from the vesicles 
to the cultivating medium. All the successful cultivations were 
got from clear lymph. None were got from opaque lymph. The 
appearances were noted in each cultivation on three separate 
occasions. 
