THE COMMONWEALTH SERUM LABORATORIES. 
In this laboratory, at the present time, an attempt is being made 
'tto classify the strains of the Australian tubercle bacilli. For that’ 
purpose material is being received from Bendigo, where a Common-: 
wealth and State survey of the tuberculosis of miners is being made. © 
Pio-chemical Laboratory—In the bio-chemical. laboratory the 
plasma received from the Serum Department is concentrated. This 
plasma is produced in animals which have been imntunized against the 
toxins of B. diphtheria or of B. tetani. 
_ Attempts have been made, on a small experimental scale, in other. 
parts of the world, to concentrate other sera. In this regard, more 
especial reference can be made to dysenteric and meningococcal sera. 
These attempts, however, have not been sufficiently successful to induce 
serum makers generally to adopt the practice in the production of sera 
for commercial purposes. ; : 
_ CONCENTRATION ROOM: BIO-CHEMICAL LABORATORY. 
_ Attached to the concentration room is an experimental bio-chemical 
laboratory, where experimental work is carried out on a small scale, 
to elucidate the chemical difficultiés arising in the concentration of 
serum, the making of toxin, or any of the other processes carried out’ 
jn the laboratories. 
In a second bio-chemical laboratory, the re-agents required for the 
Wassermann reaction and other complement fixation work are made. 
A considerable amount of complement fixation work has actually been 
done here. Pe] 
* 425 
