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VARIOLA IN RABBITS.
134
VARIOLA IN RABBITS.—THE TAVISTOCK CLINIC.
imported from India (presumably from the with coryza had one or more pustules on the tongue. Government factory) and used for the production of Orchitis did not occur among the rabbits which the alkaloid or its salts. No less than 64,091 ounces recovered, but otherwise their symptoms were Post mortem all the dead animals were of morphine were last year used for the making of similar. codeine, an alkaloid not at present included within found to have a greatly enlarged spleen. Purulent the provisions of the Hague or the Geneva Conventions. pneumonia was found among those which had shown A novel departurehas been made whereby 4934 ounces coryza before death, and the meninges were frequently of cocaine were manufactured last year for the first adherent, a condition typical of cerebral vaccinia. time in this country by the one firm (May and Baker, These adhesions were more marked in the rabbits Battersea) licensed for this purpose. The imports of which had shown no definite symptoms while alive, cocaine (9353 ounces) were less by 6000 ounces than suggesting a special localisation of the virus in the in 1927. On the other hand the exports of cocaine brain in these cases. The skin papules were typical salts (3950 ounces) showed an increase on the previous of the lesions of vaccinia. Out of 12 attempts the year, such increased exports being chiefly to China virus was successfully recovered every time from the and New Zealand. The exports of heroin (diacetyl- tissues of rabbits which died in the epizootic, nine morphine), generally speaking, "show a similar times from the brain, twice from cutaneous papules while in the case of tendency, artificially dried or pustules, and once from the testis. This virus " opium there was a curiously large increase in the proved highly virulent for rabbits, killing with the consignments to South Africa-viz., a total of typical signs of vaccinia in four to six days when 195,000 lb. or an excess over the figures for 1927 of introduced into the testis or brain, and on skin characteristic eruption inoculation producing a 88,428 lb. From press reports it would appear that in more intermediate between that of neurovaccine and than one case the diplomatic privilege which secures dermovaccine. Cross-immunity experiments demonimmunity from search to consignments of goods to strated the variolous or vaccinal nature of the Animals immunised with ordinary vaccine embassies and legations has been abused by the, virus. inclusion of dangerous drugs. Meanwhile the, were completely resistant to the virus from the Permanent Central Opium Board has held its second epizootic both with cutaneous and subdural session at Geneva. The relation of that body to the; application. Likewise the animals which recovered vaccine. Moreover, Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium remains; were refractory to ordinaryhad been through the somewhat indefinite, though close cooperation is a number of rabbits which The Board epizootic without showing symptoms also proved naturally deemed to be essential. nominated certain officers for the secretariat and to be immune to ordinary vaccine. The authors of the paper have nothing definite these await the approval of the Council and the Secretary General of the League. After prescribing to suggest as to how the infection arose or was the forms of statistical returns of import and export disseminated beyond vague speculations as to the of the scheduled drugs the Board adjourned till possibility of its having been latent in the dust of the room for seven months and been carried by air and October. dust. It is noticeable that no mention is made of the possibility of its importation and spread by the VARIOLA IN RABBITS. attendants of the animals. It is- suggested that THE variolous origin of vaccinia is now generally seasonal influences played a part, mainly on the grounds apparently that the outbreak coincided with accepted as a fact and anyone familiar with the the " recrudescence of the epidemic of human smallcorrect technique has no difficulty in producing a observed particularly in England "-a recrudespox of strain vaccinia by passing the virus of small-pox which actually consisted of a comparatively through an appropriate series of animals. An impor- cence tant difference between small-pox and the disease small number of imported cases of a virulent type achieved a disproportionate international produced by the virus thus modified consists of the which prominence. to from individual of the latter one inability spread The interest in the outbreak reported by Nicolau to another by any means other than actual inoculation of virulent material. So far as we are aware the and his colleague seems to lie in the virulence of an outbreak among rabbits. disease in animals other than man has always shown and infectivity Vaccinia among rabbits and other animals is generally this absence of infectivity, and if this characteristic regarded as a mild and comparatively innocuous can be taken as the distinction between variola which can be relied on to breed true to typeand vaccinia an outbreak among laboratory rabbits disease a fact of which advantage is sometimes taken in the described by S. Nicolau and L. Kopciowska1 fully preparation of vaccine used for protective purposes. merits the name of variola. The epizootic occurred in April of this year among some 50 rabbits in a room where there had been no THE TAVISTOCK CLINIC. animal infected with vaccinia since the previous animals antirabic Two THE problem of functional nervous disorder is September. undergoing immunisation developed simultaneously a peculiar becoming increasingly important. It is dealt with to form of acute coryza, with purulent nasal discharge, a certain extent in consulting practice, but many later becoming sanguineous with the formation thousands of patients with limited means have no of blackish crusts round the nares. Respiration was one to cater for them. The Tavistock-square Clinic difficult owing to the nasal obstruction and the is making heroic efforts to fill a gap many times animals died on the fifth and eleventh days respec- larger than its utmost capacity. Its work has tively. Each rabbit showed three or four small papules increased by 30 per cent. in two and a half years, Within and the activities of the Children’s Department by on a previously shaved area on the flank. 40 days symptoms of the illness had appeared in no less than 57 per cent. in one year. Its services 34 other rabbits housed in cages in the same room, are in ever-increasing demand among hospitals, which measured approximately 26 feet by 60 feet. police-courts, and private patients who cannot afford The symptoms varied and out of 23 which died six a consultant. The Clinic has now, however, reached had acute coryza, two acute coryza and cutaneous saturation point. Its work is carried on by 25 papules, eight coryza and conjunctivitis or kerato- regular physicians, and in only seven consulting conjunctivitis, one of these having orchitis in addition, rooms, and every part of the building is utilised to one kerato-conjunctivitis alone, three orchitis, and the utmost. The result is that the waiting list has three showed no definite symptoms. Of these last twice had to be closed in the last 18 months. three one on dissection was found to have a pustule These limitations have produced what Dr. H. on the nasal mucous membrane, and several of those Crichton Miller calls " very active compensatory phantasies of extension." The phantasies, however, are of a constructive kind, and are embodied in a rend. de la Soc. de 1 Comp. Biol., 1929, ci., 551-555. were
,
____
VARIOLA IN RABBITS.—THE TAVISTOCK CLINIC.
imported from India (presumably from the with coryza had one or more pustules on the tongue. Government factory) and used for the production of Orchitis did not occur among the rabbits which the alkaloid or its salts. No less than 64,091 ounces recovered, but otherwise their symptoms were Post mortem all the dead animals were of morphine were last year used for the making of similar. codeine, an alkaloid not at present included within found to have a greatly enlarged spleen. Purulent the provisions of the Hague or the Geneva Conventions. pneumonia was found among those which had shown A novel departurehas been made whereby 4934 ounces coryza before death, and the meninges were frequently of cocaine were manufactured last year for the first adherent, a condition typical of cerebral vaccinia. time in this country by the one firm (May and Baker, These adhesions were more marked in the rabbits Battersea) licensed for this purpose. The imports of which had shown no definite symptoms while alive, cocaine (9353 ounces) were less by 6000 ounces than suggesting a special localisation of the virus in the in 1927. On the other hand the exports of cocaine brain in these cases. The skin papules were typical salts (3950 ounces) showed an increase on the previous of the lesions of vaccinia. Out of 12 attempts the year, such increased exports being chiefly to China virus was successfully recovered every time from the and New Zealand. The exports of heroin (diacetyl- tissues of rabbits which died in the epizootic, nine morphine), generally speaking, "show a similar times from the brain, twice from cutaneous papules while in the case of tendency, artificially dried or pustules, and once from the testis. This virus " opium there was a curiously large increase in the proved highly virulent for rabbits, killing with the consignments to South Africa-viz., a total of typical signs of vaccinia in four to six days when 195,000 lb. or an excess over the figures for 1927 of introduced into the testis or brain, and on skin characteristic eruption inoculation producing a 88,428 lb. From press reports it would appear that in more intermediate between that of neurovaccine and than one case the diplomatic privilege which secures dermovaccine. Cross-immunity experiments demonimmunity from search to consignments of goods to strated the variolous or vaccinal nature of the Animals immunised with ordinary vaccine embassies and legations has been abused by the, virus. inclusion of dangerous drugs. Meanwhile the, were completely resistant to the virus from the Permanent Central Opium Board has held its second epizootic both with cutaneous and subdural session at Geneva. The relation of that body to the; application. Likewise the animals which recovered vaccine. Moreover, Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium remains; were refractory to ordinaryhad been through the somewhat indefinite, though close cooperation is a number of rabbits which The Board epizootic without showing symptoms also proved naturally deemed to be essential. nominated certain officers for the secretariat and to be immune to ordinary vaccine. The authors of the paper have nothing definite these await the approval of the Council and the Secretary General of the League. After prescribing to suggest as to how the infection arose or was the forms of statistical returns of import and export disseminated beyond vague speculations as to the of the scheduled drugs the Board adjourned till possibility of its having been latent in the dust of the room for seven months and been carried by air and October. dust. It is noticeable that no mention is made of the possibility of its importation and spread by the VARIOLA IN RABBITS. attendants of the animals. It is- suggested that THE variolous origin of vaccinia is now generally seasonal influences played a part, mainly on the grounds apparently that the outbreak coincided with accepted as a fact and anyone familiar with the the " recrudescence of the epidemic of human smallcorrect technique has no difficulty in producing a observed particularly in England "-a recrudespox of strain vaccinia by passing the virus of small-pox which actually consisted of a comparatively through an appropriate series of animals. An impor- cence tant difference between small-pox and the disease small number of imported cases of a virulent type achieved a disproportionate international produced by the virus thus modified consists of the which prominence. to from individual of the latter one inability spread The interest in the outbreak reported by Nicolau to another by any means other than actual inoculation of virulent material. So far as we are aware the and his colleague seems to lie in the virulence of an outbreak among rabbits. disease in animals other than man has always shown and infectivity Vaccinia among rabbits and other animals is generally this absence of infectivity, and if this characteristic regarded as a mild and comparatively innocuous can be taken as the distinction between variola which can be relied on to breed true to typeand vaccinia an outbreak among laboratory rabbits disease a fact of which advantage is sometimes taken in the described by S. Nicolau and L. Kopciowska1 fully preparation of vaccine used for protective purposes. merits the name of variola. The epizootic occurred in April of this year among some 50 rabbits in a room where there had been no THE TAVISTOCK CLINIC. animal infected with vaccinia since the previous animals antirabic Two THE problem of functional nervous disorder is September. undergoing immunisation developed simultaneously a peculiar becoming increasingly important. It is dealt with to form of acute coryza, with purulent nasal discharge, a certain extent in consulting practice, but many later becoming sanguineous with the formation thousands of patients with limited means have no of blackish crusts round the nares. Respiration was one to cater for them. The Tavistock-square Clinic difficult owing to the nasal obstruction and the is making heroic efforts to fill a gap many times animals died on the fifth and eleventh days respec- larger than its utmost capacity. Its work has tively. Each rabbit showed three or four small papules increased by 30 per cent. in two and a half years, Within and the activities of the Children’s Department by on a previously shaved area on the flank. 40 days symptoms of the illness had appeared in no less than 57 per cent. in one year. Its services 34 other rabbits housed in cages in the same room, are in ever-increasing demand among hospitals, which measured approximately 26 feet by 60 feet. police-courts, and private patients who cannot afford The symptoms varied and out of 23 which died six a consultant. The Clinic has now, however, reached had acute coryza, two acute coryza and cutaneous saturation point. Its work is carried on by 25 papules, eight coryza and conjunctivitis or kerato- regular physicians, and in only seven consulting conjunctivitis, one of these having orchitis in addition, rooms, and every part of the building is utilised to one kerato-conjunctivitis alone, three orchitis, and the utmost. The result is that the waiting list has three showed no definite symptoms. Of these last twice had to be closed in the last 18 months. three one on dissection was found to have a pustule These limitations have produced what Dr. H. on the nasal mucous membrane, and several of those Crichton Miller calls " very active compensatory phantasies of extension." The phantasies, however, are of a constructive kind, and are embodied in a rend. de la Soc. de 1 Comp. Biol., 1929, ci., 551-555. were
,
____