109

    Mr. Edwards explained that the question of supplying serum
in a more easily transportable form and of preventing deterioration
when it became exposed to relatively high temperatures had already
engaged his attention. At the present time he had ordered from
abroad a plant for drying serum at a low temperature, and if the
results obtained after the experimental trials were satisfactory the
whole problem brought forward by Mr. Cameron might be completely
solved and serum could be issued in a convenient form and in much
less bulk, so that it could be readily transported to remote districts.
He was also sanguine that the quality of the serum could be re-
tained much longer. He did not consider it necessary therefore at
the present juncture to discuss the methods of better dealing with
the liquid serum until the results of his experiments were available.
Experience elsewhere, in America particularly, with dried serum,
such as dried anti-swine-fever serum, had given promising results

    In the course of further discussion with Mr. Cameron, he assured
him that there would be no difficulty in supplying him with mallein.
from the Muktesar laboratory in such small quantities as he desired
for immediate use. He also stated that he had recently been en-
gaged in preparing mallein for the intra-palpebral test so as to have
available a product comparable with the French malléine diluée.
The diluted mallein thus prepared was found to be quite as effective
as the French product after comparative tests upon experimentally
infected animals and it would be issued from the laboratory in small
glass tubes at as cheap a rate. Mr. Edwards further stated that
he wished at this point to impress upon those who made indents for
serum that it would be a great advantage if they all possessed cold
storage facilities for the storage of supplies of serum in anticipation
of their likely needs. Serum could be manufactured at the Branch
Laboratory at Bareilly during the winter months at very much
cheaper rate than at the parent Muktesar laboratory. During the
few winter months that had just passed large quantities of serum
had been manufactured there in anticipation of demands from the
provinces. For the last two years, however, it seemed that the
demands from the provinces were not as large as had been expected,
and large quantities had had to be transported back to Muktesar.
It would be advantageous to the laboratory and to the officers in
the provinces if adequate arrangements were made in each province
for the cold storage of serum in anticipation of likely demands,
and if this serum could be indented for while the manufacture of
serum was being undertaken in the cold season at Bareilly. He
commended to the meeting the passing of a resolution to this effect.

    Mr. Hickey stated that he would like the meeting to pass a resolu-
tion with regard to cold storage, as in the United Provinces his
cold storage facilities were limited to one cool storage chest.

                                                                                        H