Excerpt from The Production of Alkali in Liquid Media by the Bacillus Pestis But it was discovered that the quantity of acid added was not quite sufficient actually to produce this result, so that the amount of alkali obtained as stated opposite each flask in the above table 13 slightly more than the germ really formed (at. Para. A, p. 6, supra.) The idea that a broth treated as above, neutralised after the formation of alkali so, as to allow the plague germ to have a fresh term of active growth, would be more efficient as a prophylactic, was suggested. A trial of a vaccine made from such twice grown broth was made in 1904, but no advantage was apparent as regards prophylactic property when contrasted with the ordinary prophylactic made at the same time. What is this alkali? Is it a metabolic product of the plague germ, and if so, has it anything to do with the toxin That the twice grown broth was no more efficacious than the ordinary vaccine might be due to the acid added having destroyed its immunising property - supposing it to have any. But as the fluid part of the vaccine appears to have only slight power of conferring immunity, it is probable that the alkaline material is not connected with the substance producing immunity. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.