Customer Reviews

TYPHUS, EGGS, and SOLDIERS! In this World War, our soldiers confront an ancient foe even more deadly than the enemy's panzer divisions. That foe killed between two and three million people in World War I. It is Typhus fever - a disease transmitted by the bite of the body louse, and often confused with typhoid fever because of the similarity of names. Today our troops are immunized against typhus. They are among the first troops so safeguarded in the history of the world. Such mass protection is a striking and dramatic medical triumph, yet it hinges upon a most prosaic thing - a hen's egg. For in the preparation of the new vacine against typhus fever, hen's eggs play a stellar role. In closely guarded and isolated rooms, there are great trays of these eggs. Each is fertile. Each is allowed to incubate for a time. Then, a tiny hole is carefully drilled in one end of each egg. Live typhus fever viris is injected through this opening. The live virus multiplies many times over. When the virus has grown sufficiently in the egg embryo, it is "harvested" and killed. Yes, killed with chemicals, for it is the dead typhus fever virus that forms the basis of the vacine which is used to protect our armed forces against typhus fever. ..... 1943 Parke, Davis & Company Ad, A5095.