Nexus - 1901 - New Times Magazine-pages

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the human influenza virus, thought that he had chamber method" kept his culture medium warm and discovered the viral cause of rheumatic fever at the moist. If the microbe wasn't kept warm, Crofton found, Rockefeller Institute as far back as 1923.” When tha hen it couldn't be isolated in every case. Pfeiffer's didn't pan out, and back in England, he, ina similar way _ bacillus was clearly pleomorphic (many forms), with viral- to Shope in America, put his efforts into finding the virus ike forms that could easily pass through a filter. behind cancer but again they proved wrong. But when So, in 1938, Crofton cornered Andrewes, who was Walter Fletcher, first secretary of Britain's Medica presenting a paper before the Epidemiology Section of Research Council (MRC), started a new program, he Royal Society of Medicine: "Il asked him how then he Andrewes soon found himself at the Mill HIII farm under new that his colleague Wilson Smith, from whom was virologist Patrick P. Laidlaw and ne colleague Wilson irst isolated the virus hed in fact influenza, and how he Smith. The MRC was originally founded as a _ and his fellows dared to advertise to the four corners o} consequence of the recommendations of the Roya he earth that at long last the [viral] cause of influenza Commission on Tuberculosis, but under Fletcher it had ad been discovered. | told him that I had ascertained apparently gone viral. hat Wilson Smith had, in fact, influenza, because he was When influenza appeared in epidemic proportions swarming with [bacterial] influenza bacilli. I asked him during the autumn of 1932, Andrewes why no cultures on proper medium and Smith worked out a plan of action were made from the infected ferret to designed to reveal their hypothetica ascertain if the Pfeiffer bacillus could virus. In the midst of this, Andrewes Crofton, of all be grown, as it would have been began to feel unwell with flu-like inevitably if, in fact, influenza had been symptoms. Smith, having passed people, knew that transmitted Andrewes replied not one Andrewes's respiratory pscretions there Was nothing wore, andt cau orities of the section through a filter, immediately began to 6. e199 would not publish my criticism." inject these intracerebrally and Viral about the Apparently, the fix was already in intratesticularly into mice, rabbits and WS strain; nor did through powerful governmental forces guinea pigs. Nothing happened Q 9 at Mill Hill's MRC. — Christopher straight away, but just afterwards It have anything Andrewes, flushed with victory, Laidlaw was informed by the director to do with suggested with the help of Burnet and of Wellcome laboratory, one of their « 9 Bang that the term "myxovirus", reference labs, that some of their influenza . meaning "mucous virus", be vom influenga at the same tine During the summer for the influenzas” This one as the epidemic of influenza was and winter of 1918, imagines, was because the sangarnevclones tt Whe wasisolating fl erm cme fom mucus errets didn't have influenza but Pfeiffer S bacillus By May 1935, Laidlaw, in were suffering from distemper. "Epidemic Influenza: A Virus Not to be dismayed, Smit then from 100 per cent Disease’—an article seemingly inoculated several other ferrets of influenza cases. titled to assure himself—would give the only credence he saw fit to Crofton and the many afterwards influenza appeared. scientists like him by saying that Subsequently, Wilson Smith although he thought that it was imself came down with a flu that the rest of the group _— "gradually" being proven that a "filterable virus" was suspected was from a ferret. From the filtrate of this primarily responsible for epidemic influenza, "Pfeiffer's strain, WS (Wilson Smith) was isolated. bacillus or Haemophilus influenzae is still regarded by many As head of a government lab, Dr William Crofton observers as the prime cause of the disease and many of actually examined the famed WS strain that had afflicted its complications".* Wilson Smith. Today, this strain is still being used in Crofton was convinced by scientists like Albert research; it bears the alphanumeric notation A/WS/1933, Calmette at Pasteur that, like Pfeiffer's bacillus, certain for Influenza A/Wilson Smith/1933. Crofton, of all people, forms of another mycobacterium, tuberculosis, knew that there was nothing "viral" about the WS strain; | appearing both minuscule and viral, could pass through nor did it have anything to do with "influenza". During the the smallest of filters. So, at a time when viral forms of summer and winter of 1918, he was isolating Pfeiffers | TB were being documented scantily, Crofton struggled to bacillus from 100 per cent of influenza cases. But todoso, _ link Pfeiffer's bacillus to the illness it so often infected in he was using improved special-growth agents and a coordination with: tuberculosis. Pfeiffer's strongly sufficiently high-powered microscope. Crofton's "moist- resembled TB; it was just smaller. hrough the nose with filtrates rom Andrewes, and_ shortly Crofton, of all people, knew that there was nothing “viral” about the it have anything ‘to do with “influenza”. During the summer and winter of 1918, was he was isolating Pfeiffer’s bacillus NEXUS #55 WS strain; nor did from 100 per cent of influenza cases. DECEMBER 2011 - JANUARY 2012 www.nexusmagazine.com