A Simple Method of Vaccination

To the Editor: —InThe Journal, June 6, 1914, p. 1829, Dr. Shalet suggests that vaccination can be performed by dipping a sterile toothpick in glycerinated virus and abrading the arm by a rotary scarification. I have tried this method, with a sharp, chisel-shaped, hardwood toothpick, and have found it entirely satisfactory. My serious objection to the original technic of Pirquet is the vaccination through the drop of lymph (or tuberculin). The whole point of our method is to make a circular scarification with a dry instrument on a dry skin. Then the toothpick is used to rub the virus (or tuberculin) into the abraded area. As skins are very different in thickness I find it much easier to judge the amount of pressure necessary to produce scarification if the skin and chisel are both dry. If lymph is dropped directly from a capillary tube on the scarified spots the