VERRUCA VULGARIS VIRUS

There is abundant evidence that the common wart is caused by a filtrable agent. On the hypothesis that this agent may be a virus, Bivins¹ of Rutgers University attempted its cultivation by inoculation on the chorioallantoic membranes of chick embryos. He removed a wart from his own hand by curettage and ground it to a fine powder with sterile sand. This powder was suspended in 3 to 4 cc. of nutrient broth and frozen. Twenty-four hours later the material was thawed and centrifuged, and to 1 cc. of the resulting supernatant fluid there was added 0.2 cc. of 85% sodium chloride containing 10,000 units of penicillin and 10 mg. of dihydrostreptomycin. The resulting mixture was inoculated in 0.2 cc. doses on each chorioallantoic membrane of a group of 10-day-old embryonated chick eggs.

Eggs examined on the seventh day after inoculation showed lesions at the inoculation site varying from sandpaper-like