A man loading bottles of frozen plasma into a desiccator used in the production of dried plasma

Date:
14 Jul 1940
Reference:
MED01/01/1894
Type:
Photograph (Print)
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Description

The original caption may contain language which is historic and which may no longer be considered appropriate. It has been retained in the record in the interest of historical accuracy.

The caption on the reverse of the photograph reads: “Production of dried plasma. Picture shows the head of the primary dessicator being loaded with bottles of frozen plasma. Each bottle fits into its own cylindrical bed and each bed is surrounded by a solenoid heating coil. Another primary dessicator is seen beyond and between the two are the two smaller secondary dessicators.”

The outbreak of the Second World War had prompted work investigating the division of blood into its constituent parts, because whole blood was difficult to transport to overseas battlefields. Plasma is the fluid in the blood containing proteins that help blood to clot. Liquid plasma, though more efficient to transport than whole blood, was similarly difficult to convey to battle and administer in the field. Dried plasma was introduced, with the benefits of stability, more economical storage and transportation, and ease of preparation. Keeping plasma in a frozen state before drying ensured that storage was economical and simple, and reduced the risk of plasma deterioration. In the early 1900s, biological material was successfully preserved by desiccation in a vacuum, and in the 1930s a process and apparatus for the desiccation of biological substances using “high vacuum-low temperature condensation” were described. The location in which this photograph was taken is not known. See also MED01/01/1892-1893 and MED01/01/1895-1907. High-resolution copies of this image are available for free for non-commercial use. Please Enquire to place an order.

Content

This is part of the Series: MED01/01 Series of prints; within the Collection: MED01 Topical Press Agency Medical Collection

Rights

Source: Historic England Archive

People & Organisations

Photographer: Topical Press Agency Limited

Photographer: Harrison, Norman Kingsley

Keywords

Laboratory, People At Work, Science And Technology, Second World War, Health And Welfare