The State Laboratories

The State Laboratories of Massachusetts were begun in 1894 by the famous microbiologist Theobold Smith and dedicated to the production of anti-toxins and anti-serum. The pictures in this exhibit show the steps in the process of producing vaccines during the 1950's. The Massachusetts State Laboratories were the site of many "firsts" in public health, including vaccine production, lead screening, newborn screening for metabolic disorders and the development of clinical tests such as the Eagle-Hinton test for syphilis. The laboratories are currently located in Forest Hills near the Arnold Aboretum in Boston.