436 M. AKMAND RUPFER. 



in that state tliey might easily be mistaken for clusters of 

 bacilli. 



Anthrax does not become less virulent by passing through 

 pigeons. Thus, a guinea-pig contracted anthrax when inocu- 

 lated with virus which had remained six days under the skin of 

 an immune pigeon; and a large rabbit died after being inocu- 

 lated with a drop of exudation extracted twenty-two hours 

 after the introduction of anthrax blood into the eye of a pigeon 

 which had undergone four previous inoculations. A guinea-pig 

 received one drop of exudation taken twenty-six hours after the 

 inoculation of anthrax into the eye of a pigeon ; it is noteworthy 

 that the number of free bacilli in this exudation fluid was already 

 greatly diminished, and that the leucocytes contained masses 

 of bacilli; nevertheless the guiuea-pig contracted the disease, 

 and died from it sixty hours after the inoculation. 



The following beautiful experiment shows that the cells take 

 into their interior living micro-organisms. A drop of exuda- 

 tion fluid was removed from the anterior chamber of the eye of 

 an animal inoculated with anthrax. This, being found to con- 

 tain numerous cells enclosing bacilli, was mixed with a very 

 small quantity of beef broth, and the whole was placed in a 

 warm chamber. The phagocytes died at once, but the bacilli 

 continued to grow ; and by placing under the microscope some 

 cells enclosing bacilli, the development of the latter could be 

 easily followed. 



After three hours' stay in the warm chamber it was easily 

 ascertained that the bacilli contained in several of the phago- 

 cytes had already begun growing. Three of these phago- 

 cytes were isolated by a difficult but very neat process, and 

 thrown into beef broth ; the development of these bacilli was 

 carefully watched, and it was ascertained that they were alive 

 and active. At the end of eight hours the bacilli in the drop 

 gave a culture containing filaments, and the next morning an 

 abundant pure growth had developed. A white mouse, a young 

 guinea-pig, and two full-grown rabbits were inoculated with 

 this culture ; the mouse died in twenty hours, and the guinea- 

 pig twenty-four hours after the inoculation, while one of the 



