INFECTION - . 103 



appears in the intervals of the fever has been mentioned. Where 

 it comes from again during the paroxysms is an open question. 



"While this may be true, in a measure, of quinine, boracic acid, 

 and some other materials, the internal use of the stronger antisep- 

 tica in sufficient volume is too dangerous to be tried. 



A special study of the antiseptics would lead us too much into 

 details for our present purpose, and I must refer my readers to the 

 works upon that subject ; among the disinfectants are the corrosive 

 acids, carbol, thymol, boracic acid, hypermanganate of potash, the 

 coal-tar preparations, and the long list of antiputrids. 



Anthrax and Anthracoid Diseases. 



The word anthrax is of Greek origin, and means a coal. The 

 name was not originally given to a single disease, but to a group of 

 diseases which were characterized by a black, tarry appearance of the 

 blood. In any form, the blood is essentially complicated, while all 

 the organs of the body are more or less affected. 



Modern research has led to the isolation of one disease from this 

 group as anthrax. 



The others may be called anthracoid (i. e., anthrax-like) diseases. 



They are all germ-diseases ; but the germ which has led to the 

 isolation of one disease as anthrax has singular characteristics in 

 its mature or bacterial form which enable us to distinguish it from 

 other almost similar bacteria. 



The disease is also known as charbon (carbuncle), Milzbrand, etc. 



History. 



Of all the pests, or infectio-contagious animal diseases, anthrax 

 seems to be the one of which we have the earliest historical record. 

 Moses has apparently described it as one of the plagues by which 

 Jehovah punished the Egyptians. The early Greek and Roman 

 writers mention it under the names of sacer ignis ; gutta robea ; also 

 by its present name, and it is also mentioned by Arabic writers as 

 " Al tmmrah" or "Persian fire." 



Charbert was the first author to enter into any clear and criti- 

 cal study of the various diseases of this group, and published a work, 

 " Description et Traitement du ^liarbon," Paris, 17S0, which even at 

 the present day exerts more or less influence, especially in France. 



Although the observations of the eighteenth century led many 

 authors to declare for the contagiousness of anthrax, still others 

 declared it to be non-contagious. Kausch, an author early in this 

 century, gave a good description of the pathological changes of this 



