The Skin Form of Anthrax 43 



etc. The spores are capable of living in water from 60 to 70 days. They 

 will live in the soil for 10 years or more and may be carried on a hide 

 from a diseased animal. 



SYMPTOMS 



The intestinal form of anthrax is more common than the lung or 

 wound form. 



The quickness with which the disease develops and terminates is an 

 outstanding symptom. The horse may take suddenly sick and die in less 

 than half an hour or he may live as long as four days in the form where 

 the infection occurs through a wound. Moderate colic pains may be the 

 first symptoms and invariably last throughout the course of the disease 

 terminating in diarrhea. Fever is manifest by portions of the body 

 being cold while fever is present in other parts. 



The membranes of the nostrils axe blue and tears may come from the 

 eyes. Chill and nervous spasms are not uncommon. However the ani- 

 mals may be dull and walk with a staggering gait. Breathing is fast 

 and often so difficult that death may occur due to suffocation. 



In such cases the infection has probably made its Invasion through 

 the breathing apparatus and may be accompanied by throat swelling, in 

 which case the animal has difficulty in swallowing. Death usually occurs 

 in from one half to thirty hours. 



THE SKIN FORM 



This form of anllirax is not as frequent as the intestinal form. 

 The animal may show decided improvement at times and live three or 

 four days. 



The skin form is evidenced by considerable swelling in the vicinity 

 where the infection first occurs. Nodular swellings the size of a small 

 hen's egg come on the surface of the body; chiefly on the base of the 

 chest and the inner surface of the fore and hind quarters or on the 

 scrotum or vulva. The swellings at first are hot and painful later they 

 are cool and may become gangrenous. 



After death the spleen is enlarged, the liver appears cooked, the 

 blood is black and tarry and refuses to clot. Bloating rapidly takes 

 place after death and the blood may run from the nostrils and anus. 

 The hair is often easily pulled from the hide. , 



In the lung and intestinal form the mortality is about ninety per 

 cent, while in the skin form the mortallity is about seventy-five per cent. 



