Bacillus Anthracis Symptomatic!, Feser & Bellinger (1878). 



SYMPTOMATIC ANTHRAX, BLACK LEG, QUARTER EVIL; CHARBON SYMP- 

 TOM ATIQUE (Fr.)', RAUSCHBRAND (Germ.). 



ORIGIN. In the subcutaneous tissue, muscles, serous exudate, 

 etc., of symptomatic anthrax. 



FORM. Rather large, narrow rods, with distinctly rounded ends; 

 almost invariably single, may form in pairs. About three times as- 

 long as wide. Involution forms appear in old cultures swollen in the 

 middle or at the ends. 



MOTILITY. Actively motile. Spore-bearing rods eventually lose 

 their motion. Shows lateral flagella: giant whips are common. 



SPORULATION. Spores develop readily as bright oval bodies, near 

 one end which is enlarged. Not formed in body till after death. 



ANILIN DYES. Stain readily. Gram's method is applicable if a 

 strong dye acts for some time. The spores are readily double stained. 



GROWTH. Rapid, and gives off a strong butyric acid odor. Acid 

 or alkaline glucose media are best. Requires anaerobic conditions. 



Plates. On gelatin, forms irregular masses surrounded by a dense whorl of threads. 

 Liquefies. On agar, the colonies vary. Usually appears as a dense mass of threads. 



Stab culture. In glucose gelatin development takes place in the lower part of the 

 tube; the contents are liquefied and gas is produced. Energetic growth and gas produc- 

 tion in glucose agar. The contents of the tube are torn into several parts. Giant whip& 

 common (Novy). 



Streak culture. On glucose agar, in hydrogen, a whitish spreading film forms. On 

 blood serum good growth; giant whips (Loffler). 



Bouillon. Becomes cloudy; gas bubbles accumulate on the surface; after several 

 days the growth settles to the bottom, forming a compact, adherent sediment. Liquid 

 above remains cloudy for several days. 



Glucose gelatin colored with litmus. Develops growth in incubator under ordinary 

 conditions. The color of the litmus disappears (reduction), then changes to a wine-red, 

 showing formation of acids. Heavy flocculent sediment on the bottom. 



Milk. The casein is quickly coagulated. Starch is not inverted. Grows on potato. 



OXYGEN REQUIREMENTS. Is an obliyative anaerobe. Grows in vacuum^ 

 hydrogen, carbonic acid, etc. Also in glucose litmus gelatin in air. 



TEMPERATURE. Grows slowly at room temperature. Best at 37-38 . 



BEHAVIOR TO GELATIN. Liquefies. 



AEROGENESIS. Energetic production of gas, having a disagree- 

 able odor; is inflammable and consists of marsh-gas, hydrogen, etc. 



ATTENUATION. Bouillon cultures soon lose virulence, but main- 

 tain their vitality. Attenuation takes place at 42-43. Dry spore 

 bearing material heated to 80 or 100 becomes attenuated. Viru- 

 lence restored by inoculating animals, and at the same time injecting 

 some lactic acid. Virulence maintained in solid media. 



IMMUNITY. Obtained (1) by inoculating small amounts of virulent 

 germ; (2) by intravenous injections; (3) by injecting heated cultures. 

 100 or 80; (4) inactive old cultures; (5) filtered cultures. 



PATHOGENESIS. Young cattle, sheep, goats, guinea-pigs, mice, are 

 highly susceptible. Horse, ass, white rat are less so; while hogs, 

 dogs, cats, ordinary rats, rabbits, doves, ducks, chickens, are almost 

 immune. Subcutaneous injection in guinea-pigs produces death in 

 24-48 hours. An extensive subcutaneous bloody edema is present. The 

 muscles are dark, infiltrated, and gas is present. 



INFECTION. Takes place naturally by inoculation through deep 

 wounds; very rarely through the food. Poisoned arrows used in fish- 

 ing in Norway. 



DIAGNOSIS. Especially a disease of young cattle, not of man. 

 Difficult to distinguish from bacillus of malignant edema. Inocula- 

 tion of the rabbit negative; absence of threads; tendency to involu- 

 tions. Distinguished from anthrax bacillus by form, motility, posi- 

 tion of spores, cultural properties, and by its distribution in the body. 



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