CHAPTER XIX. 
OTHER GERM DISEASES. 
ANTHRAX OR SPLENIC FEVER. 
Anthrax is a disease of domestic animals which has been known 
for centuries. It is mentioned in the writings of Moses, and Homer 
refers to it in the Iliad. It occurs practically all over the globe, in 
all latitudes where cattle are kept, and seems to be entirely independ- 
ent of climate. Every country of Europe suffers from it. Germany 
has lost some 4,00x5 cattle from this disease in some years and 
England nearly a thousand. In the United States the disease 
is also frequent, though generally regarded as less common than 
in Europe. Although widespread, it does not occur in great numbers 
of cattle as do some of the other bacterial diseases. It may attack 
the animals of a single herd and produce much destruction, but it is 
not very contagious and does not readily spread from herd to herd. 
Cattle and sheep are the only animals in which it normally 
occurs as a spontaneous infection. Many other animals are, 
however, capable of infection with it. Horses, goats, deer and mice 
are very subject to the disease, while dogs, cats and white rats are not 
susceptible. The disease is also found in man, and is then known 
by various names, the most common being malignant pustule. 
Mankind is, however, not one of the very susceptible animals and, 
when infected by a skin inoculation, the disease is quite apt to be 
local, while in sheep and cattle it is almost sure to run a fatal course. 
Cause. The discovery of the cause of this disease was one of 
the first triumphs of bacteriology. Its exciting cause is a bacterium, 
Bad. anthracis, which, though first seen in 1849, was not rea lly 
demonstrated as the cause of the disease until 1875, by the work of 
Koch, and shortly afterward by Pasteur (Fig. 52). After some 
twenty-four years of dispute the final demonstration was due to 
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