TETANUS 129 



of oxygen for their development, are the most common 

 methods of tetanus infections. In wounds of this 

 character the bacillus of tetanus is not alone carried 

 into the tissues, as the soil is filled with many kinds 

 of bacteria, some of which are also infective and by 

 their action create much more favorable conditions 

 for the multiplication of the tetanus bacilli. Some 

 writers, notably Kitasato, believe that the presence of 

 other bacteria or foreign material are necessary for 

 the production of tetanus in man. 



Tetanus may follow very trivial injuries, and as 

 the local symptoms are usually slight, the first 

 symptoms may be stiffness of the muscles of the 

 neck with convulsive seizures. Like the bacillus of 

 diphtheria, the tetanus bacillus is found only at the 

 point of infection, the disastrous effects to the nerv- 

 ous system being due to the toxins manufactured 

 by the bacilli. 



Hundreds of cases of tetanus occur every year in 

 the United States following the celebration of the 

 Fourth of July with toy pistols, blank cartridges, 

 fire crackers, and other explosives; infection in these 

 instances usually occurs through injuries to the 

 hands from premature explosions which carry shreds 

 of clothing or cartridge paper or soil into the 

 tissues. 



