210 ANTHRAX. 



difference : there is an increase in the Avhite corpuscles, while 

 the coloured show a variety of changes, some being shrivelled, 

 shrunk, or crenated, and having a disposition to crowd together, 

 not in strings or rouleaux as in health, but into a jelly-like 

 mass. The latter conditions seem to be due to withdrawal of 

 the more liquid portions from the blood, seeing they are re- 

 versed if to blood devoid of fluid, or to anthrax blood, a moderate 

 amount of water be added. Besides these changes of a dis- 

 integrative or minus character, we have the frequent presence 

 of those organisms to which we gave a considerable share of 

 attention when treating of the a^'tiology — bacteria, baciUi, or 

 their spores. 



We have already noticed these forms as present in the blood 

 in anthrax proper, and stated what was known, or believed to 

 be loiown, to be their action on the blood, and in the living 

 organism where found. There is still among pathologists some 

 difference of opinion respecting their effect. 



In order to observe the bacilli, a small quantity of the 

 blood containing the organisms should, with great care as to 

 the exclusion of bacterium termo, be placed on a slide, covered, 

 and put under the field of the microscope. When fresh and 

 viewed with a 500-power, there are seen cylindrical rods of in- 

 appreciable breadth, and about -007 to -012 mm. m length. 

 These elongate rapidly, and may assume a variety of forms, as 

 single and straight filaments, zooglea masses, intricate coils, 

 loops, bundles of parallel rods, etc. On the addition of water 

 their sides may present a beaded appearance, on account of 

 spores becoming more prominent. Short straight cylinders 

 may have spores, as it were, protruding from either or both 

 ends. At a temperature between 30° C. and 35° C, by carefully 

 watching, they will be noticed to have certain periods of rest 

 and motion : a rod will move in an oscillatory manner for a 

 short time, then perhaps wriggle across the field to the other 

 side. Cossar-Ewart says he has ' noticed under the No. X. 

 Hartnach filaments moving about appearing from one thnd to 

 half an inch long.' The rods may occasionally be noticed rapidly 

 elongating into filaments of various lengths ; and, if particular 

 attention be paid to them, transverse striae will soon be 

 apparent at the point where scission (their mode of multiplica- 

 tion, hence the appellation schizom3'cetes) is about to take 



