406 



Anthrax 



Fig. 127. Bacillus an- 

 thracis; glycerin agar- 

 agar culture (Curtis). 



stance from anthrax cultures and 

 called it anthracin; Hankin and Wes- 

 brook,* an albumose fatal in large 

 doses and immunizing in small ones. 

 Brieger and Frankel f isolated a tox- 

 albumin from the tissues of animals 

 dead of anthrax. Martin J separated 

 protalbumose, deuteroalbumose, 

 peptone, an alkaloid, leucin, and 

 tyrosin. The albumoses were not 

 very poisonous, but the alkaloid was 

 capable of producing death after the 

 development of somnolence. The 

 animals were edematous. Marmier 

 isolated a toxin of non-albuminous 

 nature and immunizing power. Con- 

 radi || in an elaborate research failed 

 to find that the anthrax bacillus pro- 

 duces any soluble extracellular or in- 

 tracellular poison capable of affect- 

 ing susceptible animals, and con- 

 cludes that it is highly improbable 

 that the anthrax bacillus produces 

 any toxic substance at all. 



Pathogenesis. Avenues of In- 

 fection. Infection usually takes 

 place through the respiratory tract, 

 through the alimentary canal, or 

 through wounds. It may take 

 place through the placenta. 



When the bacilli are taken into 

 the stomach they are probably de- 

 stroyed by the acid gastric juice. 

 The spores, however, are able to en- 

 dure the acid gastric juice, and pass 

 into the intestine, where the suitable 

 alkalinity enables them to develop 

 into bacilli, surround the villi with 



*"Ann. de 1'Inst. Pasteur," 1892, No. 9. 

 f'Ueber Ptomaine," Berlin, 1885-1886. 

 t "Proceedings of the Royal Society," May 22, 1890. 

 "Ann. de.l'Inst. Pasteur," 1895, p. 533. 

 ||"Zeitschrift fur Hygiene," June 14, 1899. 



