BACILLUS ANTHRACIS 

 SYMPTOMATIC! 



THIS anaerobic organism is the cause of " quarter 

 evil" in cattle. The disease was at first confused 

 with true anthrax, but the points of difference in 

 the two affections were pointed out and the specific 

 bacillus discovered by Bellinger and Feser in 1878. 



The bacillus is a motile, fairly large organism 

 measuring about 4 p by 1 p. It occurs in the tissues 

 as single cells and as short chains (Fig. 101). It is 

 a spore-bearing organism, but spore formation does 

 not occur until after the death of the animal. The 

 spores are generally central, but not unfrequently 

 terminal, and they cause a modification in the shape 

 of the vegetative cell similar to that which occurs 

 in the two preceding organisms. 



In culture it produces gas, and liquefies gelatine. 

 Animals can be immunised against the action of 

 the bacillus and vaccination of cattle is carried on 

 abroad on a large scale. 



