302 



BACTERIA 



remains fluid for some time after death, is black, tar-like, 

 contains bubbles of air, and shows other degenerative 

 changes in the red corpuscles, whilst the small blood-vessels 

 contain such vast quantities of bacilli that they may be 

 ruptured by them. Particularly is this true in the peri- 

 pheral arteries. Many of the organs of the body show 

 marked congestion. 



Clinically there is rise of temperature and rapid loss of 

 muscular power. The bacilli of anthrax are square-ended 

 rods i ^ broad and 4-5 /* long. In the tissues of the body 

 they follow the lines of the capillaries, and are irregularly 



BACILLUS OF ANTHRAX AND 

 BLOOD CORPUSCLES 



THREADS OF BACILLUS 

 ANTHRACIS, SHOWING SPORES 



situated. In places they are so densely packed as to form 

 obstructions to the onward flow of blood. In cultures they 

 are in chains end to end, having as a rule equal interbacil- 

 lary spaces. In cultures long filaments and threads occur. 

 The exact shape of the bacillus depends, however, upon 

 two things: the staining and spore formation. Both these 

 factors may very materially modify the normal shape. The 

 spores of anthrax are oval endospores, produced only 'in the 

 presence of free oxygen, and at any temperature between 

 1 8 and 41 C. On account of requiring free oxygen, they 

 are formed only outside the body. The homogeneous pro- 



