378 GLANDERS ANTHRAX PYOCYANEUS 



tant, but the lungs are very susceptible. The disease resulting from 

 infection of the lungs by anthrax bacilli is one of the most rapid and 

 fatal known to man. Practically no attempt has been made to 

 immunize man to anthrax, but Sobernheim has prepared a serum 

 obtained by injecting animals immunized by Pasteur's method with 

 virulent anthrax bacilli, which is said to be of some value as a curative 

 agent in malignant pustule. 



Animal Immunization. Pasteur protected animals against anthrax 

 infection by vaccination with attenuated anthrax bacilli. Two vac- 

 cines were used; they were prepared in the following manner: Vaccine 

 A was obtained by growing anthrax bacilli at 42.5 C. for six weeks. 

 The organisms are asporeless after this treatment, but they grow 

 luxuriantly. They are avirulent for rabbits and guinea-pigs, but kill 

 mice. Vaccine B was obtained by growing anthrax bacilli at 42.5 

 C. for two weeks. The organisms kill mice and guinea-pigs, but do 

 not kill rabbits. Vaccine A is injected, and after two weeks Vaccine 

 B is injected, both subcutaneously. The animals are immune two 

 weeks after the last injection to cutaneous infection with anthrax 

 bacilli, but are somewhat less resistant to infection by way of the 

 alimentary tract. The immunity is of about one year's duration, 

 and it must be renewed at the end of that time. Sobernheim 1 has 

 attempted to increase the immunity to ingestion anthrax by injecting 

 his serum (5 to 15 c.c.) and Vaccine B of Pasteur simultaneously. He 

 states that this combined immunizing process brings the resistance 

 of the animal to such a level that ingestion infection rarely or never 

 occurs. 



Bacteriological Diagnosis. The diagnosis of anthrax in man depends 

 wholly upon the identification of the anthrax bacillus. 



(a) Morphological Diagnosis. Smears from the blood or tissues of 

 animals stained by Gram's method show large, square-ended, Gram- 

 positive bacilli, which occur singly, in pairs, or short chains. The 

 organisms are encapsulated but require special capsule stains for their 

 demonstration. In man similar examination is made from the serous 

 fluid expressed from the malignant pustule, the blood (best obtained 

 from the ear), fluid from edematous areas, sputum from woolsorters' 

 disease, and feces from intestinal cases. 



(b) Cultural. The material collected aseptically is inoculated into 

 ordinary media. It is well to examine the media after two to three 

 days' incubation for spores if the culture is impure; if spores are 



1 Ztschr. f. Hyg., 1899, xxxi, 89. 



