496 ANAEROBIC BACTERIA 



rule lead to infection. The spores are taken up by phagocytes. If 

 the spores are mixed with culture filtrates, with weak acids, or with 

 other organisms, infection usually takes place. The lesions vary 

 with the virulence of the organism. Organisms of moderate virulence 

 produce edema at the site of inoculation which tends to spread. The 

 regional muscles are very hyperemic with bubbles of gas in them, 

 the tissue crepitates, and there is a disagreeable odor. The edema 

 is less marked and death takes place in a few hours when organisms 

 of greater virulence are injected. Animals appear to be immune after 

 one attack. 



Distribution. The organism appears to be very widely distributed 

 in the soil and in dust. 



Prophylaxis. Prophylaxis consists essentially in immediate surgical 

 treatment of wounds to which the organism might gain entrance. 



BACILLUS ANTHRACIS SYMPTOMATIC!. 



Historical. The disease variously known as black leg, quarter 

 evil, symptomatic anthrax, or Rauschbrand is a disease of cattle 

 chiefly. It is less commonly found in sheep and goats. The organism 

 was first obtained in pure culture by Arloing, Cornevin, and Thomas. 1 

 The organism is also known as B. chauvei and B. sarcophysematis 

 bo vis. 



Morphology. Morphologically, it is a rod-shaped bacillus, 0.6 to 

 1 micron in diameter and from 2 to 5 microns in length, occurring 

 singly and in pairs. It practically never forms chains, differing in 

 this respect from the bacillus of malignant edema. The organisms 

 are straight and rigid and have square-cut ends. They are motile 

 and possess many peritrichic flagella and form no capsules. Spores 

 occur in the centre of the organism typically, less commonly nearer 

 one end, and the organism is slightly swollen because the spores are 

 slightly greater in diameter than the rod itself. It stains readily with 

 ordinary anilin dyes and is Gram positive. 



Isolation and Culture. The bacillus of symptomatic anthrax is an 

 obligate anaerobe which grows rather poorly in artificial media, par- 

 ticularly in the first transfer from the animal body. Albuminous 

 media, as blood serum, or blood agar, are better adapted for its isola- 

 tion than ordinary media. It grows particularly well in fermentation 

 tubes containing sterile tissue, according to Theobald Smith's method. 



1 Le Charbon, Symptomatique du Boeuf, Paris, 1887. 



