IXFECTIOUS DISEASES AND MICROBES, ETC. 257 



been exposed to a temperature of 104C. for four 

 hours (dry heat). However, boiling in water for 

 only one minute was sufficient to render inert the 

 spores of B. anthracis. 



According to MM. Chamberllent and Moussons, 1 

 anthrax bacilli have been discovered in the milk of 

 cows affected with the disease, and not only is milk 

 a means of giving rise to an outbreak of anthrax, 

 but polluted drinking water derived from wells may 

 also spread the disease. 



As already stated, successive cultivations do not 

 weaken the virulence of Bacillus anthracis, but if 

 the microbe is cultivated in neutral bouillon at 42 

 or 43 C. for twenty days an attenuated virus is 

 obtained. Pasteur's premier vaccin protects animals 

 against the disease ; but to make them perfectly 

 refractory, they are inoculated a second time with a 

 vaccine (deuodeme vaccin) of less strength. Attenu- 

 ated viruses for the protective inoculation against 

 anthrax have also been obtained by exposing the 

 bacilli to a temperature of 55 C., or to an aqueous 

 solution of carbolic acid (0*5 to 1 per cent.), or sul- 

 phuric acid in a diluted form, as well as other 

 chemicals. According to Hankin, 2 immunity against 

 anthrax is obtained by inoculation with the albu- 

 mose derived from pure cultivations of the bacilli, 

 and he has also cured animals suffering from anthrax 

 by injecting the albumose into their bodies. 



1 Comptes Rendus, vol. cvii. p. 142. 



2 Report of British Association, 1890 ; and British Medical 

 Journal, 1890. 



