ANTHRAX. 343 



probably the result of the inhalation or ingestion of the 

 spores of the bacilli from the pasture. At one time 

 much discussion arose concerning the infection of the 

 pasture. It was argued that, the bacilli being enclosed 

 in the tissues of the diseased animals, the infection of 

 the pasture must be due to the distribution of the germs 

 from the buried cadaver to all parts of the field, either 

 through the activity of earth-worms, whi^h ate of the 

 earth surrounding the corpse and then deposited the 

 spores in their excrement at remote areas (Pasteur), or to 

 currents of moisture in the soil. Koch seems, however, 

 to have demonstrated the fallacy of the theories by show- 

 ing that the conditions under which the bacilli find them- 

 selves in buried cadavers are exactly opposed to those 

 favorable to fructification or sporulation, and that in all 

 probability the majority of bacteria suffer the same fate 

 as the animal cells, and disintegrate, especially if the ani- 

 mal be buried at a depth of two or three meters. 



Frankel points out particularly that no infection of the 

 soil by the dead animal could be worse than the pollution 

 of its surface by the bloody stools and urine, rich in 

 bacilli, discharged upon it by the animal before death, 

 and that in all probability it is the live, and not the dead, 

 animals that are to be blamed as sources of infection. 



As every animal affected with anthrax is a source of 

 danger to the community in which it t lives, to the men 

 who handle it as well as the animals who browse beside 

 it, such animals, as soon as the diagnosis is made, should 

 be killed, and, together with the hair and skin, be burned. 

 When this is impracticable, Frankel recommends that 

 they be buried to a depth of at least iJ^-2 meters, so 

 that the sporulation of the bacilli is impossible. The 

 dejecta should also be carefully disinfected with 5 per 

 cent, carbolic-acid solution. 



Of course, animals can be infected through wounds. 

 This mode of infection is, however, more common 

 among men, who suffer from the local disease mani- 

 fested as the malignant carbuncle, than among animals. 



