ANTHRAX 107 



The proper temperature is readily found by a little practice. After 

 fixation the smear is stained for a few seconds with an old one per 

 cent, aqueous solution of methylene blue, or Loeffler's alkaline 

 methylene blue. An old solution is better than a freshly prepared 

 one. The staining solution must contain polychrome methylene 

 blue. A one per cent, solution of methylene blue if made from the 

 pure stain is apt not to give good results. I have obtained much 

 better results from Loeffler's alkaline methylene blue. The stained 

 smear is thoroughly washed in tap water, then blotted to remove 

 the excess of water and then dried in the warm air over a flame. 

 Drying should be done rapidly. The anthrax bacteria and nuclei 

 are stained blue. The characteristic reaction is a violet or reddish 

 purple color of the amorphous material about or near the anthrax 

 bacteria. 



With any of the stains mentioned, Jenner's, Wright's or M'Fad- 

 yean's, the larger putrefactive bacteria having square ends should 

 not be mistaken for anthrax bacteria. Where both are present 

 in the same specimen the difference between them is seen to be 

 considerable. The putrefactive germs stain more deeply and uni- 

 formly. W T hen putrefaction has begun, the anthrax bacteria show 

 considerable degenerative changes. 



The changes in the blood in cases of anthrax are often slight. 

 Schindelka found a constant increase in Hb in horses. An anemia 

 has been found in the cases in cattle reported. In an acute case, 

 in a cow, which died the day after the first symptom was observed, 

 the red corpuscles were 4,072,000 while the Hb was normal. 

 Hemoglobinuria was not observed in this case; but there may have 

 been Hb in the blood plasma. In a cow that died the third day 

 after the first symptom appeared, the red corpuscles were 5,156,000, 

 the Hb 48%. In four cows that recovered, both the red corpuscles 

 and Hb were diminished moderately during the febrile period. In 

 a cow examined two hours before death, temperature 106. 6°F., 

 the leucocytes numbered 20,000, the lymphocytes and eosins 

 showed an absolute increase, while the polymorphs and large 

 mononuclears showed both a relative and absolute increase. This 

 leucocytosis was probably an antemortem one as in another fatal 

 case examined the day before death, temperature 107.6, there were 

 7,222 leucocytes, which is within the normal limits for cattle. In 

 this case the polymorphs were in less than the normal proportion. 



