300 



ANTHRAX; AND HYDROPHOBIA. 



It is from 5 ft to 20 /JL long, and from 1 fj. to 1.5/z thick. The 

 organism usually forms very long chains or filaments, which 

 interlace very freely, twisting in and out like a skein of 

 wool (Fig. 133). The individual members of the chain can 

 be identified as a rule. Sometimes one or both ends of the 

 germ are slightly enlarged or swollen, so that the chain pre- 

 sents nodular thickenings at intervals. These nodules and 

 concave ends are seen most frequently in culture specimens. 

 The thin transparent capsule surrounding the germ can be 

 seen when it is stained by Johne's method. 



FIG. 134. 



Spores heavily stained. Bodies of disintegrating bacilli faintly stained. 

 X 1000. (Park.) 



The anthrax bacillus is not^motile, and it has no flagella. 

 Spores, large and shining, are formed rapidly in the presence 

 of oxygen. These spores are oval in shape, and each bacillus 

 usually has only one. As the spore increases in size the par- 

 ent cell is seen to disappear gradually until the spore is finally 

 set free (Fig. 134). The bacillus is strongly aerobic. 



Bacillus anthracis is stained by the ajiiljn dyes, and also by 

 Gram's method. When contained in tissue it is stained with 

 methylene-blue, the tissue with carmine, or with Gram's stain, 

 or a combination of Gram's and Weigert's stains, picrocar- 



