BACILLUS ANTHRACIS. 303 



especially the hide. Even tanning of the hides does not lessen 

 the danger of infection. Leather-workers, brush-makers, and 

 others handling the finished product, have been known to 

 become infected with anthrax. 



A very forcible illustration of the extreme infectiousness of 

 the body of an animal dead of anthrax is mentioned by 

 Eineke. An ox died of anthrax. Two persons who ate of 

 the meat of this animal also died of anthrax. The hide of 

 the animal was macerated in a small lake, and was finally 

 worked up by a harness-maker, who was immediately attacked 

 by the disease. Two horses wearing halters made from the 

 hide also fell victims to the disease. Of a herd of sheep 

 bathing in the lake, twenty were attacked by anthrax (Levy 

 and Klemperer). 



Portal of infection : The most frequent portal of infection 

 is the skin, either through an injury or the bite of an insect 

 which has fed on the anthrax cadaver. If the injury is 

 minute, a "carbuncle" speedily develops at the site of infec- 

 tion. This is usually known as malignant pustule, a form of 

 " external anthrax." It is rarely accompanied by a general 

 infection. If the injury is a regular wound, there follows a 

 local, spreading infection known as " anthrax oedema/' the 

 other form of "external anthrax," that is always accom- 

 panied by a general infection which is usually fatal. 



Anthrax infection occasionally occurs through the gastro- 

 intestinal canal. Partaking of the food of animals dead of 

 anthrax is invariably followed by a general infection and sep- 

 ticaemia which are fatal. The pasturage of the animal may 

 have become infected with anthrax through the burial of an 

 anthrax cadaver. The spores remain alive in the soil for 

 years, and thus may infect animals grazing on this ground. 

 Pasteur was of the opinion that the earth-worm, feeding on 

 the anthrax cadavers, carried the spores to the surface and 

 deposited them there with their excreta. 



Snails, flies, and other insects may also be instrumental in 

 dissemination of the spores. The gastrointestinal infection 

 in man has been described as an intestinal mycosis. The 

 symptoms caused by such an infection are similar to those 

 of typhoid or dysentery. In some instances the anthrax ba- 



