ANTHRAX. 295 



ment of animals fed with anthrax -matter contains spores 

 regularly. Also, the feces of healthy animals (sheep) that 

 have grazed upon anthrax-fields contain spores under cer- 

 tain conditions. The introduction of anthrax -bacilli into 

 the gastro-intestinal tract does not invariably induce 

 anthrax. The spores in some cases pass through the 

 digestive tract without causing injury, although they remain 

 as infective for other animals as they were formerly. Also, 

 this mode of infection presupposes the existence of an 

 injury or a lesion of the mucous membrane. With hay 

 obtained from anthrax-fields the spores gain entrance into 

 stables and give rise to so-called stable-epidemics. As 

 a result of floods in the infected districts, the germs are 

 carried far and wide, and thus give rise to cases of anthrax 

 at places where previously the disease was unknown. 



In human beings gastro-intestinal anthrax is by no means 

 so common as malignant pustule ; it was described by 

 earlier observers as intestinal mycosis. Probably it occurs 

 more commonly than current reports would indicate. The 

 cases pursue the clinical course of dysentery or of typhoid 

 fever, and if bacteriologic examination is omitted at the 

 autopsy, they may readily escape diagnosis. 



(c) Lungs.- Pulmonary anthrax has been repeatedly 

 observed in England (Bradford) in individuals who pull 

 sheep's wool or work with goat's or camel's hair and the 

 like (wool-sorter 's disease), and in Germany in those who as- 

 sort rags {ragpicker's disease). 



Experimental Development of Anthrax. All of the 

 modes of infection that have been mentioned as possible in 

 accordance with clinical experience may be imitated in ex- 

 periments on animals. Susceptible animals die of anthrax- 

 septicemia after cutaneous and subcutaneous inoculation. 

 The spleen in such animals is quite considerably enlarged 

 at autopsy, its consistency is soft and friable, its color dark. 

 If spore-containing material is fed to sheep, four among ten 

 animals, on an average, die after the introduction of small 

 amounts ; if large amounts are used, almost all die. The 

 spores, thus, escape uninjured the influence of the acid gas- 

 tric juice. Anthrax occurs but seldom in rabbits, guinea- 

 pigs, and white mice as a result of feeding-experiments. 



Buchner has made careful observations with regard to the 

 occurrence of pulmonary anthrax. When the spores are 

 inhaled experimentally, the animals die of general infection. 



