Diagnosis. 19 



Diagnosis. It is hardly possible to diagnose with certainty 

 the peracute case of anthrax on the living animal, as acute 

 hyperemia and acute edema of the lungs as well as edema of 

 the glottis, further congestion of the brain (sunstroke) and 

 hemorrhages into the brain substance resulting from other 

 causes may kill the animal under very similar manifestations. 

 In the less acute cases anthrax is indicated principally by the 

 appearance of the rapidly extending edematous swellings as 

 well as by the bloody feces and urine, but even in this respect 

 hemorrhagic septicemia very closely resembles anthrax (on 

 post mortem the acute swelling of the spleen is always absent 

 in the former). 



Likewise anthrax may be also suspected in severe gastro- 

 intestinal inflammations, especially when associated with in- 

 testinal hemorrhages, while in horses, on account of the severe 

 abdominal pain, colicky affections, invagination and volvulus 

 of the intestine, may be chiefly confounded with it, and particu- 

 larly so when, as sometimes happens, there are no characteristic 

 symptoms present other than those of colic. In cattle blackleg 

 and malignant edema are differentiated by the cold and crepitat- 

 ing consistence of the swelling in the latter diseases, as well as 

 by the peculiar sour, disagreeable odor of the fluid which is 

 contained in the swellings of anthrax edemas. In hogs, 

 especially when suffering with pharyngitis as a result of an 

 infection with the virus of buffalo disease, the resemblance 

 to anthrax is so pronounced that a differentiation is only pos- 

 sible by additional circumstances (prior cases in buffaloes). 

 Finally, poisonings occasionally come into consideration, in 

 which, however, a rise in the body temperature occurs only in 

 the later stages. 



The diagnosis is certainly established by the demonstration 

 of bacilli in the blood of the living animal which in size and 

 form resemble anthrax bacilli, as there is no other disease 

 known in which bacteria in any way resembling these would 

 circulate in the blood ; unfortunately, they can be demonstrated 

 in the blood only a short time — not earlier than 16 to 18 hours 

 — before death. 



Characteristic indications on post mortem are the dark-red 

 color of the uncoagulated blood, the acute swelling of the spleen 

 and the lymph glands, bloody edema in the subserous and sub- 

 cutaneous connective tissue and also hemorrhagic enteritis. 

 These findings retain their importance even in case of negative 

 bacteriological examination. However, in exceptional cases the 

 enumerated changes and also swelling of the spleen may be 

 absent. In such cases the bacteriological examination alone 

 will give enlightenment. If the carcass is fresh, not older 

 than 24 hours, then the presence of large, non-motile rods and 

 short chains in the blood which has been taken from vessels 

 distantly located from the intestines, such as a superficial vein, 



