ANTHRAX BACILLUS 187 



purely toxic, as it causes, not a toxaemia, but a bacteriaemia. It is 

 especially virulent for man, sheep, cattle, goats, rabbits, guinea 

 pigs, mules, and horses. Rats rarely succumb. Pigeons, 

 chickens, and dogs are immune. If frogs are kept at a tempera- 

 ture of 3oC. they become susceptible to infection. At their 

 normal temperature they are immune. The disease produced by 

 this organism is known variously in different countries as Anthrax, 

 Splenic fever, Woolsorter's disease, Malignant pustule, and Char- 

 bon. It frequently devastates vast herds of sheep, cattle, and 

 goats, and is often a pestilence in European countries, China, and 

 South America. It appears sporadically in the United States. 

 Its origin in this country can usually be traced to infection from 

 hides or hair imported from abroad. The disease has been 

 contracted from using shaving brushes made of insufficiently 

 sterilized bristles. In man it is frequently fatal. The infection is 

 first manifest as* a small carbuncle or pustule, from this, rapid 

 general infection, as a rule, ensues. In man and animals anthrax 

 bacilli may be transmitted from mother to foetus via the placenta. 

 The organism is found in enormous numbers in infected bodies, 

 investing all the organs and the blood. Pus is produced by 

 necrosis of tissue. Infection is accompanied by a high leucocyto- 

 sis and fever. There is often congestion of the lungs; also an 

 intense friability of the splenic pulp, and all the glands of the body 

 become enlarged, and, at times, many of them suppurate. In 

 woolsorter's disease, the bacilli are inhaled, and lung lesions 

 result. 



Immunity. It is possible to immunize animals against infection 

 with anthrax by means of vaccines. By this means the lives of 

 many thousands of domestic animals have been saved. The vac- 

 cines are made by growing the bacillus at 42C. for various lengths 

 of time to attenuate them. An anti-serum has been produced by 

 repeated injection of toxins and of sporeless rods. It is used 

 locally around a pustule, and in doses of 50-100 c.c. intravenously. 

 It is anti-toxic and seems to stimulate phagocytosis. 



