308 CONTAGIOUS DISEASES, 



Cause of the Disease. — The cause of this disease is an anaerobic 

 germ, which when in connective tissue and outside blood-vessels 

 propagates itself with wonderful activity, and in so doing causes 

 destruction of the tissues in its neighbourhood, the formation of 

 the tumours, and ultimately death. 



This germ is smaller than the true Anthrax hacilhis, measures 

 from ^Vo to ^j-gVir inch in length, and from -^Uo to -^x^^g- 

 inch in breadth. It is found in the tumour, and the exuded 

 fluids contained in and about it, in large numbers, is scarce 

 in the blood itself ; it varies in shape, — cylindrical when the 

 contents are homogeneous, club-shaped when sporulated, but 

 when the spore is central the bacillus becomes spindle-shaped, 

 and often contains a clear spot or spore at one end, sometimes 

 one at each end. It is motile, its movement being from side 

 to side. Many of the rods contain spores, and have an irregular 

 swollen appearance ; they grow rapidly on glycerine, agar, 

 and other cultivation fluids, liquefying gelatine, and evolving 

 much gas, having an unpleasant sour odour. It is stated that 

 the virulence is destroyed after the third cultivation, but returns 

 on the addition of lactic acid. 



If iodine solution be added, the germs stain a violet colour. 

 In glycerine they grow readily and become motile. 



They also stain with fuchsin, more particularly tlie spores 

 contained in them. 



When the virus is introduced into the system of a guinea-pig 

 it becomes attenuated, and loses its great destructive powers. 



Protective InoculoAion. — It has recently been demonstrated 

 that when the germs are introduced directly into the blood- 

 stream, and not into the connective tissues, immunity to the 

 disease is caused. 



To obtain the germs for protective inoculation the following 

 is the method recommended by Messrs. Arloing, Cornevin, and 

 Thomas, and others, and found to be extremely successful. 



From an animal just dead of the disease take the blackest 

 portion of the tumour, cut up into small pieces, mix with 

 distilled water, then triturate in a mortar, squeeze through 

 cloth, and filter through several folds of muslin which has been 

 previously wetted with water, and of this fluid inject from five 

 to ten drops into the jugular vein by means of a hypodermic 

 syringe, taking the very greatest care that none of it escapes 



