ANTHRAX, 103 



lie obtained rendered it highly probable that in the case of 

 ;i germ so virulent MS that of anthrax there must ho other 

 chemical poisons produced. This supposition lias IxH'ii eon- 

 liniied l\ the labors of HANKIN, who, in 1889, while at 

 work in KOCH'S laboratory, prepared from cultures of 

 the bacillus anthracis an albumose which, when employed 

 in comparatively large amount, proved fatal to animals, 

 but when used in very small quantity gave immunity 

 against sul)sc<[uent inoculations with the living germ. 

 Unfortunately, HANKIN does not mention the symptoms 

 induced by toxieal doses of this substance. Whether or 

 not the albumose of HANKIN contains in statu nascendi 

 the base of HoFFA, and owes its poisonous properties to 

 the same, has not been determined. 



BfilBQEB and FRANKEL obtained the poisonous protcid 

 of anthrax from animals in which the disease had been 

 induced by inoculation with the bacillus. The liver, spleen, 

 lungs, and kidneys of these animals were finely divided 

 and rubbed up with water. After this had stood in a 

 refrigerator for twelve hours it was passed through a 

 Chamberland filter and the proteid precipitated from the 

 filtrate with absolute alcohol. 



MARTIN, by growing the anthrax bacillus for from ten 

 to fifteen days in an alkaline albuminate from blood serum 

 and filtration through porcelain, obtains the following 

 metabolic products : 



1. Protoalbumose and deuteroalbumose and a trace of 

 peptone. All of these react chemically like similar sub- 

 staiices prepared by peptic digestion. 



2. An alkaloid. 



.">. Small quantities of leucin and tyrosin. 



The most characteristic property of the albumoses is that 

 their solutions are strongly alkaline, and the alkalinity is 

 not removed by treatment with alcohol, lx'ii/ol, chloroform, 

 or ether, or by dialysis. 



The alkaloid is soluble in water, alcohol, and amylic 

 alcohol ; insoluble in chloroform, ether, and ben/ol. Its 

 solutions are strongly alkaline and the alkaloid forms crys- 

 talline -alt- with acids. It is precipitated by the general 



