INFECTION. 115 



of the white or colorless blood-cells in proportion to the red, while 

 leucaemia is a permanent increase of the former over the latter. 

 This increase is to be traced to the hyperplastic condition of the 

 lymph-^Jauds and spleen. 



The red blood-cells seem to suffer some changes ; they are less 

 tirm in their contours, and have a greater degree of adhesiveness 

 than is conimon to them. 



Bacteria are, naturally, to be discovered only by the use of the 

 microscope in the entire capillary system, many of them being vir- 

 tually the seat of embolic bacterial obstruction. The parasites are 

 also plentiful in all the effusions and extravasations, and frequently 

 among the tissues. 



In the smaller animals the necroscopical phenomena of anthrax 

 are far less characteristic : the spleen is but little enlarged ; the 

 sero-hfemorrhagic infiltrations are by no means so numerous, as well 

 as the extravasations. 



A special tendency to rapid cadaveric changes does not seem so 

 common to cattle, sheep, and goats, as to horses. The rigor moi'tia 

 often fails, or is present to a minor degree. 



Pi'ogjiosis. 



The prognosis in anthrax is to be considered as exceedingly un- 

 favorable, sixty to seventy per cent of the cases ending fatally 

 among the larger animals. In the acute and apoplectic forms re- 

 covery seldom takes place, and in the sub-acute the mortality is very 

 great. 



Diagnosis. 



The diagnosis is often very difficult intra vitajn^ especially with- 

 out recoui-se to the microscope, in sporadic cases in localities where 

 the previous occurrence of the disease does not give cause for sus- 

 picion. 



During the intermissions of the disease, the microscopic exami- 

 nation of the blood is often followed by negative results, as well as 

 inoculative experiments. However, these should ever be resorted 

 to, and, when taken in unison with the above detailed necroscopic 

 phenomena, one need seldom make a mistake. 



The bacteria may, however, generally be found in the blood 

 soon after death. It must not be forgotten that putrefaction is op- 

 posed to the life of the bacteria. 



On account of the extreme degree of infectiousness possessed by 

 this disease, the practitioner must ever remember that, in a certain 

 sense, he takes his life in his hands in making autopsies upon ani- 



