408 BACTERIOLOGY. 



quarters. The muscles and cellular tissues at the points 

 affected are seen on section to be saturated with bloody 

 serum, and the muscles, particularly, are of a dark, 

 almost black color. In these areas, in the bloody transu- 

 dates of the serous cavities, in the bile, and, after death, 

 in the internal organs, the organism to be described can 

 always be detected. It is manifest from this that the 

 soil of localities over which infected herds are grazing 

 may readily become contaminated through a variety of 

 channels, and thus serve as a source of further dissemi- 

 nation of the disease. 



The organism was first observed by Feser, and sub- 

 sequently by Bollinger and others. The most complete 

 description of its morphological and biological pecu- 

 liarities is that of Kitasato (Zeitschr. filr Hygiene, Bd. 

 vi. p. 105 ; Bd. viii. p. 55). The following is from 



FIG. 89. 



Y* 





A B 



Bacillus of symptomatic anthrax. (After KITASATO.) 



A. Vegetating forms from a gelatin culture. B. Spore forms from an agar- 

 agar culture. 



Kitasato's contributions : It is an actively motile rod 

 of about 3 to 5 p. long by 0.5 to 0.6 p. thick. It is 

 rounded at its ends, and, as a rule, is seen singly, though 

 now and then pairs joined end to end may occur. It 

 has no tendency to form very long threads. (Fig. 89 A.) 



