318 PUBLIC HEALTH BACTERIOLOGY 



muscles are also involved, and have a putrid odour. The 

 internal organs are congested and show parenchymatous 

 degeneration. The spleen is soft, but not much enlarged. 

 Immediately after death bacilli are not found in the blood 

 or internal organs ; but thereafter the bacilli rapidly 

 spread into the blood and organs. This account applies 

 to the mixed infections (garden soil) ; in pure infection, 

 little gas and odour are formed. 



Toxins. A small amount of soluble toxin is formed, and 

 filtrates of cultures in fluid media produce the same sym- 

 ptoms (if used insufficient quantity) as the bacilli themselves. 

 Chamberland and Roux, in 1887, produced immunity in 

 guinea-pigs by the injection of the toxin, obtained by 

 filtration or by sterilization of cultures by heat, or by filtra- 

 tion from the serum of animals dead of the disease. 



Pasteur called the disease " septicemic," but it is not 

 a true septicaemia like anthrax, in which the bacilli invade 

 the blood and organs. It is a rare disease, occurring in 

 man after traumatism. 



Quarter-Evil. A disease of cattle, sheep, and goats, 

 called by the Germans, " Rauschbrand," and by the 

 French, " charbon symptomatique." It has never been 

 observed in man. Infection takes place by some wound 

 of the surface, and occasions inflammatory swelling with 

 bloody oedema and emphysema of the tissues ; the affected 

 part becomes greatly swollen, and of a dark, almost black 

 colour. The bacillus is found in the inflamed tissues and 

 in small numbers in the blood of internal organs. It 

 closely resembles the B. cedematis maligni, but is somewhat 

 thicker and does not form such long threads (filaments). 

 The spores also are more bulging and nearer the end of the 

 bacilli. An acute disease of sheep in Northern Europe, 

 called " braxy," is associated with the presence of a very 

 similar, if not identical anaerobe. Active and passive 

 immunization of sheep and goats and cattle are practised. 



B. Enteritidis Sporogenes was first isolated by Klein 

 in 1895 from diarrhoeal stools. It was afterwards found in 

 infantile diarrhoea and summer diarrhoea, and as a constant 

 inhabitant of sewage. It is slightly motile, with a tuft 

 of flagella at one pole (lophotrichal), i-6 to 4-8 micra long 

 by o-8 micron thick ; easily stained ; Gram-positive ; gelatin- 



