340 IMPORTANT VARIETIES OF FISSION-FUNGI. 



animal only after death. The viability of the organisms 

 with spores in the dried flesh of symptomatic anthrax 

 animals is very great. The chemical activities of the 

 organism have been fairly completely investigated, most 

 of the communications upon this being referred to upon 

 page 331. Our cultures coagulate milk; v. Hibler found 

 gradual coagulation. As the cause of symptomatic 

 anthrax (" Rauschbrand ") (a destructive disease of 

 cattle, localized in certain pastures, and formerly confused 

 with anthrax) it is found in the bloody edema and mus- 

 cles, the intestinal contents, and, what is of diagnostic 

 value, always in the bile 1 of the affected animals. Cattle 

 usually die in one and one-half to three days, with the 

 development of a large crepitating swelling of the skin, 

 regional swelling of the lymph-glands, high fever, and 

 sopor. At the section there is found within the swell- 

 ing a bloody, gelatinous edema, beset with gas bub- 

 bles, together with slight hemorrhagic exudate into the 

 serous cavities, and peritonitis. The spleen is normal. 

 The infection enters through injuries of the skin or 

 mucous membranes. Of experimental animals, espe- 

 cially cows of one to three years (calves under six 

 months less), goats, and sheep, 2 and most especially 

 guinea-pigs and mice (rats somewhat less), are sus- 

 ceptible. Man is immune, also swine; dogs, cats, and 

 rabbits are rarely killed by it. In horses and kindred 

 animals the inoculation produces only a local reaction. 

 Protective infections with attenuated cultures (or dried, 

 pulverized symptomatic anthrax flesh heated to 100 for 

 several hours) have proved very valuable. Immunization 

 against symptomatic anthrax, according to Roux, protects 

 also against malignant edema; Kitasato found the oppo- 

 site. 



The so-called puerperal symptomatic anthrax, according 

 to Carl, is produced by the Bac. oed. maligni (C. B. xix, 

 489). Sclmeidemuhl considers the Bacillus botulinus or 



1 It is always necessary to examine not only the subcutaneous 

 tissue, but also the bile. 



2 The Norwegian sheep disease, Bradsot, is said to be symptomatic 

 anthrax (H. P. VII, 559). 



