

BACILLUS TETANI. 335 



chemical activities of malignant edema and symptomatic 

 anthrax are more vigorous. Regarding toxins, see page 

 74. The similarity of tetanus and strychnia poisoning, 

 according to G. Brunner, is only superficial (C. B. xxiv, 

 629); on the contrary, Lusini even claimed that tetanus 

 antitoxin had a favorable influence over strychnia poison- 

 ing (C. B. xxv, 325). 



Distribution. — 



{a) Outside the body : Wide-spread in garden soil, hay, 

 and dust. Very often tetanus results in animals from 

 the inoculation with samples of soil and dirt-floors from 

 dwellings (Heinzelmann). 



(6) In healthy body : In feces of horses and cattle, more 

 rarely of man. 



(c) In man in cases of disease : Cause of traumatic tris- 

 mus and tetanus, puerperal tetanus, and tetanus neona- 

 torum through wound infection. The organism is found 

 only in the wound secretion, and usually in very small 

 numbers; never in the blood and internal organs. " Rheu- 

 matic tetanus" appears (see above) to be due to tracheal 

 infection with aerobic forms of tetanus. 



(d) In animals: Tetanus often occurs spontaneously in 

 horses; more rarely in sheep, goats, and other domestic 

 animals. 



Experimental Observations Regarding Patho- 

 genic Effects. — 



(a) In animals : The following are especially suscepti- 

 ble: Horses, guinea-pigs, goats, mice. Much less so: 

 Rabbits, sheep. Dogs, rats (v. Hibler saw rats usually 

 die), pigeons, and hens are almost immune, although the 

 toxin remains quite long in the body of the hen. More 

 details as to the immunity of the hen can be found given 

 by Asakawa (C. B. xxiv, 166). 



About twelve hours after subcutaneous infection at the 

 root of the tail with virulent material, the mouse (simi- 

 larly guinea-pigs and rabbits), which is the most com- 

 monly employed, shows the first symptoms of tetanus in 

 a rigidity of the groups of muscles near the point of 

 infection (tail, hind leg), and it goes about after the 

 fashion of seals — i. e. , with the extended hind leg dragging 

 upon the ground. Mild infection may cause unilateral 



