202 ANTHRAX. 



weights of anthrax albuminose and active culture. Two of them 

 survived. Four control mice were inoculated, and all died of 

 anthrax. He has come to the conclusion that when a large dose 

 of albuminose is injected into an animal, the entry of anthrax 

 bacilli into the system is aided, and when a small dose is adminis- 

 tered immunity is acquired against its poisonous properties, protect- 

 ing the animal against subsequent inoculations with active cultures. 



INTENSIFICATION OF VIRUS. While it is known that some 

 chemical substances exert an attenuating influence on the virulence 

 of the anthrax bacillus, it has also been found that an attenuated virus 

 will again become more virulent by adding certain substances. It 

 must, therefore, be taken for granted that the chemical composition 

 in which the bacillus is suspended influences in one way or the other 

 its virulence. It has been found, for instance, that the addition 

 of a minute quantity of lactic acid to a fluid containing the bacillus 

 in an attenuated form greatly intensifies its virulence within a very 

 short time. Thus, Arloiug, Corneviu, and Thomas found that the 

 pathogenic power of a fluid containing these bacilli, to which -g-J-Q- 

 part of lactic acid had been added, and the mixture allowed to 

 stand for twenty-four hours/was increased twofold ; if then a little 

 water, containing a very easily fermentable sugar is added to the 

 mixture, and another twenty-four hours allowed to elapse, the viru- 

 lence attains its maximum, and frogs inoculated with this virus die 

 in from twelve to fifteen hours, whereas, when inoculated with 

 ordinary virus they live from forty to fifty hours. Kitt has 

 repeated and confirmed these experiments. 



ANTHRAX INFECTION IN MAN, AND CLINICAL VARIETIES. 

 The favorite location for the development and growth of the bacillus 

 of anthrax in man and beast is in the connective tissue ; it is, there- 

 fore, immaterial in what manner the microorganism reaches this 

 tissue, as localization here marks the beginning of the disease. 

 Buchner (" Ueber Aufnahme von. Infectionserregern durch die 

 iutacte Luugeuoberfliiche," Verh. des Congress f. innere Mediciri, 

 1888) has studied experimentally the entrance of the bacillus of 

 anthrax through the intact surface of the lung. The bacillus and 

 spores were administered by inhalation in the shape of dry powder 

 and suspended in steam. On examining the bronchial mucous 

 membrane at different stages under the microscope it was seen that 

 the spores were transformed in a very short time into bacilli, and 

 that the latter, by their growth, pushed themselves between the 

 cells and into the capillary vessels. It was observed that the 

 greater the pulmonary irritation was, the more the passage of the 

 microbes was retarded. The entrance of the bacilli from the sur- 

 face of the mucous membrane into the capillary vessels was seen to 

 depend on an active process. Only blood bacilli, to which belong 



