head and ears, and, before death, a lowering of body temperature. 

 In some cases the disease affects the skin, producing swelling that do 

 not crackle when touched. Swine, cats, and dogs infected by eating 

 anthrax carcasses generally contract the disease in the throat and 

 intestines. There is a marked swelling of the throat, interfering with 

 breathing. In man the disease usually occurs as a malignant car- 

 buncle, caused by the handling of carcasses and hides of anthrax 

 animals, the bacteria entering through some slight wound of the skin. 

 Later there may be great swelling, with possibly fatal fermentation. 



How to Send Specimens for Diagnosis. From the above it is 

 evident that it is exceedingly dangerous to tamper with the carcass 

 of an animal dead of anthrax. The post mortem appearance is seldom 

 sufficiently characteristic of the disease to justify a diagnosis without 

 taking into consideration the circumstances under which the death 

 occurred. The soiling of the ground in opening the carcass and 

 allowing blood to drain out may permanently infect the land. There- 

 fore, in cases of suspected anthrax it is advisable not to open the 

 carcass, but instead to submit a specimen to a laboratory for diagnosis. 



Anthrax offers no difficulty in diagnosis when the proper speci- 

 mens are properly handled and forwarded. On the other hand, with 

 unsatisfactory specimens the laboratory worker encounters many dif- 

 ficulties, often resulting in a delay of several days in determining the 

 presence or absence of anthrax bacteria in a specimen, and not rarely 

 he is unable to make definite determination. 



There are several ways to collect suitable specimens. Any method 

 by which a few drops of blood uncontaminated by dirt can be secured 

 will be satisfactory. When possible, the services of a physician or 

 veterinarian should be enlisted to take the specimens as he should 

 be able to draw blood from the cadaver without contaminating the 

 ground. A few drops of blood placed on the concave surface of a 

 clean piece of broken bottle, cup or saucer, or flat surface of window 

 glass or paper, and then allowed to dry in the air, are all that is 

 required. Such specimens wrapped in paper, placed in a tobacco 

 can or other suitable container, sealed, labeled and placed in another 

 small box and mailed or expressed should reach the laboratory in good 

 condition. Blood in bulk should not be forwarded. 



An easy and safe, but not quite as satisfactory method is to cut 

 off an ear close to the head. This should be wrapped in cheese cloth 

 which has been dipped in 1 :1000 solution of bichloride of mercury, 

 placed in a fruit jar and packed in a box containing sawdust and 

 shipped by express. Precautions must be taken not to contaminate 

 the exterior of the jar or packing material with blood or tissues from 

 the animal and as additional precautions it is necessary to disinfect 



