310 Chapter X 



abundant oedema followed by a fatal anthrax at the end of a few days. 

 On making a post-mortem examination of these animals the bacilli 

 were not numerous, but they were found in all the organs. The same 

 result was obtained in another experiment in which March oux inocu- 

 lated subcutaneously with anthrax blood which coagulated in situ 

 rabbits prepared with specific serum. The blood clot attracted only 

 the macrophages, as pointed out in Chapter IV. The microphages 

 did not come up until late and then in small numbers. Now, as 

 these are the phagocytes that are chiefly instrumental in destroying 

 the anthrax bacillus, their absence allowed the bacilli to multiply and 

 to set up a fatal anthrax. The rabbits prepared with the same serum 

 but injected with anthrax blood diluted with broth (which prevents 

 the formation of clot) completely resisted infection, thanks to the 

 phagocytic reaction which went on without hindrance. 



Sclavo^ also, who made numerous investigations on the action 

 [326] of the anti-anthrax serum, is of opinion that this action is not a 

 direct one upon the bacillus but is produced indirectly through 

 the action of the animal organism. He maintains that the serum 

 stimulates the function of the phagocytes and augments the bacteri- 

 cidal action of the body fluids. But since this bactericidal power 

 enters the cytase as a substance destroying the micro-organisms, and 

 this cytase is contained in the phagocytes, we can readily understand 

 what a dominant part in the process these elements play. 



Sobernheim^, also, has paid much attention to the question now 

 under discussion. As the result of his researches he comes to the 

 conclusion that the anti-anthrax serum " cannot exert any effect on 

 the virus by a direct action of the protective specific substances." In 

 order that the serum may be effective, the active intervention of the 

 organism of the animal is necessary, otherwise, it is impossible to 

 explain why the serum, used in the same proportion against the same 

 quantity of anthrax bacilli, should protect one species of animals 

 (the rabbit) and allow another (guinea-pig, mouse) to succumb. 

 When Sobernheim tried to apply to anthrax the discovery of the 

 transformation of cholera vibrios into granules, he got only negative 

 results. There was nothing produced comparable to Pfeiffer's phe- 

 nomenon and the anthrax bacilli usually underwent no apparent 

 modification. Sobernheim affirms also that the rapid phagocytosis 

 under the influence of the serum, described by Marchoux, " does not 



1 Centralhl.f. Bakterwl. u. Parasitenk., Jena, 1899, i Abt., Bd. xxvi, S. 428. 



2 Ztschr.f. Hyg., Leipzig, 1899, Bd. xxxi, S. 110. 



