ANTHRAX VACCINE 317 



venously. Salvarsan also seems to be an efficient drug 

 for the treatment of anthrax. As already mentioned 

 (p. 285), B. pyocyaneus, and pyocyanase obtained there- 

 from, is antagonistic to anthrax infection. Louis and 

 Fortineau x state that they have treated 50 cases of 

 anthrax infection in man by injections of 10 c.c.-20 c.c. 

 of sterilised broth cultures of B. pyocyaneus with a 

 mortality of 10 per cent. 



Vaccine. An attenuated virus has been extensively 

 employed for the prophylactic vaccination of cattle and 

 sheep. Cultures are attenuated by growing at 42~43 C. 

 (Pasteur, Chamberland, and Roux). A weak vaccine is 

 first injected, followed after ten to twelve days by an 

 injection of a stronger vaccine. The mortality as a result 

 of the vaccination is small, and the animals are subse- 

 quently protected for some months against the virulent 

 disease. Sobernheim has applied a combined method, 

 515 c.c. of anti-anthrax serum being inoculated on one 

 side of the animal, and the vaccine on the other. This 

 practically eliminates all danger from the vaccine. 



Clinical Examination 



(1) In veterinary practice. If an animal is suspected to have 

 died from splenic fever, an extensive post-mortem is inadvisable 

 because of the risk of distribution of material containing bacilli 

 and subsequent development and dissemination of spores, with 

 infection of pasture, etc. The abdomen should be opened and 

 the spleen examined. If this is found to be much enlarged, and so 

 soft that it can hardly be handled without rupture, there is a high 

 probability of splenic fever, which the history of sudden death, 

 with or without symptoms, coupled with a sanguineous discharge, 

 increases. To confirm the diagnosis, some smear preparations 

 should be made from the spleen and blood, which can be stained 

 and examined on arriving home. If slides or cover-glasses are not 

 available, the ear or a small piece of the spleen may be removed 



1 Comp. Rend. Acad. Sc., vol. 158, No. 14, 1914, p. 1035. 



