172 THE MORE CHRONIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES 



action also attacks the walls of bloodvessels permitting 

 the leaking of blood or a true hemorrhage. The poisons 

 are further absorbed by the circulation with a resulting 

 fever and general illness. The bacteria may leave the 

 body with pus or sloughs, by the expectoration in the 

 pulmonary form, or by the feces when the infection is 

 intestinal or has become generalized. 



Protection against anthrax is secured with difficulty 

 since its organisms produce resistant spores. The 

 sputum, feces, and wound discharges should be so 

 received that immediate burning is possible. Chemical 

 disinfection is much less reliable. Five per cent, 

 carbolic acid should be allowed to remain in contact 

 with infective material for two days. Corrosive sub- 

 limate, 1 to 1000, for one day is usually sufficient. 



Anthrax is diagnosticated by finding the bacteria, 

 not a very difficult matter since they grow with com- 

 parative luxuriance on laboratory media. Smears 

 also assist because of the characteristic appearance 

 of the rods. 



Morphology and General Characteristics. The anthrax 

 bacillus is a large straight rod with sharply cut ends. 

 It measures TirirTro to ^oV o" mcn l n g by -3 TFQ~O to 

 TflTJTnr mcn wide. It does not possess motility, but 

 does form round, oval, or elliptical spores, situated 

 near the centre of the rod. The bacilli may grow in 

 chains suggesting bamboo sticks. They require oxygen. 

 The rods but not the spores are easy to stain. There 

 is a delicate capsule about the organisms when stained 

 in pus. They grow best at 37 C. or 98 R, but also 

 at lower temperatures. The vegetative rods are killed 



