BACTERIUM ANTHRACIS 159 



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 

 sublimate, 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. During an attack a human being or an 

 animal produces no specific changes in the blood or 

 tissues having a relation to immunity. 



Morphology and General Characteristics. The anthrax 

 bacillus is a large straight rod with sharply cut ends. 

 It measures -^-^ to ^Vfr inch long by YFUTFTF to 

 2"oiro"o mcn wide. It does not possess motility, but 

 does form spores. These are round, oval, or elliptical, 

 and 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. They show a delicate capsule about the organ- 

 isms when stained in pus. They grow best at 37 C. 

 or 98 F., but also at lower temperatures. The vegeta- 

 tive rods are killed at 54 C. or 130 F. in ten minutes; 

 the spores are killed by boiling ten minutes or in dry 

 heat at 140 C. or 285 F. for ten minutes. The 

 resistance to chemical agents has been considered on 

 page 51. It is best not to rely on any chemical killing 

 of anthrax spores, as different cultures vary in resist- 



