BACILLUS OF ANTHRAX 1 09 



have been infected, and through a scratch or slight wound he 

 becomes infected, and local gangrene and necrosis set in, but 

 death follows in the severer forms from a general pyemia; 

 there is severe edema of the tissues in and about the wound, 

 and pulmonary edema. Wounds about the face and neck are 

 more fatal. 



Pneumonia by inhalation and intestinal infection also 

 occur in man. 



Woolsorter's disease is the pulmonary form caused by in- 

 halation of spores from infected wool. 



Susceptibility of Animals. Dogs, birds, and cold-blooded 

 animals affected the least; white mice, sheep, and guinea-pigs 

 quickly and surely. 



Products of Anthrax Bacilli. A basic ptomain has not been 

 found, but a toxalbumin or proteid, called anthraxin, has been 

 obtained. A certain amount of acid is prcduced by the viru- 

 lent form, alkali by the weak. 



Attenuation and Immunity. Cultures left several days in 

 an incubator at a temperature between 40 and 42 C. soon 

 become innocuous, and when injected into animals protect 

 them against the virulent form. 



The lymph obtained from lymph-sac of a frog destroys the 

 virulence of anthrax bacilli and spores temporarily. 



Hankin obtained an alexin from the blood and spieen of 

 rats, they being naturally immune. It destroyed the anthrax 

 bacilli in vitro, and used by injection in susceptible animals, 

 made them immune. It is insoluble in alcohol or water. 



Protective Inoculation. Animals have been rendered im- 

 mune in various ways by inoculation of successive atten- 

 uated cultures; also with sterilized cultures that is, cul- 

 tures containing no bacilli, and with cultures of other bacteria. 



Immune Serum. That obtained from animals rendered 

 immune by attenuated cultures contains protective substances 

 which seem to have some antitoxic action. 



Habitat. In the serum about the wound and in the blood 

 anthrax bacilli are readily found. 



The bacillus has never been found free in nature. 



