TOXINES OF THE BACILLUS ANTHRACIS. 309 



There may be cutaneous oedema over the chest and neck, 

 with enlargement of glands, and the patient rapidly dies with 

 symptoms of pulmonary embarrassment, and with a varying 

 degree of pyrexia. It is to be noted that in such cases, 

 though numerous bacilli are present in the bronchial lesions, 

 in the lymphatic glands, and affected tissues in the thorax, 

 comparatively few may be present in the various organs, 

 such as the kidney, spleen, etc., and sometimes it may be 

 impossible to find any. 



(3) It is probable that infection occasionally takes place 

 through the intestine ; but this condition is rare. In such 

 cases there is a local lesion in the intestinal mucous mem- 

 brane, of similar nature to that in the bronchial form, with 

 a corresponding affection of the mesenteric glands. 



The Toxines of the Bacillus Anthracis. Various 

 theories were formerly held as to the mode in which the 

 anthrax bacillus produces its effects. One of the earliest 

 was the mechanical, according to which it was supposed 

 that the serious results were produced by extensive block- 

 ing of the capillaries in the various organs by the bacilli. 

 According to another, it was supposed that the bacilli used 

 up the oxygen of the blood, thus leading to starvation of 

 the tissues. Though such modes of action may occur to a 

 small extent, we now know that in anthrax, as in other 

 diseases, the important local and general effects are pro- 

 duced by specific poisons formed by the bacilli. We have 

 therefore to consider the nature of these toxic bodies. 



During the years 1889-90 several papers were published 

 dealing with the toxines of the bacillus anthracis. Hankin, 

 investigating the means of conferring immunity against the 

 disease, isolated from cultures in a bouillon made from 

 Liebig's meat juice an albumose which he considered to 

 be the toxine. His reason for thinking so was that, while 

 the injection of very small doses of this substance (one five 

 millionth to one ten millionth of the weight of an animal) 

 lengthened the incubation period of the disease, and might 

 even ward off a fatal attack, the injection of larger doses 

 hastened the death of the animal. Very full researches on 



