DISEASES OF THE BLOOD. 163 



found in the blood in anthrax have been observed; it is these 

 which have been found in the system of healthy animals. 



10. That the severity of the symptoms is proportional 

 to the ratio of the number of parasites present to the 

 strength of the animal. 



11. Whereas cases of supposed spontaneous anthrax 

 used to be considered common, we can now prove that 

 they are rare. Their diminution has been exactly pro- 

 portioned to our advances in knowledge of the bacillus. 



12. That the opinion that anthrax originates only from 

 the bacillus gaining entry into the animal system, is 

 more likely to lead to good practical results, as preventive 

 measures and curative means, than any other opinion 

 which has been advanced; the theory of spontaneous 

 origin of disorders of this kind being particularly liable 

 to discourage hygienic prophylactic measures. 



The mode of entry of the Anthrax bacillus into the 

 organism has been the object of recent research. MM. 

 Pasteur and Toussaint simultaneously arrived at the result 

 that in almost every case the food is the vehicle, and 

 wounds are the points of entry. Toussaint proved this by 

 careful post-mortem examinations, in which he found the 

 lymphatic glands in connection witb the mouth and pharynx 

 in the large majority of cases earliest involved. Pasteur 

 found that only animals with injured mouths who fed on 

 forage watered with culture fluid containing the bacillus 

 became affected, and that when harsh irritating food was 

 given almost all the animals experimented upon succumbed. 

 A low percentage of cases which naturally occur in a pasture 

 may be traced to entry througb wounds on the limbs and 

 other parts of the body. 



Death is brought about either, as above indicated, by 

 mechanical asphyxia, or by deoxidation of the red cor- 

 puscles, or by decomposition of the blood before death 

 (necrsemia). The presence of the organisms in the blood 

 gives rise to high febrile disturbance and direct stimu- 

 lation of various tissues as denoted by erratic nervous 

 energy and muscular twitchings, thus death may result from 

 exhaustion. In some cases (especially of young and weak 



