164 BOVINE PATHOLOGY. 



patients) death occurs very early, No marked lesions 

 are present, except that the lymphatic glands are high 

 coloured and the lungs are congested. It seems almost 

 as if the animal had collapsed under the shock of invasion. 



Certain definite fost-mortem appearances may be observed 

 in all cases of charbon. Decomposition sets in even before 

 death, so the body is disfigured by gaseous accumulations in 

 the subcutaneous areolar tissue ; also the abdomen becomes 

 enormously distended. Signs of mucous or watery dis- 

 charges mixed with blood are apparent at the natural 

 orifices, and red spots or blotches frequently occur on the 

 mucous and cutaneous surfaces. The areolar tissue is the 

 seat of a sero- sanguineous fluid, and similar material is 

 collected in somewhat large quantities in the serous sacs. 

 The endocardium and other serous membranes present 

 petechise, ecchymoses, and blood infiltrations. The blood 

 is black, fluid, and iridescent * on the surface; it contains 

 the bacilli (perceptible with y-inch power), and stains the 

 walls of the vessels. The heart is soft and relaxed. The 

 other muscles are the seat of serous and lymphy deposit, 

 more or less marked, and frequently present red blotches, 

 probably due to rupture of vessels : the blocking of 

 minute blood passages leads to over distension, then 

 rupture, whereby ecchymoses are produced : the hasmo- 

 poietic organs are considerably altered. The spleen is 

 enlarged and gorged with the dark blood ; the liver en- 

 larged, and with its blood-vessels distended. The kidneys 

 are also increased in size and congested. 



We must next see what indications for treatment pre- 

 sent themselves. These diseases occur especially on low- 

 lying lands periodically flooded, by the sides of rivers and 

 pools ; on clay-lands, which retain moisture ; also on chalk, 

 but seldom on granite. In spring these diseases are most 

 frequent, but they often occur in the summer and autumn. 

 Special winds also have been associated with their pre- 

 valence; the south-west is most remarkable in this 

 respect. Fogs are sometimes concomitants of outbreaks 

 of anthrax, but whether related to them as cause it is 

 difficult to say ; for doubtless the spores are diifused 



