318 BACTERIA AND DISEASE 



which rapidly passes through a vesicular stage until it is a pustule. 

 Concomitantly, we have glandular enlargement (the pustule acting 

 as a centre of subcutaneous oedema), general malaise, and a high 

 temperature. Thus from a local sore a general infection may result. 

 Unless this does occur, the issue is not likely to be fatal, and the 

 bacilli will not gain entrance into the blood. The spleen is usually 

 not affected, and the organs generally contain few or no bacilli. 

 When a fatal issue occurs, it is due to the absorption of toxins. 

 Early excision of the pustule is usually followed by recovery.* 



3. Respiratory Tract. — In man, this is perhaps the commonest 

 form of all, and is well known under the term " wool-sorters' disease," 

 or pulmonary anthrax. This mode of infection occurs when dried 

 spores are inhaled in processes of skin-cleaning. It frequently com- 

 mences as a local lesion, affecting the mucous membrane of the 

 trachea or bronchi, but it rapidly spreads, affecting the neighbouring 

 glands, which become greatly enlarged, and extending to the pleura 

 and lung itself. The lung shows collapse and oedema leading to 

 pulmonary embarrassment. There is also fever. Such cases, as a 

 rule, rapidly end fatally. Even in wool-sorters' disease the bacilli 

 do not become widely distributed. 



Preventive Methods. — As a rule, anthrax carcases are better 

 not opened and exposed to free oxygen. An extended post- 

 mortem examination is not necessary. A small prick, for example, 

 in the auricular vein will extract enough blood to examine for 

 the anthrax bacilli, which are driven by the force of the blood 

 current to the small surface capillaries. This occurs, of course, 

 only when the disease has become quite general, for in the early 

 stage the healthy blood limits the bacilli to the internal organs. 

 In such cases examination of the blood of the spleen is necessary. 

 The chief source of danger is the infection by anthrax blood or 

 discharges (containing sporulating bacilli) of the field, farm-yard, 

 byres, etc., and it is therefore necessary for thorough disinfection to 

 be carried out if infection has occurred. Burning the entire carcase 

 in a crematorium would be the ideal treatment. As such is not 

 generally feasible, the next best thing is to bury the carcase deeply 

 with lime below and above it, and rail in the area to prevent other 

 animals 'grazing off it. 



In the German Special Eules relating to the establishment and 

 management of horse-hair spinning-mills, factories for hair and bristle 

 dressing, and brush factories of all kinds,f it is laid down that 

 disinfection may be done in one of the three following ways : (1) by 



* Accidental infection with anthrax has been held to be an accident to employes 

 under the' Workmen's Compensation Act, 1897 (Courts of Appeal), Justice of the 

 Peace, May 7, 1904, vol. Ixviii., p. 193. 



t Order dated October 22, 1902, under Industrial Code (Oewerbeordnung), 120". 



