THE BACILLUS OF SYMPTOMATIC ANTHRAX. 447 



affected are seen on section to be saturated with bloody 

 serum, and the muscles, particularly, are of a dark, 

 almost black color. In these areas, in the bloody trans- 

 udates of the serous cavities, in the bile, and, after 

 death, in the internal organs, the organism to be de- 

 scribed can always be detected. It is manifest from 

 this that the soil of localities over which infected herds 

 are grazing may readily become contaminated through 

 a variety of channels, and thus serve as a source of 

 further dissemination of the disease. 



The organism was first observed by Feser, and subse- 

 (juently by Bollinger and others. The most complete 

 description of its morphological and biological peculi- 

 arities is that of Kitasato (Zeitsehr. fur Hygiene, Bd. vi. 

 p. 105; Bd. viii. p. 55). The following is from Kita- 

 sato' s contributions: it is an actively motile rod of 



Fig. 96. 



Bacillus of symptomatic anthrax. (After Kitasato.) 

 A. Vegetating forms from a gelatin culture, a. Spore-forms from an agar- 

 agar culture. 



about 3 to 5 ^ long by 0.5 to 0.6 /^ thick. It is 

 rounded at its ends, and, as a rule, is seen singly, 

 though now and then pairs joined end to end may occur. 

 It has no tendency to form very long threads. (Fig. 

 96, A.) 



