Pathogenesis 



357 



ferment. Iwanow* found that the organism forms acetic, formic, 

 and caproic acids, but it produces no important change of reaction in 

 the medium in which it grows. It gen- 

 erates no indol. Its proteolytic enzyme 

 is active, digesting both casein and fibrin. 



It is doubtful whether the anthrax bacil- 

 lus produces any important toxic sub- 

 stance. Hoffaf isolated a basic substance 

 from anthrax cultures and called it om- 

 thracin; Hankin and Wesbrook,t an albu- 

 mose fatal in large doses and immunizing 

 in small ones. Brieger and Frankel§ 

 isolated a tox-albumin from the tissues of 

 animals dead of anthrax. Martin|| sepa- 

 rated protalbumose, deuteroalbumose, 

 peptone, an alkaloid, leucin, and tyrosin. 

 The albumoses were not very poisonous, 

 but the alkaloid was capable of producing 

 death after the development of somnol- 

 ence. The animals were edematous. 

 Marmier** isolated a toxin of non-albu- 

 minous nature and immunizing power. 

 Conradift in an elaborate research failed 

 to find that the anthrax bacillus produced 

 any soluble extracellular or intracellular 

 poison capable of affecting susceptible 

 animals, and concludes that it is highly 

 improbable that the anthrax bacillus 

 produces any toxic substances at all. 



Pathogenesis. — ^Avenues of Infection. — 

 Infection usually takes place through the 

 respiratory tract, through the alimentary 

 canal, or through the skin. It may take 

 place through the placenta. 



I. The Respiratory Tract. — The inhala- 

 tion of the spores of the anthrax bacillus 

 is possible whenever such are present in 

 the atmosphere. The effect produced will 

 depend upon the number of spores inhaled 

 and the resistance or susceptibility of the 

 animal. In man, a resisting animal, an- 



Fig. 132. — Bacillus an- 

 thracis; glycerin agar-agar 

 culture (Curtis). 



* "Ann. de I'Inst. Pasteur," 1892. 



t "Ueber die Natur. des Milzbrandgifts," Wiesbaden, 1886. 



X "Ann. de I'Inst. Pasteur," 1892, No. 9. 



§ "Ueber Ptomaine," Berlin, 1885-1886. 



II "Proceedings of the Royal Society," May 22, 1890. 



** "Ann. de I'Inst. Pasteur," 1895, p. 533. 



tt "Zeitschrift fur Hygiene," June 14, 1899. 



