52 BACTERIAL POISONS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 



were observed in rabbits artificially immunized with attenuated 

 cultures. 



4. This toxin is attenuated, but not destroyed, by boiling at 110", 

 thus differing from the venom of serpents, the toxins of diphtheria 

 and tetanus, and the enzymes. 



5. On the contrary, Uke the other bacterial toxins, it loses its 

 effect on animals after being brought in contact with the alkaline 

 hypochlorites. Prolonged insolation in the presence of air leads to 

 the same result. 



6. By employing carefully graduated doses of this toxin it is 

 possible to immunize animals to the anthrax bacillus in the same 

 way as other specific toxins give immunity to the corresponding 

 disease. 



7. Anthrax cultures in other fluids, such as blood serum, and 

 bouillon from the flesh of the horse, ox, or calf, do not contain the 

 toxin in appreciable quantities. 



8. On the contrary, one may extract a toxin from anthrax cul- 

 tures on nutritive gelatin by macerating the microorganisms in 

 alcohol water (20 per cent, alcohol). 



The toxin is contained within the bacterial cells, and in order to 

 obtain it in the culture there must be opportunity for it to diffuse 

 from the cells. 



Heim and Geyger ^ grew anthrax bacilli in eggs, after the manner 

 of Hueppe, extracted with alcohol, precipitated with mercuric chlorid, 

 filtered, treated the filtrate with platinum chlorid, decomposed this 

 precipitate with hydrogen sulphid, rendered the filtrate alkaline with 

 potassium hydrate, and extracted one portion with ether, and another 

 with benzol. The benzol residue, when taken up with water, killed 

 mice ; the ether residue was less toxic. 



Ivanow^ has shown that certain volatile fatty acids, formic, acetic 

 and caproic, may be formed in anthrax cultures ; but there is no 

 evidence that the production of these substances has anything to do 

 with the pathology of the disease. 



Petri and Maassen ' have detected hydrogen sulphid in anthrax 

 cultures ; but spectroscopic examination of anthrax blood failed to 

 show the presence of this substance, and there is no evidence that 

 this gas has anything to do with the production of the disease. 



Fermi has shown the presence of peptonizing and diastatic fer- 

 ments in anthrax cultures ; while Maumus has detected a sugar- 

 forming agent, and Roger reports the presence of a rennet. Klein * 

 removed the germs from agar cultures of forty-eight hours' growth, 

 placed the same in 5 c.c. of bouillon, and after the tube had been 



■ Lekrbiich der Bakt. Unternushung, 1894. 

 'Annales de Plnsiitut Pasteur, 1892. 

 ' Arbeiten axis dem k. Qesundheitsamte, 8, 318. 

 * CentralblaUf. Bakteriologie, 15, 598. 



