TETANUS 173 



TETANUS 



Because of the average practitioner's familiarity with 

 this disease we will limit our discussion to a few inter- 

 esting points regarding the pathological anatomy of 

 tetanus and then consider the treatment. 



Tetanus is the result of an intoxication of the nervous 

 elements with the toxin of the bacillus of Nicolaier. The 

 bacillus is anaerobic, and the most favorable wounds for 

 its activity are small wounds, deep punctures, and all 

 traumata of such a character that will prevent free con- 

 tact of the exposed or injured tissue with the air. Large, 

 open wounds are not favorable for the propagation of a 

 tetanus infection. 



The period of incubation may be as short as forty- 

 eight hours and as long as three weeks. An average 

 can be reasonably placed at about eight days. This is 

 influenced by the temperament of the animal, by the 

 amount of infective matter, and the virulency thereof. 



Tetanus is one of the diseases in which the infecting 

 organism remains at the site of inoculation; the symp- 

 toms are the result of toxins which the bacillus elabo- 

 rates. In tetanus these toxins travel along the nerve 

 trunks, and no disturbing symptoms are occasioned until 

 a sufficient quantity of toxins has been fixed in the brain 

 cells. That this is not a mere theory has been shown by 

 several investigators in the following manner : A horse 

 is artificially inoculated with a virulent culture of tetanus 

 bacilli, making the inoculation in the foot of one leg. 

 A surgical division of all the regional nerve trunks 

 is then made. The animal so treated will present no 

 tetanus symptoms. Tetanus, for this reason, can not 

 be strictly termed a toxemia. The exciting toxins 

 do not travel in the blood stream. More properly speak- 



