306 ACUTE GENERAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES 



one to two days, high fever, severe general disturbance, 

 tendency for petechise to appear on mucous membranes, 

 bleeding from natural openings, skin edemas, colic, dyspnea, 

 cerebral excitement, and the presence of the Bacterium 

 anthracis in the blood. 



Period of Incubation. — The period of incubation is from one 

 to fourteen days. The symptoms vary greatly, depending 

 upon the severity of the attack and the resistance of the 

 patient, which factors largely determine the course of the 

 disease. They also vary with the point of attack, depending 

 on whether the lungs, bowel, or skin are primarily involved. 

 It is customary clinically to classify anthrax as : 



(a) Peracute Anthrax (Apoplectic or Explosive Anthrax, 

 Anthrax Acutissimus) . — As a rule, this form appears in the 

 beginning of the outbreak. The animals are usually found 

 dead, or die in a few minutes after symptoms of asphyxia, the 

 patient dropping to the ground in convulsions, foam coming 

 from the nostrils and blood from the natural openings. 



(b) Acute and Subacute Anthrax (Anthrax Acutus et Sub- 

 acutus). — ^This form lasts usually ten hours to several days. 

 The patient shows high fever from 105° to 107° F. The pulse 

 is rapid, weak, and irregular, the heart beat tumultuous. 

 The respirations are dyspneic and sometimes stertorous. The 

 visible mucous membranes are cyanotic and dotted with 

 petechise. The patient may at first show symptoms of cere- 

 bral excitement, which are soon followed by stupor and 

 vertigo. Quite often the patient is down, unable to rise. In 

 some cases (especially in horses) marked colic symptoms 

 occur, but bloating is rarely noted. In the ox it may occur. 

 In the earlier stages there is constipation, the animal straining 

 as if to defecate, the rectum protruding; bloody diarrhea 

 usually follows. The urine in the latter stages may be dark 

 red and contain blood. In milk-giving animals the milk flow 

 stops during the high fever; in rare instances the milk is 

 bloody and bitter to the taste. In pregnant animals abortus 

 occurs. Death usually ensues under asphyxia. While re- 

 covery is rare, toward the end of an outbreak a few cases 

 may get well, the symptoms rapidly subsiding. 



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