Pathogenesis 



369 



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 generates 



no indol. Its proteolytic enzyme is active, 



digesting both casein and fibrin. No acid 



or gas is formed through the change of any 



carbohydrate. 



It is doubtful whether the anthrax bacil- 

 lus produces any important toxic sub- 

 stance. Hoffaf isolated a basic substance 

 from anthrax cidtures and called it an- 

 ihracin; 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 somnolence. 

 The animals were edematous. Marmier** 

 isolated a toxin of non-albuminous nature 

 and immunizing power. Conradiff in an 

 elaborate research failed to find that the 

 anthrax bacillus produced any soluble ex- 

 tracellular or intracellular poison capable of 

 affecting susceptible animals, and concluded 

 that it was highly improbable that the an- 

 thrax bacillus produced any toxic sub- 

 stances 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 they are present in 

 the atmosphere. The effect produced will 

 depend upon the number of spores inhaled 



Fig. 128. — Bacillus an- 

 thracis; glycerin agar-agar 

 culture (Curtis). 



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



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



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



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



II "Proceedings of the Royal Society," May 22, i8qo. 

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

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



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