Emphysematous Anthrax. 227 



-while the yellowish lymph forms the periphery of the tumor, yet 

 streaked more or less with blood, or even pink throughout. The 

 abundance of gas is usually in inverse ratio to the amount of 

 oedema. The muscles beneath, or surrounded by an exudate, 

 are of a dirty brown or black, and are disintegrated so as to 

 break down readily under pressure of the finger into a blackish 

 pulp. They are infiltrated with gas, crepitate under pressure and 

 assume a golden yellow color on exposure to the air. The gas is 

 comparatively inodorous immediately after death, being mainly 

 carbon dioxide and carbide of hydrogen. I^ater it may show dis- 

 tinct and even offensive odor, from the formation of hydrogen 

 sulphide, or lactic acid. The muscular fibres are easily teased 

 apart, and show under the microscope masses of blood globules, 

 leucocytes, lymph cells, free nuclei and granules, with, in some 

 points, fatty or waxy degeneration of the fibres, or granular 

 masses that are stained black by osmic acid. The bacillus is 

 present in large numbers, and this with its absence from the blood 

 immediately after death becomes characteristic. The lymph 

 glands near the swelling are usually enlarged and gorged with 

 blood. The lymph plexuses and vessels contain bubbles of gas. 



The swellings may be subcutaneous, or submucous in the 

 tongue or pharynx, but they occur also in the pleurae, lungs; 

 heart, pericardium, mediastinum, the peritoneum, the sublumbar 

 connective tissue, and even the walls of the stomach or intestine. 

 It is not uncommon to find a pink effusion into one of the serous 

 membranes. The liver is usually hypersemic, as may be also the 

 kidneys, but the spleen is rarely enlarged. In this and in the 

 integrity of the blood globules this affection differs from anthrax. 



Treatment. This disease is so often speedily fatal, cutting off 

 its victim in eight hours, often during the night, that no oppor- 

 tunity is allowed for treatment. Even in those that survive for 

 two days, the affection must always be looked on as exceedingly 

 grave, and as little amenable to treatment; Yet much depends 

 upon the patient and the country. Dr. Phares in Mississippi 

 found that it yielded readily in many cases to ^ oz. doses of tinc- 

 ture of chloride of iron every four hours, and a local application 

 composed of equal parts of tincture of iodine, aqua ammonia and 

 oil of turpentine. Galtier tells us that recoveries are frequent in 

 Algeria, while they are rare in France. Tisserant gives the French 



