Bacillus Anthracis Symptomatici, Feser & Bolling-er (1878). 



SYMPTOMATIC ANTHEAX, BLACK LEG, QUARTER EVIL; CHABBON SYMP- 

 TOMATIQUE (Fr.); RAUSCHBEAND (Oerm.). 



Origin.— In the subcutaneous tissue, muscles, serous exudate, 

 etc., of symptomatic anthrax. 



Form. — Rather largfe, narrow rods, with distinctly rounded ends; 

 almost invariably single, may form in pairs. About three times as 

 long as wide. Involution forms appear in old cultures — swollen in the 

 middle or at the ends. 



Motility. — Actively motile. Spore-bearing rods eventually lose 

 their motion. Shows lateral flagella; giant whips are common. 



Spokulation. — Spores develop readily as bright oval bodies, near 

 one end which is enlarged. Not formed in body till after death. 



Anilin dyes.— Stain readily. Gram's method is applicable if a 

 strong dye acts for some time. The spores are readily double stained. 



Growth.— Rapid, and gives off a strong butyric acid odor. Acid 

 or alkaline glucose media are best. Requires anaerobic conditions. 



Plates. — On gelatin, forms irregular masses surrounded by a dense whorl of threads. 

 Liquefies. On agar, the colonies vary. Usually appears as a dense mass of threads. 



Stab culture. — In glucose £-^/a^2» development takes place in the lower part of the 

 tube; the contents are liquefied and gas is produced. Energetic growth and gas produc- 

 tion in glucose agar. The contents of the tube are torn into several parts. Giant whips 

 common (Novy). 



Streak culture, — On glucose agar, in hydrogen, a whitish spreading film forms. On 

 blood serum good growth; giant whips (Loffler). 



Bouillon. — Becomes cloudy; gas bubbles accumulate on the surface; after several 

 days the growth settles to the bottom, forming a compact, adherent sediment. Liquid 

 above remains cloudy for several days. 



Glucose gelatin colored with litmus. — Develops growth in incubator under ordinary 

 conditions. The color of the litmus disappears (reduction), then changes to a wine-red, 

 showing formation of acids. Heavy flocculent sediment on the bottom. 



M(7^.— The casein is quickly coagulated. Starch is not inverted. Grows on potato. 



Oxygen requirements. — Is an obligative anaerobe. Grows in vacuum, 

 hydrogen, carbonic acid, etc. Also in glucose litmus gelatin in air. 



Temperature. —Grows slowly at room temperature. Best at 37-38° . 



Behavior to gelatin. — Liquefies. 



Aerogenesis. — Energetic production of gas,' having a disagree- 

 able odor; is inflammable and consists of marsh-gas, hydrogen, etc. 



Attenuation. — Bouillon cultures soon lose virulence, but main- 

 tain their vitality. Attenuation takes place at 42-43°. Dry spore 

 bearing material heated to 80° or 100° becomes attenuated. Viru- 

 lence restored by inoculating animals, and at the same time injecting 

 some lactic acid. Virulence maintained in solid media. 



Immunity.- Obtained (1) by inoculating small amounts of virulent 

 germ; (2) by intravenous injections; (3) by injecting heated cultures, 

 100° or 80°; (4) inactive old cultures; (5) filtered cultures. 



Pathogenesis.— Young cattle, sheep, goats, guinea-pigs, mice, are 

 highly susceptible. Horse, ass, white rat are less so; while hogs, 

 dogs, cats, ordinary rats, rabbits, doves, ducks, chickens, are almost 

 immune. Subcutaneous injection in guinea-pigs produces death in 

 24-48 hours. An extensive subcutaneous bloody edema is present. The 

 muscles are dark, infiltrated, and gas is present. 



Infection. — Takes place naturally by inoculation through deep 

 wounds; very rarely through the food. Poisoned arrows used in fish- 

 ing in Norway. 



Diagnosis.— Especially a disease of young cattle, not of man. 

 Difficult to distinguish from bacillus of malignant edema. Inocula- 

 tion of the rabbit negative; absence of threads; tendency to involu- 

 tions. Distinguished from anthrax bacillus by form, motility, posi- 

 tion of spores, cultural properties, and by its distribution in the body. 



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