CHAPTER XIV. 

 ANTHRAX.i 



Other Names : — Splenic Fever, Malignant Pustule, 

 Woolsorter's Disease. German, Milzbrand ; French, 

 Charbon.^ 



Introductory. — Anthrax is a disease occurring epidemically 

 among the herbivora, especially sheep and oxen, in which ani- 

 mals it has the characters of a rapidly fatal form of septicsemia. 

 with splenic enlargement, attended by an extensive multiplication 

 of characteristic bacilli throughout the blood. The disease does- 

 not occur as a natural affection in man, but may be communi- 

 cated to him directly or indirectly from animals, and it may 

 then appear in certainly two and possibly three forms. In the 

 ■ first there is infection through the skin, in which a local lesion,, 

 the " malignant pustule," occurs. In the second form infection 

 takes place through the respiratory tract. Here very aggravated, 

 symptoms centred in the thorax, with rapidly fatal termination,, 

 follow. Thirdly, an infection may probably take place through 

 the intestinal tract, which is now the first part to give rise to 

 symptoms. In all these forms of the affection in the human 

 subject, the bacilli are in their distribution much more restricted 

 to the local lesions than is the case in the ox, their growth and 

 spread being attended by inflammatory oedema and often by 

 haemorrhages. 



Historical Summary. — Historical researches leave little doubt that from 

 the earliest times anthrax has occurred among cattle. For a long time its- 

 pathology was not understood, and it went by many names. During the 



^ In even recent works on surgery the term " anthrax " may be found applied 

 to any form of carbuncle. Before its true pathology was known the local variety 

 of the disease which occurs in man and which is now called " malignant pustule " was- 

 known as " malignant carbuncle.'' 



^ This must be distinguished from " chavbon symptomatique," which is quite a- 

 different disease. 



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