THE BACILLUS OF SYMPTOMATIC ANTHRAX. 389 



through a variety of channels, and tlins serve as a 

 source of further dissemination of the disease. 



The organism was first observed by Feser, and sub- 

 sequently by Bollinger and others. The most complete 

 description of its morphological and biological pecu- 

 culiarities is that of Kitasato {Zeitschr. fur Hygiene, 

 Bd. vi. p. 105; Bd. viii. p. 55). The following is from 

 Kitasato's contributions : It is an actively motile rod 

 of about 3 to 5 (« long by 0.5 to 0.6 /* thick. It is 

 rounded at its ends, and, as a rule, is seen singly, 

 though now and then pairs joined end to end may 

 occur. It has no tendency to form very long threads. 

 (Fig. 85, A.) 



Fig. 85. 



\^ ^^ 



A B 



Bacillus of symptomatic anthrax. (After Kitasato.) 



A. Vegetating forms from a gelatin culture. B. Spore forms from an agar 



culture. 



It forms spores, and when in this stage is seen to 

 be slightly swollen at or near one of its poles, the loca- 

 tion in which the spore usually appears. (Fig. 85, b ) 



It is conspicuously prone to undergo degenerative 

 changes, and involution forms are commonly seen, not 

 only in fresh cultures but in the tissues of affected 

 animals as well. 



Though actively motile when in the vegetative stage, 

 it loses this property and becomes motionless when 

 spores are forming. 



