Anatomical Changes. 13 



bacilli the red blood corpuscles dissolve in a few hours. This explains 

 the destruction of erythrocytes, the pronounced dyspnoea in the later 

 stages of the disease and the laked condition of anthrax blood. Recently 

 Casagrandi, Wunschheim, Heyrovsky & Landheimer, as well as Krogh 

 proved the presence of hemolysins also in cultures. 



Anatomical changes. The carcasses of animals dead of 

 anthrax decompose rapidly on account of the blood remaining 

 in a liquid condition, and therefore they become, as a rule, 

 greatly bloated. Rigor mortis is also incomplete. Dark red 

 blood escapes from the body openings, the visible mucous mem- 

 branes are cyanotic and frequently hemorrhagic, especially on 

 the prolapsed rectum. The autopsy shows, in addition to the 

 general manifestations of asphyxiation, extensive serous in- 

 filtrations and blood extravasations in the connective tissue at 

 different parts of the body. The subcutaneous and intermus- 

 cular connective tissue is infiltrated in places, having a jelly-like 

 consistency, and being permeated with small circumscribed or 

 large flat, dark red hemorrhages. Similar changes such as 

 gelatinous infiltrations and hemorrhages also occur in the loose 

 subserous connective -tissue, principally in the mediastinum of 

 the pleura, mesentery and that surrounding the kidneys; also 

 under the mucous membrane of the pharynx, in the epiglottis 

 and tissue surrounding the f renum of the tongue. Hemorrhages 

 may be present in places without serous infiltrations, principally 

 under the serous membranes, in the catarrhal mucous mem- 

 branes, under the endocardium, and in the subcutaneous con- 

 nective tissue. In rare cases a circumscribed swelling consist- 

 ing of fixed, infiltrated cordaceous tissue may be present in 

 any part, over which the dirty brown skin may be broken, form- 

 ing a deep sinuous nicer covered with necrotic shreds of tissue. 

 The superficial lymph glands appear greatly swollen, partic- 

 ularly near areas of gelatinous infiltration. The cut surface is 

 reddened, moist and frequently studded with small hemorrhages. 



The spleen with rare exceptions shows the characteristic 

 picture of an acute swelling. In most eases the entire organ 

 is greatly swollen, the capsule distended, the pulp blackish red, 

 softened and even fluid, and the swelling may be so large as 

 to burst the spleen capsule. In rare cases the knobbed surface 

 of the spleen shows only a few blackish red, softened areas of 

 various sizes, and fresh hemorrhages. 



The parenchymatous organs, principally the liver and 

 kidneys, are also congested, swollen, and as a result of 

 parenchymatous degeneration they are brittle and soft. Fre- 

 quently the muscles and heart muscle have a grayish-red, flabby 

 appearance. The mucous membrane and submueosa of the in- 

 testinal canal, especially in the duodenum and small intestine, 

 but rarely in the stomach and large intestine, are uniformly 

 swollen in considerable portions, intensely red, and permeated 

 with small blackish-red hemorrhages. The swellings may be 



