ANTHRAX 165 



tion and symptoms depends upon the method of infection and 

 the amount of infective material introduced, and may range 

 from a very few hours to several days. 



Symptoms. — In external or cutaneous anthrax, there is swell- 

 ing at the point or points of inoculation (carbuncle or ma- 

 lignant pustule), with considerable local edema (localized watery 

 swelling). This is painful and hot at first, but afterwards be- 

 comes cold and insensitive. If inoculations have been made by 

 insects, the carbuncles may be numerous over different parts of 

 the body. The swellings extend in the connective tissue along 

 the course of the lymph vessels and glands. This form is seen 

 most frequently in the thinner-skinned herbivora — horse, mule, 

 etc. 



In internal anthrax, we have various types of the disease, espe- 

 cially a pulmonary or thoracic and an abdominal form. Symp- 

 toms vary accordingly and diagnosis even by an experienced 

 veterinarian is not always easy. Some cases, especially the first 

 ones, die very suddenly. The illness may last from a very few 

 hours to several days. In general there are: sudden seizure, 

 great depression, and prostration ; rapid rise to high tempera- 

 ture; stupor; muscular weakness and twitchings; vertigo; hur- 

 ried respirations ; increased heart action ; visible mucous mem- 

 branes are hemorrhagic, dark red or a bluish red color or ooz- 

 ing blood; sometimes the coloring matter of the blood appears 

 in the urine. Such cases usually terminate fatally. 



External manifestations in the hog are usually confined to the 

 throat; and there are generally other symptoms of a specific 

 fever present. As a rule, death takes place from asphyxia. 

 The hog becomes infected from eating anthrax carcasses; and 

 the disease is most frequent in this animal during epizootics. 



Course of the disease. — In isolated cases, in limited outbreaks, 

 and in the early stage of an outbreak, the course of the disease 

 is usually very acute and rapid; while, toward the termination 

 of the outbreak, anthrax seems much less fatal, many of the 

 affected animals recovering. Or, in other words, the virulence 

 of the disease seems to become weakened toward the end of the 

 outbreak, or the most susceptible animals die first and with 

 acute cases. 



Examination post mortem. — On account of the danger to the 

 operator, and the risk of spreading the disease, through the 

 infectivity of the blood, post-mortem examination of an anthrax 



