ANTHRAX. 
289 
Sources of infection. — Food, water and articles soiled by excreta, 
etc., of affected animals. Flies may carry the bacillus on their feet, 
mandibles, or may infect by means of their biting apparatus. 
[a) Food. — In the case of carnivora, the flesh of animals that 
have died of the disease. 
[b) In herbivora, fodder or water which has been infected by 
discharges from affected animals or carcases. 
[c) Respiration. — The spores of the organism may be carried 
by the wind and thus taken in with air to the lungs. 
[d) Local wounds and sores may be infected by being brought 
into contact with the anthrax poison either through 
the discharges of infected animals directly, or through 
the agency of flies, or suctorial insects, that have 
either settled on infected material, or have bitten 
infected animals. 
General symptoms. — -The most characteristic features of the 
disease consist of the suddenness of the onset, accompanied with 
violent shivering or trembling, early pronounced prostration ; the 
very aspect of the animal, which it is impossible to describe, but 
which once seen will not be forgotten, denotes the gravity of the 
seizure ; fever, which rapidly becomes high, bleeding from the mucous 
membranes, evidenced by purplish spots and blotches on the mouth 
and palate, or by blood-stained discharges from the mouth, anus, or 
bladder. These symptoms run a severe and rapid course and are 
usually succeeded by a fatal issue in from one hour or less, to several 
days, according to the virulence of the poison, or more rarely may 
end in recovery. Over and above these ordinary symptoms may 
be seen those arising from local conditions : — 
(^a) The lungs, shown by distressed breathing which may 
culminate in suffocation. 
{h) Intestinal colic, with often severe diarrhoea, attended with 
voiding of dark liquid or blood-stained evacuations, 
(r) Nervous system, in which spasms, wild excitement, extreme 
listlessness or insensibility, paralysis with tottering gait, 
and convulsions ending in death. 
{d) The skin. Rapidly formed swellings or tumours localized 
or diffuse beneath the skin which may either precede 
or succeed the advent of fever, and which are at first 
hot, painful and doughy, but later become cold and 
painless, and which on incision are found to contain a 
jelly-Hke material but never pus. The swellings are 
more frequently seen behind the jaws (parotid glands), 
between the limbs, groin, on the front of shoulders, 
belly, or hind-quarters ; sometimes sores on the skin. 
