298 Report on an Inquirij into the Nature, Causes, and 
producing anthrax, even in animals very highly susceptible of 
infection by its poison in very minute doses, such, for instance, 
as mice and guinea-pigs. 
There has been great difficulty in procuring any material from 
this disease for investigation and experiment, only two outbreaks 
having been reported early enough to allow of a personal in- 
spection. In two or three cases specimens of blood from the 
affected quarter, or from the jugular vein, and of other fluids, 
have been forwarded, but in every case the material had not 
been properly secured from sources of decomposition, and proved 
inert on inoculation, showing that in this, as in many other 
diseases, the specific virus is destroyed by decomposition of the 
fluid containing it. 
The most satisfactory case was one in which Mr. Banham 
was able to make a post-mortem examination and to secure spe- 
cimens of the various fluids and tissues of the body at a suffi- 
ciently early period after death for examination. 
In October 1879 an outbreak of Black Quarter occurred in 
the parish of Madingley, a village about three miles from Cam- 
bridge, in a herd of ten or twelve young animals, four of which 
succumbed to the disease. The usual prophylactic treatment, 
viz. change of pasture and food, with the administration of 
saline purgatives followed by vegetable tonics, was adopted, 
and the other animals remained perfectly healthy. 
Banham states that most of the land in this district has 
a loamy upper soil, with a clayey subsoil, and in consequence 
the water remains on the land for a considerable time, making 
it very " clung " and hard to work, what is commonly called 
" heavy " land. 
Through the kindness of Mr. Page Wallis, of Cambridge, 
Mr. Banham was enabled to make a post-mortem examination 
of the last of the animals which died during the outbreak, 
twenty hours after death, and I examined the tissues and fluids 
about five and a half hours later. 
Mr. Banham's report of the post-mortem examination is as 
follows : — • 
" The carcass was extremely emphysematous, the subcutaneous 
tissue more or less distended with gas, and infiltrated with 
reddish gelatinous fluid, this condition being, however, much 
more marked on the right shoulder and hind quarter, the left 
side of the body being less affected. On removal of the skin, 
the muscles beneath the places most affected with emphysematous 
swelling were of a dark colour, and infiltrated with frothy, gela- 
tinous, dark-coloured fluid. The muscles most affected were 
those surrounding the left humerus, both tibiae, and the right 
lumbar region and shoulder. 
