ANTHRAX : PREVENTIVE INOCULATION IN LOUISIANA. 
641 
perfectly familiar with the historic division of the subject. We 
may say, however, that anthrax, or charbon, as the French term 
it, is one of the oldest diseases known to medical science, and is 
almost universal; that it is exceedingly dangerous and fatal, 
both to humanity and the lower animals (past records showing 
frightful devastation through its ravages) ; and that it is brought 
about by the introduction into the economy of the spore-bear¬ 
ing organism, the bacillus-anthracis , the specificity of which was, 
I believe, first recognized by Davaine in 1863. 
I will not occupy your time with the bacteriology of the dis¬ 
ease. Suffice it to say, that the organism belongs to the spore¬ 
bearing variety ; that it is aerobic ; that the bacilli, only, are 
found in the blood, where they multiply by fission, i. e. : elon¬ 
gation, and division into segments; that sporulation takes place 
outside of the body when bacilli-laden blood is exposed to the 
atmospheric oxygen ; that the spores are the more resistant to 
external, germicidal, and other influences ; and that they will 
remain for a great length of time in ordinary external surround¬ 
ings—and possibly vegetate there—and be capable of causing 
infection in man and animals when introduced into the system 
by different channels, and through the intermediation of var¬ 
ious agencies. 
The channels by which the organism gains entrance to 
the circulation are generally recognized as three, viz. : The 
alimentary tract, the skin, and the lungs. I have seen it re¬ 
cently stated that “ authorities, without exception, were agreed 
that the almost exclusive method of infection in cattle was by 
taking the germs in adhering to food, or in drinking water.” 
This may hold good in some countries, but the opinion does 
not altogether agree with my own experience in Louisiana. 
Trur, I believe that first cases result from infection in this 
way, especially where no precautions had been taken to properly 
dispose of anthrax carcasses in previous years, which, unfor¬ 
tunately, has been the case in my State. But I think there 
can be no question that the different varieties of horse-flies 
(tabanidae), and other blood-sucking insects, are more responsi- 
