VETERINARY HYGIENE AND SANITATION. 
825 
and rarely takes plaee in the lower animals. But in human be¬ 
ings whose occupation leads them to sorting wool, or teezing 
hair, of animals that have died of the disease, the germs are 
taken in through the delicate mncoiis-membrane of the lungs, 
and in this way gain the general circulation. In this case it is 
known as “ wool-sorters’ disease,” but of course it is charbon, 
although it gets its name in this instance from the occupation 
which renders people in this business so susceptible. Now, al¬ 
though we referred to flies as transmitters of the disease, there 
are other media through which the external form may be pro¬ 
duced. For instance, if a piece of harness soiled with the blood 
or discharge from the wound of a charbonous animal, is brought 
in contact with a wound on a healthy one, inoculation may easily 
take place. Infected stable utensils may also be a ready means 
of inoculation. An animal with a wounded skin surface, com¬ 
ing in contact with infected grass at pasture, or ^ infected litter 
in the stable, when lying down to rest, may have the virus trans¬ 
mitted. So that it will be seen how easy and how simple it is 
to convey the disease. 
It may be stated that charbon is not transmitted directly 
from one animal to another, except in the event of a charbonous 
wound and a healthy one being brought into actual contact. It 
is mOvSt frequently communicated in an indirect manner, in the 
ways we have just stated. 
No doubt many of you have heard of preventive inocula¬ 
tion in charbon, and some of you may have used it. It will no 
doubt be interesting to you all to know something about anthrax 
vaccine, as it is called. The reason that the virulence of char¬ 
bon cultures is so stable, is due to the presence of the spores 
which are so tenacious, and little subject to change. When it is 
desired to attenuate or weaken these cultures it is necessary to 
begin by preventing the formation of spores. Pasteur succeeded 
in this by cultivating the charbon bacilli at the temperature of 
42 to 43 degrees Centigrade, in the presence of oxygen, when 
multiplication of the bacilli still continues, but spores are no 
longer formed. The bacterium which has become asporogenous 
