CHAPTER XVIII 
BACILLUS OP SYMPTOMATIC ANTHRAX. THE 
ANTHRAX BACILLUS. BACILLUS AERO- 
GENES CAPSULATUS. BACILLUS 
OF MALIGNANT EDEMA 
Bacillus of Symptomatic Anthrax 
But a few lines are sufficient for the description of 
this organism, as it never causes disease in man, who 
appears to be quite immune to this infection. 
The symptomatic anthrax has nothing whatever to do 
with anthrax (to which man is not immune). It is a 
disease of cattle, sheep and goats (the disease is also 
called “quarter evil” and “ blackleg”). Like tetanus 
bacillus the bacillus of symptomatic anthrax is a spore¬ 
bearing, strictly anaerobic organism; the vegetative 
forms are motile and have numerous flagella. It is 
Gram-negative. It grows well on simple media. When 
infection takes place there is a soft, puffy, creaking, 
swelling, rapidly spreading, death following in three to 
ten days. It produces an exotoxin. 
The Anthrax Bacillus 
Anthrax occurs both in animal and man. It is an 
ancient disease well known from the earliest days of the 
history, and is especially common in Russia. Historically 
it is of especial interest as it was the first organism 
proved to be a specific cause of an infectious disease. 
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