ANTHRAX IN NATAL. 
217 
or filaments,” or “ spheriod bodies,” which are found in the blood 
of animals which have died of anthrax. They break up or resolve 
themselves into roundish bodies termed “ spores,” which retain 
their vitality for long periods outside the body, but are rapidly 
and indefinitely multiplied while in the system. When an anirmil 
dies and the blood is spilled upon the ground, they—the spores— 
either sink into it and remain there, or become washed away or 
removed to other places by the rain or other natural causes; thus 
we can account for the prevalence of this disease in low-lying 
places. When animals are buried, the earth-worms bring up the 
germs in their casts, and as they cling to the roots and stems of 
the grass and other plants, they are taken into the system in that 
way, which accounts for outbreaks in places that have been 
grazed over for years without disease of any kind being known, 
and when no danger was suspected. 
Dry and cold weather seems to have great influence in pre¬ 
venting the effects of the parasites. Hence we see less of these 
diseases in our winter when it is cold and dry ; and they are 
generally worse in very wet summers, when the conditions are 
most favorable for maintaining the vitality of the germs, and 
they are more readily introduced into the system through the 
medium of the grass. There can be no doubt that multitudes of 
these germs are destroyed by natural agencies, and that our grass 
fires have this one redeeming point in aiding in their destruction 
whenever brought under their power. These organisms do not 
pass through the foetal membranes (the membranes of the womb), 
consequently the young animals which have died of anthrax are 
equally susceptible to it. It is thus seen that the germs of this 
and allied diseases are solid particles, and it has been demon¬ 
strated that they can be cultivated like other organisms. 
The way in which these parasites are distributed and conveyed 
into the systems of animals has been determined by the able re¬ 
searches of Professor Pasteur, who has not only satisfactorily 
proved that they are the sole cause of these diseases, but has suc¬ 
ceeded in modifying their virulence so as to be able to produce 
anthrax in a mild form, thus conferring immunity on animals ex¬ 
posed to contagion. In these researches, however, he has not 
been the only worker, as other French, English and German 
