56 
L>. MOEACHRAN. 
breathing was very quick; the pulse imperceptible and the tem¬ 
perature 80° ; after a few convulsive struggles he died. 
It must not he supposed, however, that the disease is depend¬ 
ent for its propagation or even its transference to flies except in 
occasional or accidental cases, it being well known, as already re¬ 
marked, anthrax is often seen during our cold winter, when we 
have no flies. 
The chief source of anthrax is contagion dependent on the 
existence of a specific poison in the blood, which once developed 
possesses great vitality, and is capable, under favorable circum¬ 
stances of soil, moisture, temperature and exposure, of develop¬ 
ing the disease after many years. So active is the poison that 
Davaine claims to have produced anthrax by the millionth dilu¬ 
tion of a drop of blood from a diseased animal. 
W e might quote numerous authentic cases in which the poison 
continued to live under various circumstances, and in most unex¬ 
pected conditions produced the fatal malady. Koch, in speaking 
of the vitality of the spores, says, let them remain dry for years, 
in decomposing fluids for months, be repeatedly dried and wetted, 
still do the spoies letain their baneful influence on living animal 
fluids. Use cotton wool to sooth a burn and perhaps you are 
applying yourself the seed of the disease that will kill you ; bathe 
m a stream in which they are resting, and a scratch will offer them 
the way into your system.” 
Einike (Ziemssen III volume, p 393), relates the following 
case to illustrate the virulence and tenacity of the poison. The 
skin of an ox from whose flesh two persons got carbuncle, which 
died of anthrax in the fall of 1852, was soaked in the following 
spring in the water of a pond and then made up by the saddler 
into harness. The saddler got carbuncle. From a flock of sheep 
which were washed in the pond four weeks later twenty perished 
in a few days of anthrax, and both of the horses for whom the 
new harness was made died from the disease in forty-eight hours. 
The frequent deaths from anthrax, among rag-pickers and wool- 
sorters in England is another illustration of the vitality of the 
poison. 
On this subject Fleming, “ Sanitary Science and Police,” says, 
