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that of a wet hackler, in which process the employe takes the long
hair after it is sorted, and combs and dresses it in a wet state. He
has been employed at this factory for about 17 years, and much of the
material which he handled is of foreign origin (Siberian, Russian,
and probably some Hungarian and French horse-hair). It appears
that this man whilst handling some hair scratched the skin over his
right cheek bone on or about November 5th or 8th. On November
9th he was suffering from a local condition which was suspicious
of Anthrax. He went to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where a
bacteriological examination was made and the bacillus of Anthrax
was found to be present in the clean fluid from the slough.
Cultivations yielded typical Anthrax bacilli, which on inoculation
proved virulent to mice. On admission, the man's temperatuse
was 101° F., and the slough on his face was about a quarter of an
inch in diameter, and there was a moderate amount of redness and
oedema around it. The glands at the angle of the jaw were
enlarged. The patient was treated at the Hospital with an antianthrax
serum made by Sclavo of Sienna. This treatment proved
to be successful and the patient recovered.*
* It is believed that this is the second case of Anthrax treated in England by the
serum treatment of Professor Sclavo. In one former instance this serum was used
but upon a hopeless case. The present case, therefore, is the first in which the
treatment has had a fair trial in this country. 40 c.c. of the serum were injected
subcutaneously into the flank and into the abdomen on the afternoon of the man's
admission into Hospital. No other treatment was adopted. At first the temperature
rose to 102.4 F. and in the evening to 103 F., and the pulse was 92. During
the night the temperature fell, and the next few days wavered between 98.4 F. and
101.4 F., and the pulse from 80 to 99. The oedema at first increased, and there
was some swelling and redness of the fauces. By November 12th, there was
decided improvement, and a cultivation made from the tissues at the edge of the
slough yielded no Anthrax Bacilli. Convalescence was rapid, and the slough came
away on November 26th, 17 days after the administration of the serum. A small
granulating surface was left which appeared likely to leave a scar scarcely more
serious than that resulting from vaccination. The patient left the Hospital in good
health on November 30th.
{British Medical Journal, January 7th, 1905, page 16, C. B. Lockwood, F.R.C.S.,
and F. W. Andrewes, M.D.).