_Bacillus anthracis._ This was first demonstrated in anthrax blood and exudates by Pollender and Brauel in 1849 and 1850 but as they failed to find it in all cases they concluded that it was not the essential cause. Davaine who found the bacilli in 1850 suspected that they were pathogenic and by 1863 he had shown that blood which contained no bacilli was non-virulent, while that in which these organisms were present was constantly infecting. Klebs and Tiegel in 1871 filtered anthrax blood through an earthenware vase and found that the clear filtrate (bacillus-free) was noninfecting. The _bacillus anthracis_ as found in the blood is a nonmotile rod-shaped organism, 5 to 20μ long by 1 to 1.5μ broad with ends apparently square, but really slightly cup shaped as seen in the stained specimens when two have remained connected end to end. Under favorable conditions a clear hyaline envelope may be seen around the bacillus. Though usually isolated in the living blood, yet in bouillon cultures the bacilli grow out into long flexible filaments, made up of separate segments which are easily distinguished in the stained specimen. In all cultures out of the living animal body, in the presence of air and at a suitable temperature spores form endogenously in the bacilli and are set free by the granular degeneration of the latter. In peptonized bouillon this may occur in four days at 14° C., or in eight hours at 37° to 40° C., but not above 42° C. (Schreiber. Centr. S. Bact. 1896). Sporulation never occurs in the living animal body. The bacillus is ærobic, yet it will grow at the bottom of a stick culture in solid media. It fails to grow in an atmosphere of CO_{2}, H, or N. It stains readily in aniline colors, and also by Gram’s method. It grows freely on a variety of culture media (blood serum, aqueous humor, urine, vegetable infusions, milk, meat bouillon, peptonized gelatine, potatoes, etc.) at a temperature of 20° to 38° C. Growth ceases below 12° C., and above 45° C. Growth is most active in neutral or slightly alkaline media, and is arrested by that which is decidedly acid. _Action of physical and chemical agents on the bacillus anthracis._ The bacilli survive a temperature of −45° C. (−49° F.), but they perish in 10 minutes at a temperature of 100° C. (212° F). A temperature of 55° C. (131° F.), proves fatal if sufficiently prolonged. The spores are much more resistant. They have survived −130° C. (−202° F.) and though they may die in 10 minutes in liquid media kept at 95° C. (203° F.), yet when old and dry it may require several hours at 140° C. (282° F.) to sterilize them.