Arizona republican., 1917-03-26
ANTHRAX HAS BECOME
 A DISEASE 0F MEN.

handlers and other tannery em- ployes, iongshoremen, wool Sorters hair workers, bTtst makers, farmers, ranchmen and veterinarians. The relative importance of this disease is indicated by the fact that for every five deaths from lead poisoning in the United States Registration area, there is one death from anthrax. A study of anthrax as related to vari- ous occupations has just been pub lished by the bureau of labor statis ties of the United States department of labor. in it's Bulletin No 2I5.
 According to this bulletin anthrax in the United States is frequent 1 animals in the lower Missis sippi valley in the Gulf States, in the western states. and public atten tion has been drawn recently to l human anthrax by the startling in | crease in the plumber of cases in sea ports and tannery towns in New | York Massachusetts and Pennsyl- | vania Among European countries. i Russia and Italy are reported to be the most seriously affected by botf l animal and human anthrax.
 In man contagion commonly occurs among persons handling animal ma terials through an abrasion of the skin. resulting i'll the so called ma lignaat pustuic,' or malignant edema" Cases have been caused by bites of insects and of pet animals which have fed on diseased materials, and even Ay spores found in shaving brushes Wool sorters disease, or pulmonary anthrax. is less ire quent but almost invariably fatal form of the malady, caused by the inhalation Of dust or particles of hair or wool from diseased animals. The anthrax bacillus is one of the largest and most easily recognized of the dis ease producing organisms: t IS not, however, to be so much feared as cause of the disease as the spOre, which is able to survive for as long as r years without nutriment. This spore is easily carried about, and un- der favorable conditions rapidly germinates and sets mp a focus ol infection.
 Inoculation resulting in the malig- nant pustule is the most common form of anthrax. This begins with a red pimple about the size of q pins head, which at first causes little pain The ninnple rapidly increases in size and becames. surrounded by d peculiar resilient swelling. In the center of the pustule. $ a black spot around which the skin rises in blis- tors. On the thhd or fourth day the lymphatic glands in the vicinity of tfe Dustule are usually swollen and painful. The complete cycle of the disease occupies on the average nine or ten days. The necessity of prompt diagnosis end treatment for the affected part is emphasized by leading authorities.
 In immigrant edema, the other form of external anthrax. the pustule Is oI1= an extensive surface and is most frequently situated on the eyelid, reck or forearm. In several cases there is redness. Vesication, and a gangrenous appearance of the skin. This form is much less frequent than the postule.
 Internal varieties of anthrax, in cludirg pulmonary anthrax or wool sorters disease. are comparatively rare. but are usually fatal. Symp- toms gre not characteristic and diag- nosis is worry difficult
 The bulletin traces the history of anthrax in the United States from the first record of human cases in Philadelphia in 1894 down to the present day showing it's rapid in crease in comparativelv recent years. During the six years from 1910 to 1915. thcre were 132 deaths from an thraX officially reported in the United States registration area. In about 50 Of these cases the connec- tion between occupation and disea ec was obscure, while IT represented oc- crpations where the menace of an thrax is well recognized. Of the lat ter 9 were tannery employees, the largest occupatiopal group among the fatal cases;' 21 were farmers, ranch men, CT women living on farms: l3 were transpOrt9 tiOn workers Gnclud- inc 2 longshoremen). worked with wool. hair. or pTisties, -? wele raS handlers in paper mills. ? were liv- ervmea VAT 2 veterinarian, and g
 were laborers protabl in one or an other of the foregoing branches of in dustry There were five deaths of infants from anthrax.
 Tn the absence of comprehensive records it is difficult to ascertain the proportion of fatalities among an thrax cases, b;it from hospital rec ords, which arr inc most valuable data available for this purpose, it is estimated that about one in every five cases is fatal.
 In tho field of prevention this coun- try has Jagged far behind European ro~ntries. although A states now re- nuire tho reporting of cases of an- thrax. Two states authorize work rnon's compensation for anthrax aris- ing in the course of endowment and in a few If the states compensation navments daVe been made for an thrax contracted as the result of T
 definite injury received while at work. Laws end regulations for the suppression Of animal anthrax have teen enacted in all the large stock raising sections Of the country. The prevention of anthrax among indus trial workers has received very little attention. There has been a ten dercy tc relax the precautions gov erring the importation of animal materials 90 that, so far as human anthrax is concerned. the situation appears to be growing worse instead of better and much more energetic action than has been taken will be needed if this occupational disease is to be stamped out.
 The awarding of compensation to victims of occu0ations' anthrax has trade verv little progress in this country. Massachusetts being the only state that is consistently following this prircple.
 The bulletin contains aE account of the prevalence of anthrax in Euro pean countries and a statement of the regulations in force there to con trcl the disease.