THE ACTINOMYCETES, Vol. I 



scribed, according to Foulerton, cases ''which 

 clinically present the features of actinomy- 

 cosis, but which are caused by parasites 

 which differ sufficiently from streptothrix 

 actinomycotica to entitle them to be re- 

 garded as separate species." Bruns noted a 

 culture which he believed to be similar to 

 that described by Berestnew as occurring in a 

 case of "pseudoactinomycosis." Bruns ob- 

 jected to the use of this term and considered 



I. ~- 





• ». • 



Figure 4. Appearance of cultures of A. bonis 

 in agar tubes (Reproduced from: Wright, J. H. 

 J. Med. Research 13: 349-404, 1905). 



Figure 5. A cross-section of a colony of .1. 

 hovis in agar (Wright, J. H. J. Med. Research 13: 

 349-404, 1905). 



the organism in question to belong to a new 

 species. 



Thus, the differentiation between aerobic 

 and anaerobic forms as causative agents of 

 specific diseases gradually became estab- 

 lished, particularlj'- through the work of 

 Foulerton and Price- Jones (1902), Wright 

 (1905), and others. 



The first historical period is thus charac- 

 terized by serious difficulties that were a 

 direct result of the complications involved 

 in the isolation and identification of the 

 causative agents of disease conditions in 

 animals and man, and by the problems of 

 proper nomenclature, which will be discussed 

 in detail in Chapter 4. Attention has already 

 been drawn to the confusion introduced by 

 Bostroem, in 1890, who isolated from in- 

 fected lesions aerobic air contaminants, which 

 he designated as the causative agent of the 

 disease. Another cause of confusion was the 

 introduction of the term "streptothricosis," 

 based on Cohn's original designation, as a 

 synonym — not always recognized as such — 

 for "actinomycosis," or a disease caused by 

 actinomycetes. Later suggestions that such 

 names as "nocardiosis" and "maduramyco- 

 sis" be used did not help to straighten out 

 the ensuing confusion. 



The study of the causation of plant dis- 

 eases by actinomycetes also falls within this 

 period. As has been noted, Thaxter eluci- 

 dated, in 1891, the nature of the pathogenic 

 organism concerned in potato scab. He called 

 it Oospora scabies. The culture was isolated 

 and carefully studied. This soon led to ex- 

 tensive investigations by numerous botanists 

 and plant pathologists, which continued into 

 the subsequent periods. 



Outstanding work on the occurrence of 

 actinomycetes, their morphology and sys- 

 tematic position, was also carried out during 

 this period. It is sufficient to mention such 

 names as Rossi-Doria, Lachner-Sandoval, 

 and soon after Neukirch, and various other 

 bacteriologists. 



