258 



THE ACTINOMYCETES, Vol. I 



Figure 102. Granules and clubs of A^. pre- 

 toriana (Reproduced from: Pijper, A. and Pul- 

 linger, B. C. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. p. 2, June 15, 

 1927). 



The specific disease affects both man and 

 cattle, usually involving the jaw. Thus, the 

 expressions "lumpy jaw" and "pig jaw" are 

 frequently used to designate this condition. 

 The disease is not contagious, but once ac- 

 quired, it is difficult to eradicate. It is char- 

 acterized by a swollen jaw and a hard board- 

 like induration, accompanied by destruction 

 of the normal tissue and formation of granu- 

 lation tissue. "Sulfur granules" are fre- 

 quently present in the pus. They consist of 

 cellular debris and of radially arranged 

 hyphae; these terminate at the periphery 

 in the form of "clubs," which are composed 

 of eosinophilic material forming a sheath 

 around the hyphal tip. 



Emmons emphasized that while various 

 actinomycotic infections give rise to clubs, 

 certain forms of the disease caused by actino- 

 mycetes, notably by A^. asteroides, do not 

 form such clubs (see Gibson). Even A. bovis 

 may fail to produce clubs in some tissues 

 and under certain conditions. Emmons, 

 therefore, defined actinomycosis as "an in- 

 fection caused by invasion of the host by 

 some species of Adinomcyes.^^ Several forms 

 of the disease were recognized: actinomyco- 

 sis of the skin, actinomycotic meningitis, 

 lung infection, actinomycotic types of my- 



cetomas (Kanthack), although some of these 

 may be more properly classified with "no- 

 cardiosis." The presence of sulfur granules is 

 frequently considered as a diagnostic symp- 

 tom of actinomycosis. Granules may be pro- 

 duced, however, by various organisms, 

 whereas some actinomycetes do not form 

 any granules. 



As pointed out previously, various at- 

 tempts to isolate the causative agent yielded 

 aerobic cultures that were found later to be 

 air contaminants. Wolff and Israel are cred- 

 ited with being the first to isolate from maxil- 

 lary actinomycosis in cattle a culture which 

 they found to be a microaerophilic form. This 

 culture w^as identical with A. bovis. Minute 

 pinpoint and dewdrop-like colonies appeared 

 on the surface of anaerobic agar slant cul- 

 tures. The colonies gradually became larger 

 and formed ball-like, irregularly rounded, 

 elevated nodules; they did not become con- 

 fluent and homogeneous. Some of the colo- 

 nies presented a prominent center with a 

 lobulated margin, appearing in the form of 

 rosettes. In stab cultures, growth was more 

 pronounced and was limited to the lower por- 

 tion of the line of inoculation. In liquid 

 broth, small white flakes appeared under 

 aerobic conditions, some floating on the sur- 

 face and some falling to the bottom of the 

 tube. In general, anaerobic conditions were 

 favorable to the growth of the organism. 



Microscopic examination of the culture 

 grown on agar showed long filaments form- 

 ing a network. These were arranged more or 

 less radially; they were straight, wavy, or 

 spiral, and sometimes branched. Smear prep- 

 arations gave short, homogeneous, usually 

 straight, but also comma-like, rods of ^'aried 

 length and width ; the ends of the rods often 

 showed club-like swellings. 



The tumor-like growths of infected ani- 

 mals were situated partly on the abdominal 

 wall and partly on the intestines, in the liver, 

 and in other tissues. ]\Iicroscopic examina- 



