276 llanual of Veterinary Microbiology. 



which some filaments separate themselves to extend 

 outward, or they form small tufts the branches of 

 which radiate around a certain point in one of these 

 filaments. Besides these groups of filaments a few 

 may be observed which seem detached, but which 

 have the same structure and are also branched. 



We have succeeded in obtaining several genera- 

 tions of these cultures, starting from a tumor of the 

 ox. We have also made cultures with the products 

 obtained by inoculating the disease to rabbits. In 

 these last cases the results have been the same, ex- 

 cept that we have never seen any thing resembling 

 the conidia. 



Cultures are much more active when protected 

 from the air; the actinomyces is, therefore, Chiefly 

 anaerobic. Various investigators have cultivated the 

 fungus upon potato ; the surface of the latter be- 

 comes excavated during the first days, then covered 

 with colorless colonies with irregular surface, which 

 soon becomes prominent and powdery; they become 

 gray in color, then yellow, or even greenish when 

 exposed to the light. Domec, in studying these cul- 

 tures, has recently come to the conclusion that the 

 actinomyces is a mucedine. 



Experimental inoculations. — Johne has transmitted 

 the disease to the calf and to the cow by subcuta- 

 neous, intra-peritoneal, and mammary inoculation; 

 Ponfick and Israel have communicated it to the 

 calf and to the rabbit. We, also, have inoculated 

 actinomycosis to the rabbit both with artificial cul- 

 tures and with the natural products obtained from a 

 cow. The lesions remained local in all cases, and 

 consisted of an exhausting suppuration which in- 



