SCHIZOPHYTA SCHIZOMYCETES 



183 



CHLAMYDOBACTERIACEAE 

 Cladothrix bovis (Bellinger) 



The mass consists of several distinct zones of different elements, the central 

 portion granular with small round bodies radiating out from this tangled mass 

 of thread-like bodies, the outer portion consisting of conspicuous club-shaped 

 cronies. The organism is quite polymorphic. In cultures the threads are from 

 3 10 to 5-10 fj, in thickness with flask-shaped or bottle-like expansions. The 

 organism may be grown upon all the artificial media. The colonies appear as 

 small gray dots with translucent, radiating filaments. If kept for a few days at 

 37 C. they are opaque and nodular, later they show a whitish downy appear- 

 ance. In blood serum the nodules are yellowish or blood-red in color ; on agar 

 agar the color becomes brownish with age ; on potato, reddish-yellow and the 

 white down makes its appearance early. 



Distribution. Widely distributed both in Europe and North America. 



Pathogenic properties. The organism was discovered by Langenbeck in 

 1845, but was not described until 1878 by Bellinger. Israel in 1874-78 called 

 attention to the disease in man, and Bostrom in 1899 made a careful study of 

 the disease. The disease is not common in man but cases have been described 

 by Murphy and Ochsner and Senn of Chicago. Two of the cases described by 

 Murphy began with tooth-ache and swelling of the jaw. 



The disease may be caused by direct inoculation of pus, but there is good 

 reason to believe that not an infrequent source of infection is by means of 

 barley and other grains. There is reason to believe that it occurs in nature 

 as a saprophyte. The history of many cases reported in man seem to indicate 





Fig. 30j. Lumpy Jaw Cladothrix bovis showing the radiating masses. At the left, the 

 club-shaped bodies and branches (After Ponfick). At the right, one of the millet like 

 bodies less magnified. After Fliigge. 



