

MADURA DISEASE. 273 



animals has not been followed by any pathogenic effects. 

 The results of Vincent would, therefore, show that the two 

 organisms belong to the same genus, but are distinct species. 

 It would, however, still require to be shown that the disease 

 in the case studied by him was identical with that common 

 in India, and also that in these conditions the parasite 

 is always the same. It may also be mentioned that 

 Madura disease differs from actinomyces, not only in its 

 geographical distribution, but also in its clinical characters. 

 Its course, for example, is of an extremely chronic nature, 

 and though the local disease is incurable except by opera- 

 tion, the parasite never produces secondary lesions in internal 

 organs. Vincent also found that iodide of potassium, which 

 has a high value as a therapeutic agent in many cases of 

 actinomycosis, had no effect in the case studied by him. 



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