HIGHER BACTERIA 361 



the human subject. Bostroem 2 has given detailed de- 

 scriptions of the "ray fungus." Wolff and Israel, 3 who 

 have studied its biology most extensively, found that it grew 

 sparingly under aerobic conditions, but more vigorously in 

 the absence of atmospheric oxygen. Wright 4 described cul- 

 tures of actinomyces from 13 bovine and 2 human cases and 

 concluded they were the same species. They grow as aerobes. 

 Actinomyces bovis grows quite vigorously in glucose agar, a 

 few millimeters below the surface. Its maximum growth is 

 between 5 and 10 mm. in the depth of the medium. It develops 



^J*S 





Fig. 75. Fig. 76. 



Fig. 75. Actinomyces bovis. Photograph of filaments from an agar 



culture. X 410 (Pickens). 

 Fig. 76. Actinomyces bovis. Photograph of a section of actinomy- 



coltic tissue showing small clumps of the fungus. 



somewhat feebly on the surface of agar. In alkaline bouillon 

 heavy flocculent masses appear which settle to the bottom of 

 the tube. It is not readily transmitted by inoculation. It 



2 Bostroem. Beitr. z. path. Anat. u. allg. Path., Bd. IX (1891) 

 p. 1. 



Wolff and Israel. Virchow's Archiv, Bd. CXXVI (1891) p. 11. 



4 Wright. Publications of the Mass. General Hospital, Vol. I 

 (1905) p. 1. 



