508 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



it causes a nodulated state of the diseased quarter or quar- 

 ters that presents clinically a condition that it is impossible 

 to tell from tuberculosis of the mammary gland, the udder 

 in either case having a hard, nodulated feeling, such as 

 would be expected to be present in tuberculosis of this 

 organ. Until the nodules of actinomycosis break and dis- 

 charge their contents through the milk ducts, there is prob- 

 ably no danger from the use of the milk from such cows ; 

 after they do, the milk should be looked upon as unsuitable 

 for human food until more is known about this disease. 



Two cases of this character have had the attention of the 

 Board called to them during the past year. One, a cow at 

 Salisbury, was killed upon a physical diagnosis of tuberculosis 

 of the udder ; on post-mortem no lesions were found except 

 in the udder, and when examined microscopically were 

 found to be those of actinomycosis. The other occurred in 

 Arlington. The cow was tested with tuberculin because of 

 a nodulated udder, and reacted, and when she was killed the 

 mediastinal glands were tuberculous, and the udder was ap- 

 parently so to the naked eye ; but when it was subjected to 

 a microscopic examination the nodules were found to be 

 actinomycosis, the reaction to tuberculin resulting from the 

 tuberculous condition of the mediastinal glands, and not be- 

 cause of the nodulated condition of the udder. Guinea pigs 

 inoculated with milk from this cow in November, before she 

 was killed, have as yet developed no evidences of disease of 

 any kind. 



Four cows have been quarantined by the local inspectors 

 as having actinomycosis or " lumpy jaw." One in Barn- 

 stable was killed and found to have tuberculosis associated 

 with the other malady. Another animal in Attleborough 

 was killed because she had actinomycosis in an advanced 

 form. Two other cases, one in Northfield and the other in 

 Williamstown, were released. The agent of the Board who 

 examined the Northfield cow reported that the trouble was 

 due to a diseased tooth ; the other one was but slightly dis- 

 eased and her owner was given an opportunity to fatten her, 

 as the public good did not seem to require the immediate 

 slaughter of the animal. 



The most interesting cases of this malady are those where 



