CHAPTER VI. 

 ACTINOMYCOSIS. 



ACTINOMYCES BO VIS (BOLUNGEJR). 



General Characteristics. A parasitic, pathogenic, aerobic and 

 optionally anaerobic, non-motile, non-flagellate, non-sporogenous (?), 

 pathogenic branched micro-organism belonging to the higher bacteria, 

 staining by ordinary methods and by Gram's method. 



In 1845 Langenbeck discovered that an infectious disease 

 of cattle known as "wooden tongue" and "lumpy jaw," and 

 later as actinomycosis, could be communicated to man. 

 The observation, however, was not published until 1878, 

 one year after Bellinger * had discovered the actinomyces, 

 the specific cause of the disease. 



Israel f wrote the first important paper upon actino- 

 mycosis as a disease of man, though the best paper on the 

 subject is probably that by Bostrom,{ who made a careful 

 study of the microscopic lesions of the disease. 



Its first manifestations are usually found either about the 

 jaw or in the tongue, and consist of considerable-sized en- 

 largements which are sometimes dense and fibrous (wooden 

 tongue), sometimes suppurative in character. In sections 

 of tissue containing these nodular formations, small yellow- 

 ish granules surrounded by some pus can usually be found. 

 These granules, when examined beneath the microscope* 

 consist of peculiar rosette-like bodies the "ray-fungi" or 

 actinomyces. 



Distribution. The actinomyces is known only as a 

 parasitic organism associated with actinomycosis. 



Morphology. A complete ray-fungus consists of several 

 distinct zones composed of different elements. The center 

 is composed of a granular mass containing numerous bodies 

 resembling micrococci or spores. Extending from this cen- 

 ter into the neighboring tissue is a radiating, branched, 



*" Deutsche Zeitschrift fur Thiermedizin," 1877. 

 f "Virchow's Archives," 1874-1878. 

 j " Zeitschrift fur Hygiene," 1889. 

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