ACTINOMYCBS, RAY FUNGUS. 



139 



they spread out in all directions from a central point, 

 the resulting struc- 

 ture resembles that 

 of a closely packed 

 bunch of flowers, or 

 of a druse of crystals. 

 Since more atten- 

 tion has been direct- 

 ed to this peculiar 

 fungus it has been 

 often found, chiefly 

 in cattle and swine. 

 In cattle it causes 

 abscesses in the ex- 

 ternal soft parts of 

 the head, in the 

 tongue, and in the 

 bones of the jaws. 



In swine it has 

 , 



been often found in 



the Crypts of the 



tonsils, without any 

 accompanying mor- 

 bid appearances. 

 Several cases of 

 actinomycosis of the 

 lung, and some of 

 peritonitis, due to 

 actinomyces, have 

 also been observed in 

 cows and swine. In 

 some instances in- 

 deed actinomycotic 

 diseases have appear- 

 ed endemically; thus 

 there was an endemic 

 in Denmark, which 

 attacked 30 cattle on 



One farm. In this Fig. 24. Actinomyces druse. Section from 



case the only thing 



Occurrence of 

 the ray fungus 



g. 23. Druse of actinomyces (ray fungus) in animals - 

 with an isolated branched thread passing 

 upwards. (After Ponfick.) 



a tumour X 300. 



