336 ACTINOMYCOSIS AND ALLIED DISEASES 



FIG. 100. ] Shake cultures of actinomyces in 

 glucose agar, showing the maximum growth 

 at some distance from the surface of the 

 medium. 



varying in character from 

 tubercle-like nodules on 

 the one hand to suppura- 

 tive processes on the 

 other. The organisms 

 cultivated from such 

 sources differ according 

 to their microscopic char- 

 acters (for example, some 

 form "clubs" whilst 

 others do not), accord- 

 ing to their conditions 

 of growth, staining re- 

 actions, etc. Of these 

 only a few examples may 

 here be mentioned, but 

 it may be noted that 

 the importance of the 



the same organism in 

 culture from the disease 

 in the ox. Henry also 

 has cultivated from 

 actinomycotic menin- 

 gitis an organism which 

 is a strict anaerobe and 

 which corresponds with 

 the organism of Wright 

 and of Israel and Wolff. 



Varieties of Actinomyces 

 and Allied Forms. It is 



probable that in the cases 

 of the disease described in 

 the human subject there is 

 more than one variety or 

 species of parasite belong- 

 ing to the same group. 

 Gasperini has described 

 several varieties of actino- 

 myces bovis according to 

 the colour of the growths, 

 and a similar condition 

 may obtain in the case 

 of the human subject. 

 Furthermore, a consider- 

 able number of streptoihrices 

 have been found in cases of 

 disease in the human sub- 

 ject, the associated lesions 



FIG. 101. Section of a colony of actinomyces 

 from a culture in blood serum, showing 'the 

 formation of clubs at the periphery, x 1500. 



1 For Figs. 100 and 101 we are indebted to Dr. J. Homer Wright of 

 Boston, U.S.A. 



