972 Veterinary Obstetrics 



widely disseminated through the glandular tissue without causing 

 a very dense swelling. 



Microscopic examination of the caseous masses, the miliary 

 tubercles, and the milk from the tuberculous udder, reveals an 

 abundance of tubercle bacili. 



The feeding of such milk has produced tuberculosis in swine, 

 rabbits, cows, cats, goats and other animals, and numerous in- 

 stances are cited where fatal tuberculosis of man has apparently 

 resulted from the ingestion of such milk, especially by children. 

 Tuberculosis of the udder is incurable. 



5. Actinomycosis of the Udder. 



Actinomycosis of the udder maj'- occur in any animal which is 

 subject to actinomycotic infection, but has been observed 

 chiefly or wholly in the cow and sow. It closely resembles in 

 many respects tuberculosis of the udder. Prior to the identifica- 

 tion of actinomycosis, the disease was usually mistaken for 

 tuberculosis. It may affect one or all quarters, but has a 

 great tendency to remain confined to one quarter, because as a 

 general rule, the source of the infection is local and not systemic ; 

 whereas the opposite usually holds true in cases of tuberculosis. 



The malady usually reveals itself in the form of a chronic, 

 slow-forming nodular disease of the gland, the nodules varying 

 from ^ to4 inches or more in size, and consisting of small abscesses 

 surrounded by thick and dense connective tissue. These small 

 foci behave like actinomycotic abscesses occurring in other tissues 

 of the bod}^ ; they tend to rupture one after another, and leave 

 small fistulous openings, which are somewhat retracted, and heal 

 tardily. 



Upon section, the actinomycotic lesions have the superfi- 

 cial appearance of tuberculosis, and may at first be mistaken for 

 that disease. The section reveals abscesses of various sizes, sur- 

 rounded by more or less dense connective tissue walls. If the 

 abscess is large, and contains much pus, the wall is usually very 

 thick and dense. If the abscesses are very small, or consist 

 of very small suppurating areas, the walls are not so conspicuous, 

 and the tissues invaded by the disease present a yellowish, gran- 

 ular appearance, quite characteristic of the malady, and different 

 from that of tuberculosis. In actinomycosis, caseation and calci- 

 fication do not occur. The diagnosis may be definitely made by 



