ACTINOMYCOSES 545 



A " sclerotium " is a hard body formed by a dense lignified mass 

 of hyphse, as in ergot. ) The Mycetomas may be divided into two 

 classes : 



A. The Actinomy coses, in which the grains are composed of fine 

 non-segmented mycelial filaments, the walls of which are usually 

 not clearly defined from the contents, and without chlamydospores. 



B. The Maduramycoses, in which the grains are composed of 

 large segmented mycelial filaments, possessing well-defined walls 

 and, usually, chlamydospores. 



As types of the Actinomycoses we have Actinomycosis of man 

 and animals and the classical white variety of Madura disease, 

 while the classical black form of Madura disease is a type of the 

 Maduramy coses. 



The Actinomycoses are caused by organisms belonging to the 

 Fungi Imperfecti (p. 568), Sub-class Hyphales (Vuillemin, 1910), 

 Order Microsiphonales (Vuillemin, 1912), in which the mycelium 

 is composed of fine bacilliform hyphse, usually one micron or 

 less in diameter, with a thickened hyphal wall and septa. This 

 contains at present only two genera, which are distinguished as 

 follows : 



A. Nocardia, grows aerobically and produces arthrospores (De 

 Toni and Trevisan, 1889). 



B. Cohnistreptothrix, grows best anaerobically, usually difficult 

 to cultivate and does not produce arthrospores (Pinoy, 1911). 



The Maduramycoses may be classified according to the colour 

 of their granules into (1) the Black Maduramycoses and (2) the 

 White Maduramycoses. They are caused by a variety of fungi. 



The student is advised to read through the introduction to Chapter 

 XVII. on the Hyphomycetes (p. 567) before reading this chapter. 



Actinomycoses 



Actinomycosis of cattle (Actinomycosis bovis) has long 

 been known, but its exact pathology was involved in 

 doubt until the researches of Bellinger in 1876. It forms 

 tumours chiefly affecting the tongue, jaw, face, and throat, 

 and was described under such varied names as wen, 

 scrofula, scirrhus, osteo-sarcoma, cancer, wooden tongue, 

 etc. The tumours after a time break down and discharge, 



M.B. 35 



