CHAPTER XVI. 



ACTINOMYCES. 



IN cattle there occurs a fatal disease, which is characterised 

 by the formation of firm nodules of various sizes, due to a 

 growth of small cells. In the centre of the nodules lie dense 

 groups of peculiar club-shaped corpuscles actwomyces 

 radiating from a firm homogeneous centre, and joined to this 

 by longer or shorter, single or branched, filamentous stalks. 

 Each of these actinomyces-corpuscles appears homogeneous, 

 and of a bright slightly greenish lustre. These masses consist 

 of what is called Aetinomyces (Bellinger), and the disease is 

 termed actinomycosis. In cattle the disease manifests itself 

 by firm tumours in the jaw, in the alveoli of the teeth, and 

 particularly by a great enlargement and induration of the 

 tongue "wooden tongue" On making sections through this 

 latter organ there are found present in all parts microscopic 

 tumours of small-cell growth. In the centre of each tumour 

 is a clump of actinomyces. This clump is surrounded by a 

 zone of largish cells, with one to four nuclei. The periphery 

 of the tumour is made up of a fibrous capsule, with spindle- 

 shaped cells. Occasionally the tumours are to be seen also in 

 the skin and in the lung ; in the latter organ they appear as 

 whitish nodules, easily mistaken for tubercles. 1 Bellinger 

 first described the disease in cattle. 2 Israel 3 was the first to 

 point out a disease in man characterised by metastatic 

 abscesses (spreading it seems from a primary abscess of the 

 jaw) in various internal organs, due to the presence of a fungus, 



1 Pflrg. Centralbl. f. med. Wiss. 14, 1882 ; Hinlx, ibid. 4(5 I8. c '2 



2 Ibid. 27, 1877. 



3 Virchow's Archiv, vols. Ixxiv. and Ixxviii. 



