ACTINOMYCOSIS 175 



less reliable. Ordinary care of the hands will suffice 

 as a protection, but no lack of care is justifiable. It 

 is not a very infectious disease, but a serious one and 

 one of long duration. The peculiar changes in this 

 disease are due to the life and growth of the fungus as 

 a foreign body and probably not to any peculiar toxin. 

 No immunity or peculiar blood changes follow an 



FIG. 48. Actinomyces fungus ("ray fungus"): left, as seen in 

 tissues under low magnifying power; right, a fungus mass examined 

 fresh under higher magnifying power. (Abbott.) 



attack. The treatment is surgical and medical, the 

 latter being confined to the use of potassium iodide. 



Morphology and General Characteristics. The organ- 

 ism of actinomycosis is in the form of interwoven 

 threads, radiating from a centre, having thickened 

 or bulbous ends. These ends are important, as they 

 assist in species determination and possibly have some- 

 thing to do with multiplication of the germ. The 



