320 specific Inflammations. 



has more frequently been observed than an actual epidemic affection 

 (Bang, C. O. Jensen, Preusse). 



Transmission of actinomycosis from one animal to another or to 

 man is very improbable ; the few alleged cases of such an occurrence 

 which have been recorded in literature might equally well have been 

 caused by traumatic infection. Artificial transmission by inocula- 

 tion has been successful only in a few cases (Johne, Wolff and Is- 

 rael, Ponfick and others), and in these the experiment animal had 

 to receive rather deep inoculation with comparatively large amounts 

 of the infectious material (intraperitoneal, subcutaneous injection); 

 while in ordinary wound infection and feeding transmission failed 

 completely. 



The anatomical changes brought about by the actinomycotic in- 

 fection include the formation of actinomycotic nodules, abscesses 

 and fungous granulomatous proliferations, sometimes accompanied 

 by indurative connective tissue proliferations. 



The actinomycotic nodules (actinomycosis nodularis) are small 

 inflammatory foci of the size of a millet seed to that of a pea, yellow- 

 ish-red or grayish-yellow in color, composed of a soft granulation 

 tissue, which is developed as the product of a demarcating inflam- 

 mation about the fungus which acts as a foreign body. They show 

 one or a number of opaque yellow punctiform spots from the pres- 

 ence in minute foci within them of the yellow colored clumps of 

 fungi and pus cells. • When they are in the parenchyma of an organ 



they are surrounded by a connective tissue 



^■^.-^^^^rr/flff'^ ^°"^ °^ induration ; when on mucous surfaces 



^M^^^W?^>P^MM. t'ley break through and project somewhat. 



^^■'^^M'^-'^^^F ^cti^^omycotic abscesses (actinomycosis 



^'?^iii^^ pi^rulenta, apostematosa) are areas of soften- 



mg from the size of a plum stone to that of a 



'^' ■ , human head, with purulent content which 



Actinomj'cotic clump. 



fAftci- ostertag.) either appears as a thin mushy fluid, creamy 



and of a sulphur yellow color, enclosed in a 

 white indurated abscess wall, or the areas are made up of a flabbv, 

 grayish-yellow to reddish-yellow matrix, which contains the infil- 

 trating pus, not in separate foci large enough to allow it to be taken 

 out in a spoon, but just as though it were in a fine sponge. In the 

 latter case there is no real abscess membrane present, although the 

 surrounding tissue for some distance is converted into an indurated, 

 dense white connective tissue. 



The fungous actinomycotic grozvths (actinomycosis fungosa) 

 look like mushrooms or soft cushions, projecting above the surface 



