BY 0. E. BAENAKD, M.D. 



255 



Previous to Dr. Perkins's paper, Mr. Willows, N.S.W. 

 Government Veterinarian, in conjunction with Mr. Park of 

 Hobart, was empowered by the Hon. the then Premier of 

 Tasmania to report upon the alleged cancer in cattle of this 

 colony. In his report Mr. Willows considered the tumours 

 to be due to a tuberculous taint; and he urged that 

 prophylactic measures be rigidly enforced with a view to 

 stamp out the disease, and he concludes by saying, " I am of 

 opinion that the consumption of meat or milk from scrofulous 

 or tuberculous animals is always dangerous." 



In Europe this disease, so far as it was judged by external 

 appearances, had been long recognised, and was described 

 under various designations, such as osteo-sarcoma, cancer, 

 etc., and usually it was attributed to a tuberculous condition 

 of the system affecting the glands. 



It is only of comparatively recent years, since 1876, that 

 these tumours have been demonstrated to be due to the 

 presence of a parasitic fungus, called actinomyces or ray- 

 fungus, from its ray-like appearance, and hence the disease 

 is called Actinomycosis. 



Soon after the publication of the discovery of the 

 actinomyces or ray-fungus iu diseased cattle, the same 

 vegetable parasite was found in man ; and it was then seen 

 that the tumours in the bovine species presented great 

 similarity to those found in the human subject, leading to the 

 presumption that it was identically the same disease. 



Besides cattle the actinomyces have been found in animals 

 winch have suffered from cancerous disease, as the pig, and 

 the dog. 



About four years ago Mr. Archibald Park who has care- 

 fully studied this subject, called attention to the presence of 

 certain peculiar bodies in these cases of cancer, which he 

 thought differed from true tuberculosis. And as the 

 Published accounts in the veterinary literature of the day, of 

 the discovery of actinomyces in a similar disease to "this 

 cancer in Europe, agreed with what he observed in the cases 

 ui Tasmania, Mr. Park came to the conclusion that the 

 disease in this colony must be the Actinomycosis of Europe. 



Previous to his departure to England nine months ago Mr. 

 -rark brought me a specimen of one of these osteo-sarcomatous 

 tumours from the lower jaw of a cow. Having made 

 sections we examined thorn under the microscope, when 

 the distinguishing characteristic club-shaped bodies of the 

 actinomyces or ray-fungus were unmistakably seen, agreeing 

 ui all respects with the published accounts of the parasite, 

 thus establishing the fact of the disease in Tasmania being 

 undoubted Actinomycosis. 



Having taken with him to England this same specimen, Mr. 



E, 



