STEEPTOTHRICOSIS. 477 



Streptothricosis pedis. If mycetoma is to be considered in any more 

 comprehensive light than this, it should become another synonym for 

 streptothricosis. It should not be considered a disease caused bv organ- 

 isms other than Streptothricce. 



Part II. 



STREPTOTHRICOSIS. 



Synonyms. — Actinomycosis, Nocardiosis. 



Definition. — An infectious disease of man and animals caused by 

 one or more species of Streptothrix. It is characterized anatomically by 

 a peculiar, low grade of inflammation, usually confined to one part of the 

 body, but in rare instances assuming the proportions of a general in- 

 fection. The inflammatory process usually is accompanied by suppura- 

 tion of a certain kind; the discharges contain granules made up princi- 

 pally of colonies of Streptothrix. The general picture of chronic- 

 inflammatory disturbance is seen clinically, and enlargement, suppuration 

 and the presence of the causative organism in the lesions is observed 

 locally. 



History. — The history of Streptothrix infection is shown in the review 

 of the literature given in Part I. In general it may be stated that the 

 disease has probably long been recognized and frequent references are 

 made in older medical literature to conditions which presumably were 

 due to infection with these microorganisms. According to Rivolta, Trutto 

 discussed the condition among cattle in Italy in 1785 under the name 

 of "Krotenkrankheit." The colonies of the organisms were more or less 

 accurately described by Langenbeck (1845), Sir T. Smith (1855), Lebert 

 (1848), Rivolta (1868), Robin (1871), Heller (1872), Perroncito 

 (1875), and others (see Aekland). Mention of the anatomical form of 

 the disease generally described as mycetoma or Madura foot are also quite 

 old, the principal authors being: Kampfer (1712), Heynes (1806), 

 Brett (1840), Gill (1842), Godfrey (1844), Colebrook (1844), Gunther 

 (1844), Eyre (1848), Bollingol (1855), Eyre (1860), Collos (1861), 

 Bidie (1862), Hirsch (1868 and 1886), Coquerel (1866), and many 

 others (see This Journal, Sec. B. (1907), 2, 487). Of these observers 

 Colebrook (1850), Bollingol (1855), Coquerel (1866), Maxon and 

 Hogg (1870), Bristowe (1871), Berkeley (1876), and others probably 

 saw and in a few instances partially described the organisms present in 

 the lesions. However, the really important history of Streptothrix in- 

 fections dates from Vandyke Carter's work (1859-1874). This author 

 described and illustrated the parasites in many cases of the foot (Ma- 

 dura foot) type of the infection. Bollinger and Marz (1876) first ac- 

 curately described and named one of the parasites causing the disease 

 known as lumpy-jaw in cattle. The next epoch in the history was due 

 to an article by J. Israel (1878) who was the first to describe the disease 

 and parasite in man in locations other than the foot (Madura foot) and 



