440 APPLICATION OF METHODS OF BACTERIOLOGY 



Actinomyces Farcinicus (bacille du farcin des boeufs 

 (Nocard); oospora farcinica; actinomyces bovis farcinicus). 

 ■ — ^This organism was discovered by Nocard (1888) in a 

 disease of cattle that is suggestive of farcy as seen in horses. 

 The lesions consist of chains of enlarged subcutaneous 

 lymph-glands, which on examination are found to be in a 

 condition somewhat simulating tuberculosis. Similar nodules 

 are sometimes encountered in the internal organs. 



By microscopic examination the organism is seen as long, 

 branching threads consisting of short segments. 



It is non-motile. Spore-formation is questionable, Nocard 

 having seen it, while Lehmann and Neumann have not. 

 The organism may be stained by the ordinary methods, and 

 also by the Gram-Weigert process. It grows on all the 

 ordinary culture-media, and at both room- and body-tem- 

 perature, especially well at the latter. It is aerobic. 



Colonies in agar-agar reach a size of from 1 to 2 mm.; 

 are yellowish-white in color, irregular in outline, and have 

 the appearance of a glazed, membranous mass. 



On gelatin, the growth is much slower, so that after ten 

 days the colonies appear as tiny translucent round glistening 

 points. Under low power of the microscope these colonies 

 are sharply circumscribed, grayish or greenish in color, and 

 are without characteristic structure. 



Growth in bouillon is characterized by a tough, slimy 

 sediment, and at times by more or less of pellicle-formation. 

 Pellicle-formation is encouraged by the addition of glycerin. 

 The bouillon is not uniformly clouded by the growth. 



In milk, it causes an alkaline reaction, solution of casein, 

 but no coagulation. 



On potato, it grows slowly as a dull yellowish-white dry 

 membrane. 



