INFLUENCE OF DISEASE UPON MILK 103 
granules. They may rupture internally or externally 
and discharge pus containing the fungi. The milk cis- 
tern may be filled with the nodules. Sometimes the dis- 
ease appears in the udder in a miliary form; the affected 
quarters are enlarged, hard and somewhat nodular, and 
on section numerous very small nodules of granulation 
tissue with softened purulent centres are found dissemi- 
nated through the gland tissue. Similar nodules may be 
found on the mucous membrane of the larger canals and 
cistern. Numerous actinomyces are found in the soft- 
ened centre of the nodules. As a rule, actinomycosis 
of the udder has not been recognized until after the 
slaughter of the affected animal, consequently nothing 
definite is known regarding the appearance of the milk 
in this condition. Up to this time, actinomyces have not 
been demonstrated in milk, but they are no doubt ex- 
creted with the milk when the actinomycotic nodules rup- 
ture into an alveolus or duct of the udder. The milk 
may be infected secondarily when an actinomycotic 
nodule in the udder ruptures externally or when an actin- 
omycotic tumor in the maxilla or adjacent parts opens. 
In such cases the discharge contains not only actinomyces 
but also bacteria, particularly the pyogenic organisms, 
and these, too, may gain access to the milk. 
There is no record of the transmission of actinomy- 
cosis to man through milk. This may be due in part to 
the slow development of the disease, as in the case of 
tuberculosis. Infection with actinomyces may occur in 
man, as it does in cattle, through the food, especially 
when wounds exist in the mouth or other anterior parts 
of the digestive tract. Since there is a possibility of the 
transmission of this disease by milk, it is advisable to 
exclude from dairies all cows with actinomycosis of the 
