CHAPTER XXXV 



ACTINOMYCOSIS 



Actinomyces Bovis (Bollinger) 



General Characteristics. — A parasitic, pathogenic, aerobic and optionally ana6- 

 robic, non-motile, non-flagellate, non-sporogenous (?), liquefying, pathogenic, 

 branched micro-organism, belonging to the higher bacteria, staining by ordinary 

 methods and by Gram's method. 



In 1845 Langenbeck discovered that an infectious disease of 

 cattle known as "wooden tongue" and "lumpy jaw," and later as 

 actinomycosis, could be communicated to man. The observation, 

 however, was not published until 1878, one year after Bollinger* 

 had discovered the actinomyces, the specific cause of the disease. 



Israelf wrote the first important paper upon actinomycosis as 

 a disease of man, though the best paper on the subject is probably 



. — Bovine actinomycosis. 



that by Bostr6m,t who made a careful study of the microscopic 

 lesions of the disease. 



Its first manifestations are usually found either about the jaw 

 or in the tongue, and consist of considerable sized enlargements 

 which are sometimes dense and fibrous (wooden tongue), some- 

 times suppurative in character. In sections of tissue containing 

 these nodular formations, small yellowish granules surrounded by 

 some pus can usually be found. These granules, when examined be- 

 neath the microscope, consist of peculiar rosette-like bodies — the 

 "ray-fungi" or actinomyces. 



Distribution. — The actinomyces is best known as a parasitic 

 organism associated with actinomycosis. That it occurs rather 



* "Deutsche Zeitschrift fur Thiermedizin," 1877. 

 t "Virchow's Archives," 1874-78. 



t " Berl. klin. Wochenschrif t," 1885. "Beitrage zur Path. Anat. und zur Allg. 

 rath.," 1890, tx. 



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