20 BOTRYOMYCOSIS 
swine and other animals. The thickened spermatic cord (scirrhous 
cord) which sometimes follows castration is the most common form. 
Practitioners often designate as botryomycosis certain closed abces- 
ses occurring in the subcutaneous or intermuscular tissue. Abscesses 
and nodules found in the internal organs have been included under 
this caption. The recent literature contains numerous references 
to lesions belonging to this group of morbid changes. Several 
investigators have isolated from the lesions a microérganism which 
appeared to stand in a causative relation to them. It was first 
described in 1870 as Zodgloea pulmonis equi by Bollinger who found 
it in the nodules in the lungs of a horse. Later he renamed it Botryoco- 
ccus ascoformans. Rivolta designated it Discomyces equi. Rabe 
proposed the name Micrococcus botryogenes and Johne has called it 
M. ascoformans. The results of other investigations throw some 
doubt upon the specific nature of these lesions. Kitt, Hell, deJong, 
Gay and others have found in the lesions micrococci which do not 
differ from M. pyogenes. The writer has failed to find M. ascoformans 
but has isolated in its stead pyogenic micrococci and streptococci. 
It is possible, however, that Botryococcus ascoformans was present. 
In one very interesting case of thickened cord, he found masses of 
a fungus resembling somewhat that of actinomyces within the pockets 
of spongy tissue sprinkled throughout the thickened fibrous cord. 
Bacteria were not found in this case. 
In the closed abcesses in the connective tissue pyogenic bacteria 
have been found excepting in certain cases of long standing where 
the cultures gave negative results. Investigations of the bacterial 
_flora of the skin of the horse show that pyogenic bacteria are fre- 
quently present in the deeper layers of the epidermis. With the 
possibility of infection from the integument plus all the other chances 
of having pyogenic and other bacteria introduced into the wound 
there are abundant opportunities for infection with a variety of 
species. The evidence at hand points to the conclusion that botry- 
omycosis especially the form known as scirrhous cord is the result 
of an infection with one or more species of microdrganisms. It is 
very desirable that further investigations be made on this subject. 
Omphalo-phlebitis or navel-ill. This affection consists of suppura- 
tive lesions in young animals caused by pyogenic bacteria. In the 
colt the lesions are most often localized in the joints of the limbs. 
In other animals they are quite as likely to be located elsewhere in 
