240 PRACTICAL BACTERIOLOGY. 



are certainly identical with it, and others very closely 

 connected. 



An epidemic sometimes occurs amongst cattle, 

 which shows itself in the formation of swellings in the 

 region of the jaws. These swellings contain sometimes 

 thick, sometimes thin pus, which contains hard yellow 

 granules. These yellow granules are seen with the 

 microscope to be of a raylike structure, and consist of 

 an organism which is at present perhaps mistakenly 

 classed with bacteria, and which on account of its form 

 is called the ray fungus— acitwomi/ces hovis or hominis. 

 Generally the granules are composed of a number of 

 clublike threads which are swollen up into knobs and 

 amongst which more threads, resembling bacteria or 

 even chains of cocci are to be found. Whether these 

 last really belong to the actinomyces or not rather to 

 other organisms which have been introduced at the 

 same time into the swelling, is at present not yet deter- 

 mined. The ray fungus has been observed in men, 

 causing a disease which not infrequently proves fatal. 

 It is not easy to cultivate, as it only grows out of con- 

 tact with air ; the appearance it presents in cultures 

 is somewhat different from that described above. 



Staining is most successfully performed by means 

 of Gram's method, and only when they are stained can 

 the true nature of these grannies be distinguished. 

 A similar but somewhat different organism appears in 

 the striated muscles of the pig. 



