516 PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 



PATHOLOGICAL ANATOMY.— The physiognomy of 

 the mammary lesions or other localizations is the same as in 

 the bovine animals. The tumors of the udder are composed 

 of fibrous tissue, white, lardaceous, sprinkled with greyish, 

 yellow, cellular islets, regularly rounded with well-defined 

 limits, projecting above the general level of the section. 

 Their dimensions vary from the size of a hemp seed to that 

 of a walnut or larger. Now and then we find soft ones repre- 

 senting so many cysts with purulent contents. The pus is 

 greyish and contains a great abundance of grains of the 

 color of sulphur, characteristic of actinomycostic pus. 



Muscular actinomycosis chiefly affects the abdominal 

 muscles, the intercostals and the diaphragm. The histologi- 

 cal study of the diseased muscles shows fragmentation of the 

 fibers, disappearance of the striations and vitreous degenera- 

 tion. The mycostic tufts are englobed in a connective tissue 

 production constituted at the expense of the sarcolemma, 

 and the granulations often undergo calcareous degeneration. 



DIAGNOSIS. — In communities where the disease is fre- 

 quent localizations in the pharynx and udder should always 

 be looked upon with suspicion. Neoplasms of the udder can 

 nardly be confounded with other lesions. They are hard, 

 ulcerated tumors that discharge a purulent product contain- 

 ing the actinomyces. The neighboring lymphatic glands are 

 scarcely ever invaded. 



PROGNOSIS. — The gravity of the disease is subordi- 

 nate to the' extent and duration of the lesions. 



TREATMENT.— As in the ox, iodide treatment is ad- 

 visable. For mammary tumors surgical intervention may be 

 necessary. The udders affected are extirpated, as in the bitch, 

 and the two contiguous ones are also sacrificed to avoid re- 

 lapse. The surgical wound is packed with iodine-soaked cot- 

 ton held in place with sutures which also serve the purpose 

 of diminishing the dimensions of the wound. These dress- 



