ACTINOMYCES ASTEROIDES. 449 



cultivating it for years we obtained growths which were 

 actually more yellow and wrinkled, similar to our Act. 

 bovis. The consistency became tough, while earlier it was 

 crumbly. 



Bouillon Culture. — Bouillon remains clear, with a 

 rnoderate, slimy to tough precipitate, which is not entirely 

 dissociated by vigorous shaking. Single colonies develop 

 at the top as dirty gray pellicles with a dusty surface. 

 Upon glycerin bouillon (according to Nocard) the pellicle 

 is tougher. 



Milk Culture. — Casein is dissolved without coagula- 

 tion. Reaction alkaline. 



Potato Culture. — Grows slowly (according to Nocard, 

 rapidly), is whitish-yellow and lusterless. The surface 

 appears as if beset with dry scales. 



" Spores." — ^We have not observed them. Nocard de- 

 scribed non-staining spores. 



Distribution. — Cause of " Rinderwurms, " " farcin du 

 boeuf," occurring upon the island of Guadeloupe, and 

 rarely in northern France. The clinical picture resembles 

 that of cutaneous glanders, as also that of tuberculous affec- 

 tions of the cutaneous lymph-glands. 



For animal experiments guinea-pigs are most suitable; 

 then cattle and sheep. Rabbits, dogs, cats, horses, and 

 the ass appear to be immune. In guinea-pigs intraperito- 

 neal and intravenous injection is followed by death in 

 nine to twenty days, with the clinical picture of mili- 

 ary tuberculosis, yet the nodules contain a ball of the 

 threads of the fungus (clubs?). Subcutaneous infection 

 produces a very chronic disease in all susceptible animals, 

 which answers to the picture of the spontaneous farcin du 

 boeuf. 



Actinomyces asteroides. (Eppinger.) Qasperini. 



Synonyms. — Cladothrix asteroides Eppinger ; Ziegler's 

 Beitrage, ix, 287, good illustrations. Strept. Eppingeri 

 Rossi-Doria. 



Microscopic Appearance. — Rather sturdy, branching 

 threads. When stained by Gram's method and faintly 

 decolorized, as also in the fresh preparation, they have no 

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