662 Actinomycosis. 



Roettger). Tumors on the neck may attain an enormous size, 

 sometimes interfering with the lateral movement of the head 

 (Bonchet). — ^Actinomycosis of the superior maxilla was ob- 

 served in a mule by Aubry, affection of the spinous process 

 of the superior maxilla by Eousselot, while in a case described 

 by Hamburger the clinical picture of actinomycosis of the bone 

 resembled that of rachitis. 



In swine actinomycosis of the mammary glands usually 

 appears in the form of a nodulated, painless swelling and in- 

 duration of the base of the teat. Subsequently this process 

 spreads to the neighboring teats and glandular substance, thus 

 producing the deformity of the mammae already described. 

 Affection of the tonsils usually does not attract attention. In 

 rare cases, however, they may become much enlarged and then 

 are accessible to palpation in the region of the pharynx. Cold 

 abscesses which occur in the pharyngeal region and frequently 

 attain the size of a child's head are nearly always of an 

 actinomycotic nature. In actinomycosis of the ear the de- 

 formed, firm concha may attain a weight of 3 kg. (Junack). 



Course. The course of actinomycosis is always chronic 

 and may extend over months and even years. Especially when 

 it has its seat in the interior of bones, the disease develops 

 at first very insidiously, and in such cases it is usually not 

 recognized until conspicuous deformity of some external organ 

 of the body has developed, or, in case of affection of the maxillae, 

 disturbance of nutrition or respiration become evident. In 

 spite of the presence of the disease of the maxillae or the 

 tongue, affected animals may nevertheless remain for a long 

 time in good condition, in fact the presence of pharyngeal 

 tumors which may interfere with deglutition as well as respira- 

 tion, may not prevent the affected animal from taking on flesh. 

 Finally, however, such conditions will exert an injurious in- 

 fluence, the affected animals may no longer be able to feed 

 properly, they lose flesh, become emaciated and finally die from 

 exhaustion. In rare cases polypous tumors in the pharynx 

 may close the lumen of the larynx and cause suffocation. 



The presence of tumors in the skin and in the subcutaneous 

 connective tissue may not interfere with the general condition 

 of the affected animal for a long time, it is only when they, are 

 very extensive that they disturb the functions of neighboring 

 organs or tissues. On the other hand tumors in the region 

 of ihe larynx and especially when they occur within this organ 

 may produce serious disturbance of the function of respiration 

 Ijefore they become very large. 



The course of the disease is unattended by fever as long 

 as it remains of a local nature; when suppuration becomes 

 more profuse (mixed infection) as well as during the develop- 

 ment of numerous metastases a rise of the body temperature 

 is noted. 



