PSEUDO ACTINOMYCES OF THE UDDER OF 
THE COW 
By RUBERT BOYCE 
The following case is interesting from several points of view. The cow, from 
which the specimens were taken, was thought to be suffering from tubercle of the 
udder, but it failed to react to the tuberculin test although the tuberculin was active 
and had caused reactions in other animals proved to be suffering from tubercle. 
Secondly, inoculation experiments of the diseased tissue into guinea pigs failed to 
demonstrate the presence of tubercle. Thirdly, histological examination revealed 
nodules in the mamma composed of proliferating connective tissue cells, lymphoid 
cells and leucocytes, but no giant cells nor tubercle bacilli ; on the other hand, there 
were typical mulberry-like masses which recalled at once the appearance of Actinomyces, 
and led me at first to consider the case as one of actinomyces of the udder of the 
cow. The failure, however, to produce any reaction in the guinea pig, and the 
absence of any definite hyphae, caused me to make a more close examination, and to 
doubt the fungus nature of the nodules in spite of the presence of the well-marked 
clubs. Having already had occasion to study the fungus forms met with in the 
white and black varieties of Madura Foot, in which the nature of the parasite may be 
altogether masked by deposits, I did not abandon the parasitic theory of the nodules 
until I had failed with those reagents, which had cleared up the structure of the 
white and black nodules in Fungus Foot. My failure with these further investigations 
led me to conclude that the nodules might only be crystalline formations simulating 
in appearance the Ray Fungus. I was supported in this idea by the fact that whilst 
Pathologist at the Royal Infirmary I had had referred to me certain portions of diseased 
breast tissue which had been removed by Mr. Paul, and which the latter had considered 
to be examples of Ray Fungus in the human breast. My observations then led me to 
conclude that in these particular cases the fungus-like appearance was due to a fatty 
compound. Professor Loesch has also described, under the head of Pseudo- 
actinomycosis, brittle, stellate, mulberry masses in the sputa of cases of Pneumonia. 
Although simulating the Ray Fungus, he regarded them of the nature of leucin. 
More recently Stoeltzner* has drawn attention to curious crystalline masses, which 
he found in Rickety bone, and which Salkowski considered closely resembled Spermin 
in composition. 
* Berliner Klinhcher Wochemchrift, April 30, 1901. 
