610 TRICHOMYCETES, ACTINOMYCETES, HYPHOMYCETES 
diameter after prolonged incubation. A densely matted pellicle com- 
posed of branched and unbranched filaments forms upon the surface 
of broth and a flocculent sediment gradually collects at the bottom 
of the tube. Loffler's blood serum appears to be the most favorable 
medium for the initial growth of Nocardia directly from the tissues. 
The inoculation of cultures into rabbits or guinea-pigs frequently 
leads to chronic abscesses, bronchopneumonia, or a rapidly fatal 
generalized infection, depending upon the virulence of the organism 
and the site of inoculation. Claypole^ has prepared a series of "Strep- 
totrichins;"- glycerin bouillon cultures made from non-acid-fast myce- 
lial organisms and the partly acid-fast bacillary forms of Nocardia, 
which give definite skin reactions on persons with nocardial infections. 
Controls (normal, uninfected, individuals), do not react, but a Nocar- 
dial mycosis and tuberculosis may exist simultaneously in the same 
individual, as shown by the appearance of both organisms in the 
sputum, and both the streptotrichin and tuberculin skin reactions. 
Claypole also finds that glandular and bone infections with Nocardia 
may be demonstrated as readily as the lung infections by the skin 
reaction with streptotrichin. 
Fig. 86. — Actinomyces colony showing peripherally arranged clubs. 
Actinomyces Bovis.— Synonyms.— Discomyces bovis; Nocardia acti- 
nomyces; Streptothrix israeli. 
The causative organism of the disease of cattle known as "lumpy 
jaw" or "big jaw," Actinomyces bovis, was first described by Bol- 
linger,'^ although the granules or "driisen," consisting of colonies of 
the organism, were described by von Langenbeck as early as 1845. 
The first human cases were reported by Israel.^ 
Considerable confusion has arisen concerning the identity of the 
organisms found in suppurative lesions which superficially closely 
' Log. cit. - Arch. Int. Med., 1914, 14, 104. 
' Centralbl. f. klin. Med. Wissensch., 1877, 15, 481. 
* Virchow's Arch., 1878, 74, 15; 1879, 78, 421. 
