18 
DISEASES OF THE TONGUE. 
beneath the mucous membrane, and can thus be readily detected. Not 
infrequently they are of a distinctly yellow colour. In other cases the 
tongue is simply increased in size. After a time the submaxillary 
lymphatic glands swell, and at a later stage oedema is present. The 
difficulty in swallowing prevents the animals taking anything but fluid 
nourishment, and slow wasting ensues. 
Henschel and Falk at the Berlin slaughter-houses saw actinomycosis 
of the tongue appearing as white or yellow hard swellings, varying in 
size from a pin’s head to a bean, sometimes lying in the mucous mem¬ 
brane, sometimes in the deeper tissues. The disease always started 
from the lower (anterior) border of the dorsum. They think that a 
certain connection exists between the localisation of the disease and the 
manner in which oxen gather their food. In grazing, the tongue is 
rotated and passed sideways round the blades of grass. Injuries are 
thus inflicted which afterwards allow the entrance into the tissues of 
actinomyces or of particles of food. Of the total animals slaughtered, 
9*1 per cent, showed such excoriations, and 7*2 per cent, were affected 
with actinomycosis. 
Treatment. Prognosis is unfavourable, and animals fit for the butcher 
had best be slaughtered. Fluid food is indicated. Although hitherto 
looked upon as incurable, some cases are said to have recovered after 
local scarification and the use of iodine. Bassi, Thomassen, Ostertag, 
and others recommend iodide of potassium internally, 1 to 2J drachms 
in a quart of water for six succeeding days. This is said, however, to 
have occasionally produced a kind of poisoning. Actinomycosis may not 
only be checked but absolutely cured by deep scarification and painting 
with iodine solution (Thomassen, Ostertag, and others). Of 100 cases 
Strebel claims to have completely cured one-third and to have so 
improved others that they could be successfully fattened ; only 50 per 
cent, he regards as incurable. To these belong the advanced cases, and 
those in which the root of the tongue is principally involved. Where 
the point and middle alone are invaded, the prognosis is much more 
favourable, for in these parts deep incisions may be made without danger. 
Dressing with tincture of iodine may take place two or three times a 
day after eating. Ostertag, however, assigns most importance to careful 
application of the drug; after laying open all swellings, he applies the 
tincture personally, using a stiff brush. The application is renewed 
once a week. Bass noted a relapse after iodine treatment. The later 
observations of Thomassen, Nocard, Ostertag, and others give a high 
value to the administration of iodide of potassium internally, and the 
local use of tinct. iodi. Under any circumstances it is better, when 
dealing with an infectious disease, not to place too much reliance on 
complete or lasting recovery, and as soon as sufficient improvement is 
