ACTINOMYCOSIS. 
89 
growths require several months. From the wound made by opening 
the abscess, grows a soft, dark-red mass of granulation tissue, which 
bleeds readily, and contains large quantities of the specific paiasites. 
Prognosis must depend on whether the new formation can be completely 
removed, which is seldom the case. Lasting improvement can only be 
expected where treatment has been commenced early, that is, befoie 
infection has become general, and treatment is more successful in disease 
of the skin or subcutaneous tissues than where deeper-seated structures 
or the pharynx or tongue are involved. Disease of the bones of the 
upper or lower jaw, said by Esser and others to aiise from the fust 
molars, is always very intractable. Reference should be made to the 
sections dealing with these structures. Cases affecting the paiotid 
region, unless recent, are generally regarded as hopeless. Whilst Essei 
supports this view, Preusse has observed recovery in forty-one out of 
forty-five animals. It is of prime importance to remove the tumour 
early, before it has attained, say, the size of the hand, and while it is 
still circumscribed. If left longer, the growth recurs, even after careful 
removal. The results of iodine treatment have lately proved so remark¬ 
ably favourable, and been so well spoken of by different practitioners, that 
the prognosis of this disease must now be looked on as much more 
hopeful than formerly. 
Treatment. Prophylaxis demands the avoidance of suspicious fodder ; 
but this is troublesome and scarcely practicable, on account. of the 
difficulty of recognising whether such suspicious materials are infected 
with actinomyces. In dealing with cattle it may be possible to steam or 
boil most of the food, and special care must be taken that the abscesses 
and their contents do not contaminate any food. Although direct 
infection has not been clearly proved, actinomycosis occurs m man, 
and veterinarians and those handling infected subjects should hence 
exercise due caution. 
A case is related by Meyer where a peasant’s son who tended some cows 
affected with actinomycosis himself became the subject of actinomycosis 
of the jaw. Owners and attendants of diseased animals should therefore 
be warned. 
Of the various methods of treatment, operation is certainly the oldest. 
It consists in total extirpation of the infected connective tissue. 
In operating the animal is cast, the head placed on one side, and the 
nose forced downwards. The operator works round the tumours, always 
operating in the still healthy tissue, and removes the growth as far as 
possible with the fingers, assisted by knife and scissors. In this way 
severe bleeding is avoided, and small vessels can afterwards be ligatured. 
For checking parenchymatous bleeding, Esser and Preusse recommend 
the actual cautery, which has the additional advantage of desti oying at 
