8 
OLOF SCHWARZKOPF. 
On the other hand, we may inoculate a rabbit with the 
cocci of pus from an abscess and produce a severe disease and 
perhaps death, but nobody would look upon an abscess as 
contagious. Perhaps this example may seem ridiculous, 
nevertheless this and similar instances are facts which are hot 
counted by some overzealous experimenters. With due re¬ 
gard, therefore, for the utility of artificial inoculation, it can¬ 
not, ex ipso , be accepted as proof of the true nature of a dis¬ 
ease, nor does it explain the natural way in which the micro¬ 
organism enters into the body. But suppose the inoculation 
theory of Dr. Williams were correct, how are we to explain 
the large majority of failures to transmit actinomycosis ex¬ 
perimentally. Even in this country, where little has been done 
in this respect up to date, the results are mostly negative. 
Dr. R. R. Dinwiddie, of the Arkansas Agricultural Experi¬ 
ment Station, in his report on actinomycosis says, “ Cultivation 
of the fungus on artificial media outside the body has not 
been successful in my hands, nor have I succeeded in pro¬ 
ducing the disease in healthy animals by inoculation.” Dr. 
Bodamer (Journal, Vol. X., No. 2, 1889,) reports very inter¬ 
esting experiments with dogs, cats and rabbits. Although 
he claims to have succeeded in producing “ marked lesions in 
six out of thirteen animals ” a careful analysis of his records 
rather leaves one in doubt as to whether he produced genuine 
actinomycosis. He undoubtedly saw the difficulty, and mod¬ 
estly says on page 120, “ But the experiments, I confess, are 
not altogether satisfactory, not being repeated in sufficient 
number. * * * Control experiments with other than ac- 
tinomyces material were not made because I had witnessed 
in the investigations of Dr. Formad very numerous experi¬ 
ments with simple irritants to terminate in precisely the same 
manner as my above stated experiments, etc.” 
My own experiments, sixteen in number, (three dogs, two 
cats, three calves, eight cattle), were entirely negative except 
in the calf of the cow from which I used the virus for inocu¬ 
lation. But after making an incision into the artificially pro¬ 
duced tumor of the calf for microscopical examination, it 
gradually disappeared without any treatment whatever, and 
