10 
OLOF SCHWARZKOPF. 
of the theory from clinical observation. He was not of the 
opinion that the disease was contagious in the ordinary sense 
of the word. Prof. Ponfick (Breslau) said that he agreed in 
the main with Prof. Crookshank’s conclusions. In cattle the 
disease was generally transmitted by means of the fodder, 
especially straw. He thought that in both man and animals 
the source was the same and that the disease did not spread 
directly from one animal to the other. Prof. Nocard (Alfort) 
said that the observations of Prof. Crookshank had been con¬ 
firmed by all observers. The geographical distribution of 
the disease was very irregular. Bavaria, Scotland, Italy 
and some of the northern states of America had been much 
affected. In France it was very rare and generally remained 
in an isolated form. He had never seen cases transmitted by 
contagion or infection. The disease appeared to him un¬ 
doubtedly to spread by means of certain food-stuffs. The 
wholesale destruction of the flesh of the affected animals ap¬ 
peared to him to be quite unnecessary. M. Doyeu (Rheims) 
read a paper on three cases of actinomycosis in man, which 
he describes at length. He maintains that not only by the 
courses of the disease, but also by the different appearances 
of the fungus, one should be able to distinguish between the 
bovine and human forms. As regards the etiolog3q these 
three cases all come from the environs of Rheims ; they 
lived in the country and one of them had a habit of chewing 
grains of oats and barley. Sir Henry Simpson remarked that 
in his district the disease was not endemic, and when import¬ 
ed, though it did not cease with the animals imported, yet it 
did not spread like a contagious disease. As to whether the 
meat from these carcasses was fit for human consumption, he 
was content to permit its sale provided the locally diseased 
parts were cut away. Dr. George Fleming commented on the 
grave doubts which existed of the direct communicability of 
this disease to the human species ; if, therefore, an animal 
were in good condition and showed no fever, then its flesh 
was good to eat, but the actually diseased parts should not 
go into market. Prof. Crookshank in reply said that in com¬ 
paring the disease with tuberculosis it should be remembered 
that it was not by any means so virulent as tuberculosis. 
