M. Y.
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authors between the Gram-staining characters of the clubs in human and
bovine lesions [Wooldridge, 1907] is no longer recognised. The occurrence of
pus formation in the human and its rarity in the bovine lesion is explained by
M'Fadyean [1889] on grounds of a host-specific tissue reaction, on analogy with
tuberculosis. The failure of Iodine therapy in human actinomycosis [Cole-
brook, 1921] is easily explained [M'Fadyean, 1932], because the treatment is
a success not against actinomycotic infection but against actinobacillosis in
animals. Although the bone does not respond to internal medicinal treat-
ment in most infections, success with iodine therapy in some bone lesions of
animals may be due to the fact that the infective agent was the bacillus and
not the streptothrix. According to M'Fadyean [1932] Actinobacillus is not
known to be pathogenic for man and Griffith [1931] states that " there is no
authentic record of a human case " ; but Colebrook [1930] cites one case of
meningitis stating that it is not impossible that other cases have been over-
looked. Also, Beaver and Thompson [1930] refer to two previous cases and
describe, in addition, one case of fatal infection.
Resuming the subject of nomenclature, a study of the works of Magnusson
[1928], Albiston [1930], Albiston and Pullar [1934], and Davies [1935] makes it
appear beyond any shadow of doubt that there occurs in the bovine and
porcine udders a chronic Staphylococcal granuloma with typical actino-bodies
possessing a peripheral zone of radiating clubs. Statistical data tend to show
that in the bovine host infection is always of the Staphylococcal type. Al-
biston and Pullar [1934] state that of 153 cases of " actinomycotic " mastitis
of bovines described from different parts of the world, 151 were due to Sta-
phylococcus, one due to Actinobacillus, and one due to an unidentified Strep-
tothrix. In the last case " the skin over the udder showed actinomycotic
lesion, and the mammary infection was obviously an extension from the skin
lesion ". On a number of occasions a pure culture of the staphylococcus (S.
pyogenes) has been obtained by various workers from lesions of so-called bo-
vine " actinomycotic " mastitis. In one case the culture so obtained has
been successfully used by Hulphers [1923] in producing the original disease
in a bovine. The success which attended Magrou's experiments [1919] has
proved that the Staphylococcus is capable of producing a chronic granuloma
closely resembling " actinomycosis ". This then would lead one to recognise
a chronic staphylococcal " actinomycosis " of the bovine udder. It must
be borne in mind, however, that all chronic cases of staphylococcal infection
of the cow's udder do not develop into " actinomycosis ". For, it appears
that Minett [1937], although admitting that " in its commonest form the
disease is chronic ", developing slowly into diffuse induration of the gland,
has, in none of the six cases studied, encountered the actino-body. Colebrook
[1930] mentions a case of Staphylococcal " actinomycosis " in the elbow of a
French soldier, which is perhaps the only case of its kind known in man.
From bovines Magnusson has obtained still another bacillus—Coryne¬
bacterium pyogenes—in pure culture in five cases of jaw-lesions and five times
from polypoid growths developed as complications of wounds in the wall of
the rumen and reticulum, which showed metastases in the liver, lungs and